Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is good to be back in the House to represent our constituents and the people of the Northwest Territories in the many, many challenges that face us as a society today.
This summer, Mr. Speaker, I believe the church was the busiest place in the Northwest Territories with many, many weddings and far too many funerals, which speaks directly to the problems of our health system as my esteemed colleague, Mr. Braden, spoke so well of.
The long line-ups, the rate of cancer that is causing grief to many families right across the Territories is disconcerting. The issue of education in stagnated form is something to be discussed where you have to depend on individuals to push the education system through.
Our blind faith in the Kyoto Protocol is something that we should discuss and debate in this House as legislators, and not just one or two Members saying that the North supports it, without knowing what the true cost is going to be to Northerners in the short-term. We live in the highest cost environment already, Mr. Speaker, and I believe the Kyoto agreement, if implemented as discussed today, is going to increase the cost of living without seeing the long-term benefits really soon.
Our interference in our arms-length bodies, such as boards of directors as we saw yesterday, is troubling. If that is the direction that government is going to be taking, what is the point of putting the board of directors there to represent the interests of the people of the Northwest Territories, so that they can think long-term without political interference or political motivation?
Mr. Speaker, we have lots to talk about and we have two-and-a-half weeks to do so. I believe we have to take the time to seriously debate these issues so we can be public representatives of our people.
The signing of the Tlicho Agreement, knowing there are disputes by other First Nations groups, is a troubling factor and I will be addressing that with the appropriate Minister and the Premier as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause