Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of discussion this week in the House about sport and recreation, specifically sport and recreation opportunities and levels of participation and the disparity between small and large. In my statement earlier in the week I suggested that one of the things that was more important than adding new governance structures was to do an audit or an inventory, if you will, Mr. Speaker, of organizations and of levels of participation in the small communities and in the large communities and take a look at best practices and see if we cannot build from some of our successes.

One of the things I think we need to look at, Mr. Speaker, is voluntarism. This is something that we have discussed quite a bit and we have sort of tended to skirt the issue and dance around it a little bit, but I think the question needs to be asked, Mr. Speaker, why do we see volunteer networks that are well-developed and built up in our large communities and not so much in our smaller communities? Is it that, Mr. Speaker, people who live in small communities somehow are less willing to help others help children in communities? Somehow are not as big-hearted? Mr. Speaker, I think we know that is not the case.

In the North, indeed even in the south, all of us who have had the opportunity to visit small communities know that some of the best people in the country live there. But I think we need to look at, Mr. Speaker, what kinds of things really are contributing to this. I think certainly critical mass, Mr. Speaker, is one of them. With that comes respite. You simply cannot expect the same few people to coach hockey, soccer and participate as volunteers in all of these activity areas. People simply get burned out. Even in Yellowknife we know, Mr. Speaker, it seems it is the same people time and time again volunteering. I think that is further exacerbated in the smaller communities.

What about, Mr. Speaker, employment? I think if we look at small and large communities you would notice that the highest levels of unemployment are in our smallest communities. Mr. Speaker, as the hierarchy of needs would tell us, you certainly need shelter and food and an adequate standard of living before you can concern yourself with something like voluntarism. Mr. Speaker, I think that is also why you will notice typically people talk about the RCMP officers and teachers in smaller communities being the ones who volunteer. Mr. Speaker, they have jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.