Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I started to give a rather lengthy statement and I decided not to conclude it. So I would just like to recap a little bit of what I was trying to say. A number of weeks back, this government signed an MOU with the Gwich'in and, at the same time, announced the appointment of a regional director for the Beaufort-Delta. In these two items, which were perceived as changes in the way this government does business, in my statement yesterday, I was trying to say that we shouldn't be surprised by that because we've been on a long continuum of political evolution, and these things should make sense.

So, when I conclude my statement today, I would just like to speak to those issues again and just try to bridge the gap, I guess, to show that it really isn't that big of a change but with proper communication, people would see that and not be alarmed by them. So, Mr. Speaker, I will just continue with my statement.

We are all here to do a job. Leaders of community at regional levels are also trying to do a similar job serving the people that they represent. Sometimes we need to think about how these functions can be accomplished in an efficient and transparent way that ensures the decisions are responsive to the needs of the people. I don't think we should turn it into a turf war or contest that leaves some people feeling that the effectiveness of their input might somehow be less important or threatened.

With respect with to the contracting portion of the MOU, again, this government has a fairly long standing precedent of negotiating contracts. It's maybe not as pure a form of economics as supply and demand and let the market dictate the price but, in the past, if there were arguable benefits, such as promoting economy and commerce in smaller communities and regions and there was political support and it wasn't going to bring a project in at a significantly higher price, negotiated contracts were employed as a means of accomplishing a goal. The MOU may formulize and articulate that concept but it certainly cannot be argued as being new or foreign to this government's way of doing business.

As for the hiring of the new regional director, in consultation with various governments that need to serve a cohesive way in the Beaufort-Delta, again, this government has a longstanding practice of using public service employment as a means of achieving a goal. It's been called the Affirmative Action Policy and Direct Appointments. It has caused its share of concern because, again, it's probably not as pure and as objective as hiring the most qualified person. However, it has been a policy of this government and, in many instances, it has achieved what it set out to accomplish. Our public service has become more representative of the people it serves, so it is not a huge leap from selecting and approving affirmative action candidates or direct appointing senior officials for government positions to consulting with Aboriginal government on who they think could best serve at a senior level of government to fulfill a particular mandate. Mr. Speaker, I am really almost finished. I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please.