Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is also on the line of education and the cuts we have seen and the effect it has had on our communities, especially in the area of special needs, problems we see in our schools with FAE/FAS, special needs students and the value of education they are presently receiving. We have to keep in mind that this is not only an education problem, it is also a health problem which will have long term effects on our communities and to this government. I believe we have to take the initiative now to improve education for all students, the time spent in the classrooms with the number of cuts that have taken place, cuts to special needs teachers, the high turnover of teachers that we have seen in our communities and also the numbers of student drop outs in our smaller communities. We have to deal with this initiative and we have to deal with money. We may hear there are no real dollars out there, but I believe if there is a will, there is a way. We have to take the initiative to assist wherever possible to improve education and health as one. We have to look at FAE and FAS not only as a problem that teachers have to deal within the classroom, but the community has to deal with it in the long term.

Mr. Speaker, I feel that we have to do something now because of the stress, the high turnover rate of teachers that we have seen and also the cuts we have made in delivering education to our communities, especially in the area where we have seen cuts to different programs and services that were there at one time; for example, language programs and special need's teachers who are needed in the classrooms, also cuts to the delivery of education programs that are no longer there. Mr. Speaker, later I will be asking the Minister a question to see if there is a way to coordinate some effort between the Departments of Health and Education to deal with this major problem in our communities. Thank you.

--Applause