Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to make some general comments that will highlight the areas I intend to question as we go through the detail.
The first area I would like to quickly touch on is the whole area of sports and recreation. I know the Minister has spoken to that in the House when questioned by myself yesterday about the need to look at a revamped strategy for sports and recreation, and clearly look at the role of such major events as the Arctic Winter Games, and try to make sure that we focus as much of our attention and resources as possible at the community level.
I will have some questions with regard to the block funding arrangement and questions as to the water and sewer subsidy being left out. Of course, as it pertains specifically to the community I represent, Fort Smith, I will be asking some questions with regard to the water and sewer subsidy just to confirm that the arrangement I heard about has been taken care of.
Finally, I will ask the Minister to speak, either in his response to general comments or when it is appropriate in detail, to the issue that I raised in the House last week. It is very topical and the Minister is in the paper about it. That is the whole area of the municipal insurance issue, the huge rate increases municipalities face and how the department has been working within the NWTAM in the communities to come to grips with this. I do not know if there is any way to do battle with the insurance sector, but very clearly they saw this as a target of opportunity. With Walkerton, they had the perfect leverage to squeeze the municipalities, at least in the Northwest Territories, for a lot more money. So I will just ask the Minister to speak to that issue as well. That concludes my general comments, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.