Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand it's International Women's Day today and I would like to congratulate the women sitting up there. Thank you.

However, Mr. Speaker, today my Member's statement is with regard to health services in my region. Mr. Speaker, the regional director and his executive staff in the Beaufort-Delta and my constituency assistant conducted a tour of Tuktoyaktuk, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok from February 15 to the 21, 2007. I understand the tour went very well and a number of issues were raised by my constituents to the regional director and his staff.

Mr. Speaker, I have raised this issue before in this House and once again it was raised by my constituents to the regional director and his staff regarding the lack thereof of health services provided to the Nunakput communities; in particular, Mr. Speaker, services for dental, doctor and eye clinics.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services, I understand, has contracts for both the dental and eye clinics. Both of these services provided are for about a minimum of four days in each community. The amount of time these clinics spend in the communities is not long enough to see the patients that require dental, doctor and eye care. Mr. Speaker, not only does it involve a number of days in the community, but it involves long hours for the dental, doctor and eye clinic to see patients in such a short time. This is unacceptable because we should deserve the same level of service as large centres.

Mr. Speaker, on the same issue, a visit by the doctor from regional health has the same problem with the amount of time the doctor visits the communities of Nunakput. We need the Department of Health and Social Services to review and revisit the contract for the dental and eye clinic teams and the doctor to stay longer in the communities, so that all residents have a chance to get a thorough check-up of their bodies, eyes and teeth. In order for the people of Nunakput to be healthy, we need to upgrade on the level of services.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Committee has been considering Tabled Document 104-15(5), Workers' Compensation Board Comprehensive Response to Committee Report 5-15(5); Bill 21, Appropriation Act, 2007-2008; Committee Report 7-15(5), and would like to report progress with one motion being adoption and that Tabled Document 104-15(5) is concluded. Mr Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you. Just one last question for the follow-up here. In working with the co-management boards, does the department do that on a monthly basis or so just to make sure that they are keeping in line with or keeping in contact with them to make sure that things can be sustained? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll leave it to your discretion I guess, I'm going to ask a question in regard to the wildlife and the maintaining of wildlife, more specific towards the caribou I guess because of what's happening over the last year or so. I'd like to ask the Minister, Mr. Chairman, there's been aerial surveys done over the last year or so and they've been working with the co-management boards in terms of the harvesting of the herds. I'm just wondering if the Minister will continue to work with these co-management boards to make sure that they can sustain the level it is now. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I wonder if it's possible if we can somehow speed up the process. We talked about it almost a year ago and I think it's important now that we start looking at something like this. I wonder if we could try to speed it up so we could have it in May. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have one quick question with regard to the Species at Risk Act. In your opening remarks, you talked about species at risk. I am just wondering can you tell us how far the development of this Species at Risk Act is? Thank you.

Thank you. Will they include that somewhere down the line? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have one quick question with regard to IRMA. In '06-07 there was $305,000 and in '07-08 there is nothing identified there. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to thank the Minister and his staff for coming out to address items this afternoon. General comments, Madam Chair, I guess. I appreciate the inclusion of Sachs Harbour as part of the police services. We worked very hard for that. I'd like to thank my colleagues on this side here also. I think we've come a long way over the last three years and I hope we can continue to move forward and look at Colville Lake, Tsiigehtchic and Gameti, all those small communities that are without police services. I think that's one step that I think we've put our foot in the door now and we can move forward with that.

Just in regard to the corrections department, I guess, Madam Chair. It's unfortunate we have to spend so much money in corrections, I guess. Adult and young offenders, that's a lot of money we're expending that could be used otherwise. But that's the facts of life I guess we have to deal with.

Just in regard to the wilderness camps, I appreciate the department still trying to get these people who are in North Slave and South Slave correctional centres to go out and try to get some of these other programs that are available. It's up to these people to decide that and I'm glad to see that the department will continue to try to put funding into that, although, like I say, it's up to the individuals themselves.

Madam Chair, just a last comment I'd like to make is, you know, in our pre-budget consultation we heard about lack of funding for youth justice committees. I'm glad to see there is some money available for the department, for youth justice committees. I'm glad to see the department has been listening when we were travelling through the communities.

Just some general comments. I may have some questions in regard to detail later on. Thank you, Madam Chair.