Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on a critical issue that has come up in the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board. Mr. Speaker, I have been informed and have received a fax that notice has gone out on emergency services provided to many communities in the Inuvik region, and it notifies different communities of the times their health centres will go on emergency services only. Mr. Speaker, this is the second summer now that we are being impacted by centres that are having closures because of a lack of staff in all of the communities.

Mr. Speaker, I was aware this winter that the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board had lined up a recruitment drive to try and get more nurses to deal with the shortages, and things were working out rather well initially. They had put a program together and were ready to do some recruitment overseas. When they contacted the department, they were informed they could not do that at that time. They had to work with the department to develop a process to deal with this recruitment issue.

Mr. Speaker, they had an opportunity to fill jobs. What we are seeing now, I believe, is definitely a direct impact as to the process that is being used now. I am aware that there has been ongoing work to try and improve the system between the department and boards, but right now, communities in the Beaufort Delta region will be impacted due to the lack of nursing once again.

Mr. Speaker, we have to put something in place to help out the health boards across the Northwest Territories to deal with the shortages. Mr. Speaker, if that means the department has to put more resources into dealing with these shortages, then they should do that, or allow the boards to go on their own recruitment drives. Later, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services on this issue. Thank you.

-- Applause