Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to address an issue at this time that affects a great number of residents in Hay River and the surrounding area. The issue I refer to is the condition of the NWT Centennial Library in Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, the Hay River public library has occupied the same building in Hay River for some 30 years. This library has the highest program attendance of all libraries in the Northwest Territories, including Yellowknife. It leads all small libraries in the North in materials lending. The Hay River public library is much more than a simple book-lending service. It has become a highly used community centre, providing for the educational and recreational needs of our youth and all alike. For instance, Mr. Speaker, it had a total program attendance of over 5,000 people in the year 2000.

Mr. Speaker, this Assembly has spent a great deal of resources addressing the needs for literacy in the Northwest Territories. Libraries contribute a great deal towards enabling our residents to become literate.

Mr. Speaker, I believe strongly that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment should revisit its current formula of funding libraries throughout the North. I believe that a more equitable funding arrangement for our libraries would be to have population-based funding. If this funding arrangement meant more money for certain libraries, these additional funds should not come out of the Northwest Territories Library Services budget. If this was done, the libraries throughout the North would suffer as a result. If there was an increase, it should come from extraordinary funding.

I believe it is high time, Mr. Speaker, that this government examines its spending habits and this includes allocating some badly needed funds to our libraries. At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will have some further questions to the Minister responsible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.