Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are a relatively small territory with a small

population. As I related in my Member's statement today, so many of us have had people who have been close to us who have been touched with cancer. One of the questions that I often get as an MLA is whether or not the rates of cancer are actually higher in the Northwest Territories than they are in the rest of this country. My understanding has been that they are not. Perhaps it is just that the closeness with which our small community here operates that we just tend to hear about it more often.

For the record, and for people who have made this inquiry of me many times, I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, do we have a higher than national average in our rates of cancer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.