(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the House of the successful meeting of the Baffin Leaders Summit, held July 1998. I am very proud of the Baffin region organizations as they are able to work well with one another and with very little conflict. Hamlets and other groups and organizations in the Baffin including corporations and the Members of the Legislative Assembly, are also respectful of one another and must be commended for that.

However, we are seeing a trend where these representative bodies in Nunavut are covering the exact same items at every annual assembly. For example, all the bodies have one sort of social programs or another, perhaps this is due to a lack of communication amongst these bodies. I would strongly suggest that they follow certain channels to avoid overlapping on issues. Nunavut Tunngavik has delegated a committee to deal with certain issues. Issues dealing with social concerns and programs, healing, should be directed to that committee. Similarly the Baffin leaders should appoint a steering committee that would delegate certain issues of general concern.

Will we allow this situation to continue in the same way? Where can we make changes for improvement? If we can obtain some funding prior to April 1999, we would like to reassess the mandate of the Baffin leaders and see if they need to be assigned differently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

--Applause