Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought today about issues I might like to highlight in my last Member's statement. I think for me it was an easy choice. I wanted to again remind us of our challenge and that is to ensure that we can do everything we can for the people of the Northwest Territories in terms of education and training.

It's no secret that many of the discussions we've had as a legislature have been difficult. They've been tough discussions, but they've been about the sense that there's a growing disparity between the have and the have-not communities of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that more than anything education and training can be the great equalizer. I think that if our education system across the Territories is successful then opportunities will open up for everyone. Yesterday I mentioned the program south of the border, the bill, Leave No Child Behind. I think our education system has to leave no community behind.

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I think, Mr. Speaker, we did a good job as an Assembly. When we started we put a lot of money into the pupil/teacher ratio. I'm proud of that, but I think we can do more especially in terms of student supports, Mr. Speaker. I also believe that if there was an area that we've fallen short of in education, it certainly, I think, is in terms of trades and apprenticeship. We did have much discussion about the need to meet the opportunities for jobs that are becoming more and more available in the Territories, but we really need to look at our priorities and, I believe, spend more effort encouraging young people to enter this area of employment and ensure that we put the resources there so that our young people across the Territories can get training.

Mr. Speaker, speaking of resources, another program that I think we seriously need to improve is our student financial assistance. It has come some way and four years ago I remember discussions about student financial assistance, if you can believe it, not recognizing distance learning. We are there now, but we need to continue to improve its flexibility. I've had constituents come to me who wanted to go to cooking school, take real estate training, financial services training and our program simply didn't meet them half way, Mr. Speaker. It seemed to be more concerned that they were attending a typical university program in the South, two semesters a year, a certain number of hours a day. Mr. Speaker, we have to get out of that mindset so that we can meet the needs of all of our residents. I certainly hope the next government will make that a priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause