Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to thank the Member for his comments and the issues he brings to the table, and thank you for recognizing that we are starting to shift in the way we're doing business as a department and as a government.

The issues he raises are important to us in how we deliver the program in our communities, how we reach those that need help the most and, again, doing so in an environment of tight fiscal resources makes it challenging but we continue to do that.

As highlighted earlier in the Nurse Placement Program, the double remission rate, if they go into small communities, the community health nurse initiative of taking new grads and give them the extra training so they can go into our small communities is going to be, I believe, one of the areas where we can address the area of nursing shortages the Member was just speaking of. In fact, I was made aware that we've sat down with a number of different departments and within the department itself as well on putting as much resources towards coming up with a fix for the issue of the nursing shortage the Member's region is feeling right now.

The rehab team process is another one where we do see and recognize the fact that we need to get into communities on a more regular basis, and that's why this budget addresses that with another 11.5 positions, and that will help get people into communities to do the much needed work that's expected in those communities.

Just as a point as well, the Social Work Program, teaching program, yes, in fact that was delivered out of the Inuvik

campus and the enrolment was very low, and now we have established here and feel that that will probably make the intake higher. That program, as well, works on the same principle as the Nursing Program. If we have social workers that go through our Student Financial Assistance Program, when they go to small communities they have double the remission rate as well. So I think that's information we should be passing on to people entering that field. I'm happy to say that the Department of Health and Social Services started that process and have now been incorporated within student financial assistance through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

So we do have our challenges and what we need to focus on.

The issue of seniors' facilities in all our communities and regions is again going to be challenging. I know the facility in Behchoko, the Jimmy Erasmus Home, is something we're working together with the Housing Corporation on ensuring that we have that facility up to date as soon as possible and working in a proper way so that the seniors there get an adequate level of service and feel that they're safe in that environment.

Again, I thank the Member for his comments. He's continued to raise them here and we will continue to work with the Members of this House to try and improve the level of service we provide to all communities. Thank you.