Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.

Members' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. More than once, some of my constituents and also my husband have brought it to my attention that the reporters on the radio and the TV are mispronouncing my first name, and this is really bothering my husband. It is not Manitok. It is Manitok with a double E sound in the middle. I wish to thank my constituents and my husband for bringing this to my attention, and I hope that everybody in Repulse Bay, Chesterfield and Coral Harbour have a great spring and summer. Thank you.

--Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, fans. Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of ministerial statements today but none in this honourable Member's mind more important than the announcements regarding the conclusion of the negotiations to replace the Inuvik and Baffin hospitals. The conclusion of this file goes back to the Health and Welfare Canada transfer of health programs to the GNWT in 1988. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Minister and his staff for the work on this file. However, the completion of the successful negotiations raises some questions on the impact of the federal fund transfer on the P3 schedule construction project of the Baffin Regional Hospital in Iqaluit. Mr. Speaker, later today I will ask the Minister for Health some questions on this transfer. I, too, would also like to take this opportunity, in conclusion, to thank the Iqaluit Pages in the Legislative Assembly and yourself, Mr. Speaker, for the lunch.

I would like to reply to Mr. Miltenberger's bait he threw me today on the Power Corporation, but I will not. I would like to wish the Members and all the residents of Iqaluit a happy and safe summer. Thank you for your indulgence, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it is fair to say that most people have heroes, people that they look up to. For the young person, that may be a hockey player, a ball player or a movie star. Up until a few minutes ago, I thought Members of this House thought I was their hero, but I find out now that is Mr. Picco. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, there is a young individual whom I have come to know here in the last couple of years in Yellowknife, and I would suggest that he is probably one of my biggest heroes. Most Members may not know his name, but you certainly saw him in the Legislative Assembly lobby a number of times. He is the young gentleman who is in a wheelchair with a big smile on his face, Vital Manuel. On a number of occasions, Mr. Speaker, on the way to the Legislative Assembly in the mornings, I saw this young man out in his wheelchair shovelling snow. Today, on my way to work, I saw him out cleaning the sidewalks with a broom. I think it is individuals such as this that can give us all inspiration to get up off our rear ends and do things when we see people who may not have the same attributes as ourselves, going up and above and beyond. I would ask the Members of this Legislature to congratulate this young man for being my hero.

--Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are going to be breaking here after today and going our respective ways. This weekend there is an event in Fort Simpson, which is the graduation of the high school students, who I just wanted to mention. There are ten young people there: Lori McKenzie, Wesley Hardisty, Lionel Nadia, Camille Nayally, Adeline Sanguez, Laurie Sibbeston, Thelma Squirrel, T.G. Wilson, Mark Robertson, and Alexa Tsetso. They will be moving on from a high school education and next year some of them will even be going to college or university. I would like to congratulate them and to carry on with the work, and all the other students within the system, I would like to encourage you to stay in school and get an education. Through the debate here in this Legislative Assembly, an environmental scan and the trends that are happening in the north, indicated that in order to get ahead, we need more than grade 12. You need to go on to college or university and so forth. That is the kind of direction that we would like to have. The education system is there, and it is doing the best it can under the circumstances. I would like to encourage the teachers who are providing this service to us through our students to carry on with the good work and the parents to keep encouraging their kids to keep on going to school. I just want to give that message to my constituents whom I represent. I represent six communities, and I would like to say hi to all of them and that with this break, we will be going into the communities again, hopefully, to see everybody. For the members of the Legislative Assembly, I would like to wish you a good summer and we will see you in the fall. Mahsi.

--Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, looking through Mr. Arlooktoo's Minister's statement about community justice, I would like to applaud and salute the Minister for recognizing the need to have more community control for administration of justice, Mr. Speaker. However, I have some very serious questions as to the locations of the potential camp dealing with offenders. When you look through the pages of the Minister's statement, on the last page, page five, the Minister talks about, and I quote "Discussion with potential camp operators are currently taking place with community members from Pond Inlet, Pangnirtung, Kimmirut" - that is his home community -"Hall Beach, Cape Dorset, Iqaluit and Clyde River". All are the Baffin region. What about regions like the Keewatin, more importantly, the Kitikmeot? At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister as to who decides where the location of the camps should be. Thank you.

Members' statements. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased today to recognize some very busy people, first Mary Sue Maloughney is my executive assistant and has helped me over the past year in dealing with some very difficult issues. Mary Sue is leaving my office to move onto bigger and better places very soon, and I thank her very much. With her is Mr. Richard Bargery, Assistant Deputy Minister for our Division Secretariat. Also with them is Laura Gauthier, who is ADM, I believe, of the Intergovernmental Affairs Department of the new Nunavut government. Finally, Mr. Speaker, Miss Rhoda Perkison is the Deputy Clerk Designate for the new Nunavut legislature.

--Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, although I understand they just left the gallery, I had wanted to recognize 13 members of the grade seven class which included my adopted son, Ronald J. Rabesca, from Elizabeth MacKenzie Elementary School in Rae. Along with the students were their teachers, Leon Weyallon and Jerry Baron, as well as the bus driver, Manuel Bishop. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize someone whom I have known for a long time in Yellowknife, Mr. Don Kindt. He is the assistant superintendent of Education for Yellowknife Education District Number Two.

--Applause

Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome in the gallery today from Iqaluit, Mr. Ed McKenna. His daughter, Meghan, is one of the Pages today here. Also, Goo stole my thunder. Laura Gauthier is here, a resident of Iqaluit and a constituent, and Mr. Rick Bargery, the DM, who is a wannabe resident of Iqaluit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ningark.