Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple of quick general comments in regard to...(inaudible)...department. I'd just like to say a few things in regard to what's been happening in the smaller communities, Madam Chair. The first comment I'd like to make is, as we all know, there's a shortage of nurses in the small communities. Plus we get a lot of information from the department with regard to the reduction of services, especially in the small communities.

Having said that, I'd like to refer to page 2 of page 5 of the Minister's opening comments. They estimate that $4 million in new initiatives is made possible. It goes on further to say that including additional frontline nursing positions for small communities. I'd just like to ensure that the Minister follows up with some of the nurse resources we have in the communities. It's been on a number of occasions that it happened anyway. I do have a record of especially what happened in Tuk in the Nunakput riding.

So the other one, Madam Chair, I'd like to touch briefly on, is the one that was raised by some of the MLAs over here on this side. It is in regard to the escort service that the department presently has, and including translation services for the elders that are travelling outside of their home communities. I say this, Madam Chair, because I know of incidents in Tuk where there was an elder that needed to come down to Yellowknife, but she didn't want to go because the department didn't allow to have an escort. This is an elder I'm talking about. Whereas, in another instance where there was a younger person in the late 40s who was actually well-spoken in English, the wife was able to come down to Yellowknife to do some data. So I don't know where the differences are in terms of who can be escorted to the departments, into Yellowknife or to Edmonton for that fact.

Madam Chair, another comment I'd like to make is, on my return trip down here, I was approached by another resident from Tuk. They gave me a scenario where there was one client along with an escort that went to Edmonton for a major operation. Subsequently, Madam Speaker, is that when they arrived in Inuvik rather than flying on a local airline sched, they were on a transport that takes them back by the ice road. That makes it difficult for a patient, especially when you have an operation, that kind of operation. But apparently the people were forceful enough to talk the department into flying back home. That's just one scenario.

Another incident that I became aware of -- I don't think it was the first time because I know it happened to my mother a long time ago -- was the issuance of the wrong medication to elders. It did happen again, Madam Chair, so I don't know what the health services are doing to ensure that the elders are taken care of in the right manner that they should be.

These are just some of the general comments I'd like to make, Madam Chair. Like I say, a lot of my Members here, you know, as I was watching the proceedings yesterday, that I've been asked. So these are just some of the major questions that I have. Thank you.