Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about the potential closure of the Edmonton Municipal Airport. This is a direction

provided by the City of Edmonton that they have been taking and studying for some time.

I’ve met and talked with the Edmonton mayor, Stephen Mandel, and have expressed the concern of many Northerners. He says they have a plan, which begs the question: What is the plan that our Territory has and how does it work for our residents when it comes to health care? Is our government ahead of this problem or even trying to get ahead of this issue? Or is it on the heels waiting for the final knockout? Is the government’s plan a head in the sand or even, looking outside today, in the snow? Depending on the season, of course. Because leadership is not demonstrated by sitting and letting someone else make the decision for us.

I have asked the mayor of Edmonton to come to Yellowknife to talk to Northerners and he has told me he would. I’ve written to him to follow up and we need leadership from this government to encourage and certainly make sure he does.

Where is our plan? Change isn’t always bad, but I can tell you when it comes to the unknowns, it causes great concern. Does the City of Edmonton’s plan dovetail with our vision of future health care? I can tell you that there is not one person who doesn’t care about health care in one form or another. This summer, while I knocked on doors as I do each and every summer trying to get to as many as I can, many people said this issue resonates with them. This issue resonates all across the North in one form or another.

We recently saw Envision Edmonton hammer away at this problem. They had an opinion, so where is ours? The mayor of Edmonton had told me they have a plan to accommodate. My question is: Does that work for Northerners? Are we involved in the development of that plan? That plan may not be bad, that plan may not be good, but we have to be involved in it on the ground level.

We are not voters in the city of Edmonton, but I told the mayor of Edmonton that we certainly are stakeholders and issues like health care are significant issues that affect all Northerners. This issue potentially could change the way future health care is delivered in our North. Again for better or perhaps for worse, that change will be received with passion and concern. Right now it’s only driven by confusion. In an emergency when seconds matter, what is this government doing as time ticks away?