Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last April, the Government of Canada created the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada. Roy Romanow was appointed to head up the commission. The end goal, Mr. Speaker, is to examine the state of public health care in this country and recommend ways to be made sustainable well into the next century.

The commission recognizes that providing practical and realistic recommendations will be an enormous task. To achieve this, the commission is analyzing submissions from health care providers, stakeholder groups and concerned Canadians who offer their views on challenges and opportunities facing public health care in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, this spring the commission will be visiting the Northwest Territories to hear from Northerners. I have every expectation that our government will be making a formal presentation highlighting our challenges. I also hope that the Standing Committee on Social Programs will be invited to contribute its views to the submission.

Mr. Speaker, we should urge all citizens of the Northwest Territories concerned with protecting our health care system to get involved and be heard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause