Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. Is the Department of Education reviewing a process for standardized testing at the grade 11 and grade 12 level in the NWT at this moment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize in the gallery today a well-known local Yellowknife businessman and author, David T. McCann, and sitting next to him, Mr. Gordon Rennie, a long-time northerner and a big supporter of mine during the recent election in Iqaluit. Thank you.

---Applause

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, 1995...(Translation ends).

...Dorothy suggested that Mr. Gzowski hold one of his golf tournaments for literacy in the North. Mr. Gzowski thought it was an excellent idea and thus began the annual tournaments that we have had since. That first tournament was held here in Yellowknife and, as one of the first members of the NWT literacy council, I had the great pleasure of caddying around Frame Lake in February for celebrities like Valdy and Ken Dryden. We have Dorothy to thank for this.

Dorothy has been an innovator and a strong advocate for ESL and ABE programming in the Eastern Arctic. This busy educator and mother also recently completed her masters degree in adult education. Only five people in the Northwest Territories were honoured with the Minister's Award for Literacy, and I am proud to say that my friend and constituent, Dorothee Komangapik, was one. Qujannamiik, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, fellow colleagues. I wish to congratulate and thank my friends and colleagues; Joe Kunuk, the mayor of Iqaluit; and, Jerry Ell, the president of the Baffin Region Chamber of Commerce, for their very hard work and able leadership, and also the many helpers who worked so hard. I also wish to congratulate the community of Rankin Inlet; their mayor, Keith Sharp;, and their supporters for a very good campaign and hard work.

Now that the capital vote is over, we must all work together to ensure that the federal Cabinet moves forward quickly to implement Nunavut on time and with adequate finances. Qujannamiik. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

I wish to congratulate and thank my friends and colleagues; Joe Kunuk, the mayor of Iqaluit; and, Jerry Ell, the president of the Baffin Region Chamber of Commerce...I seek unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to note a historic milestone for the community which I am honoured to represent. I refer to the results of the Nunavut capital plebiscite held Monday, December 11th, throughout communities in Nunavut and the clear endorsement, by 60 per cent of the voters, of the town of Iqaluit as capital of Nunavut. This significant margin tells me that we received support, not just from Iqaluit and Baffin, but from all regions of Nunavut and we are very thankful for that support.

Mr. Speaker, I know that the citizens of Iqaluit are overwhelmed and grateful for the strong support they received in this vote. Iqaluit has had some setbacks in recent years. Several years ago, our council was dissolved by the Government of the NWT and just over a year ago, a tragedy took the lives of eight of our most able hunters.

Mr. Speaker, today the citizens of Iqaluit are feeling proud that they have been entrusted with the responsibility of being the seat of Government of Nunavut. They also showed, with their very strong support, that 98 per cent of the population of Nunavut voted for Iqaluit -- that should be 98 per cent of the population of Iqaluit turned out for the vote. Our community has come together and become stronger as a result of these changes and other challenges. That strong community spirit was certainly reflected in the overwhelming turnout at the polls on Monday.

Mr. Speaker, I am very confident that the people of Iqaluit will rise to the challenge of reaching out to all of Nunavut as the capital of Nunavut. In this connection, I was very pleased with the recent announcement that First Air will provide direct links between Iqaluit and the Kitikmeot in the new year. As an elected representative of Iqaluit, I also want to pledge to my colleagues in this Assembly and to community leaders from all three regions of Nunavut, that as MLA for the community which will become the capital of Nunavut, I look forward to working closely with all of you to ensure that the new Nunavut government is a decentralized government, which will be planned and implemented in an efficient and equitable manner. I, too, wish to endorse our mayor's suggestion that we should have a Nunavut leaders' meeting in the new year. It should be held in Kivalliq or Kitikmeot regions and it should focus on moving forward together to implement Nunavut.

I seek unanimous consent.

WHEREAS it is required by Rule 85 that a Standing Committee on Social Programs be appointed;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Social Programs:

1. Tommy Enuaraq

2. Roy Erasmus

3. Michael Miltenberger

4. John Ningark

5. Floyd Roland

AND FURTHER, that the following Members be named alternates to the Standing Committee on Social Programs:

1. Levi Barnabas

2. Jane Groenewegen

3. James Rabesca

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise seeking unanimous consent for my motion on appointments to the Standing Committee on Social Programs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS it is required that the Striking Committee recommend the appointment of a Member to be chairperson of the Standing Committee on Government Operations;

AND WHEREAS the Striking Committee is prepared to recommend a Member to fill this position;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that the honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Erasmus, be appointed as chairperson of the Standing Committee on Government Operations.