Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advise the Members of this House and the public that May 10-16, 1999, is National Nurses' Week. Nurses across Canada are being recognized this week for the valuable contribution they make to the country's health care system. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize all the nurses in the NWT for the work they do to help all Northerners lead healthy and productive lives.
Nurses play an important role in keeping our communities healthy. Through their public health, health promotion and disease prevention services, nurses help to provide us with resources to lead healthier lives. Nurses are the backbone of the NWT health and social services system. They make up almost 85 percent of our health care workers. In most northern communities, a nurse is the first person you see when you need health care. As the first point of contact, northern nurses are expected to provide a broad range of services, requiring special training and knowledge.
A new initiative announced in the budget, if approved, will commit $3 million over the next two years in nurse compensation to help us attract and retain competent nursing professionals. But compensation is only part of the solution. People also want to feel that their job matters and that they make a difference. A qualified nurse can choose where she or he wants to work. Nurses are in great demand, not just in the North, but right across Canada and internationally. It is important to let them know that they are welcome and appreciated in our communities.
Communities can play a critical role in making the North a more attractive place for nurses by supporting and respecting their role at the community level. Nursing is a challenging profession.
While at the International Council in England, there will be an opportunity for the NWT delegates to do some recruiting, and hopefully attract new nurses to come to work in our territory. National Nurses' Week provides all of us with the opportunity to say thank you to our nurses for the dedicated professional care they continue to offer us. I encourage my fellow Members to take some time during National Nurses' Week to recognize and thank the nurses in their communities for the important work that they do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause