Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to inform this House that my region is hearing how important education is. Over the past number of years, our leaders have been telling young and old that education is the backbone to a better life. We all try to ensure that our children have the best we can offer. Be it a good warm home, food on the table, a caring and loving family, it is our duty as parents to ensure these things are provided. It is also our duty to ensure our children can achieve their goals. We must enforce and encourage our children to attend school and get as much education as is possible.

With this in mind, I would like to inform this House that for this current school year we have had tremendous response for individuals to attend post-secondary schools as well as getting a high school education. This year we have 47 students out attending post-secondary schools throughout Canada. The Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School has had an increase of almost 100 students over the same period last year. This is all very good news for our region and our residents.

We cannot stop now, we must continue to encourage our residents to get educated, our government must continue to develop new and interesting programs and methods that focus on our ever changing environment. New opportunities are becoming available and we must respond to these. To end, I would like to commend our students for their achievements and keep up the good work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to pledge today, with my colleagues that I will do whatever it takes, to ensure that this is resolved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to welcome my colleagues back from our summer break. I hope we all enjoyed a relaxing time with family and friends.

Also, over the course of this past summer, changes were made at the senior management level of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. I would like to welcome and congratulate Mr. Bob McLeod for his appointment as deputy minister. During the period that Ms. Penny Ballantyne was the deputy minister, the community of Rae-Edzo developed a very good working relationship with the department staff, and I hope that this will continue under the new leadership.

Recently the Hamlet of Rae-Edzo received and reviewed a copy of the draft operational review that the department has undertaken. It was disappointing to find that this document does not address the main concerns that the community and I have raised on many occasions. The hamlet alone has discussed these issues with the department now for the past three years. The department still and must resolve the issue of the two separate communities divided by 14 kilometres of road operating under the budget of one community. The Hamlet of Rae-Edzo has two firehalls, two water/sewage systems, two complete and separate communities, but receives funding as one community and is a great concern.

Another issue is that of equipment and infrastructure. How will the department address that fact that some communities that have certain equipment are funded at some higher level then other communities? I give the example of a community with a cat. This cat was purchased by the department for the community, then given the dollars to operate the cat and to house this unit in a building provided by the department. So far the community has not spent a dime of its O and M budget. Now compare that to a community that does not have a cat. If the community needs cat work done, it must hire a local contractor to do it and then must pay out of its own budget the cost of this contractor, this community should not be penalized. This is not fair or equitable to the community without this equipment or infrastructure and the department should resolve these anomalies. It has been this department's position to ensure all communities are treated in a fair and equitable manner, but this is not what is happening.

In closing, I would hope that the Minister will inform her staff to ensure that these anomalies will be addressed and resolved in the very near future as time is running out. Mr. Speaker, I would like to have unanimous consent to conclude my statement please.

Supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Why must the community continue to remind the department of our traditional hunting and trapping areas in order to get mobilized crews to the fighting areas?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to address my question to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. I recently received a copy of a letter directed to the Minister from the Rae Lakes chief. The chief is expressing his concern regarding response time for attacking any fires. He went on to say that it seems the department only fights fire when it has increased in size, when it could be cheaper to fight it when it is very small. My question is, why not attack when the fires are smaller and it is cheaper to fight? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, although I understand they just left the gallery, I had wanted to recognize 13 members of the grade seven class which included my adopted son, Ronald J. Rabesca, from Elizabeth MacKenzie Elementary School in Rae. Along with the students were their teachers, Leon Weyallon and Jerry Baron, as well as the bus driver, Manuel Bishop. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while I reviewed my schedule for this summer, I realized how busy the western NWT will be. We have many important issues that must be settled. The different aboriginal groups will all have their assemblies and without a doubt, one of the big topics of these will be the division/boundary issue. The western constitutional talks are under way and all western communities must get involved in these discussions, as well as the residents of the western NWT. This is very important to all of us. We need public input to ensure the constitution is set up the way we all collectively want it.

We now have the boundary commission established, which needs to get moving and discuss the boundary issue with all of our residents. I feel this commission must finalize this once and for all. All residents must have a fair and equitable representation. It is their right as Canadian residents. We must find a way to ensure we have full aboriginal support and input for this to succeed. Our government cannot be perceived to be favouring the larger centres because of the higher population basis. Finally, I would like to wish all of my colleagues a safe and relaxing journey to your families and communities and have a good summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address the issue of the bad state of affairs between the UNW and this government. In reviewing the final proposed settlement brought forward by our government, I feel it is more than fair and equitable, so hopefully, progress can be made on it. The UNW is taking a strong stance on the issue of pay equity and rightfully so. However, they seem not to be too interested in what their membership is saying. I have talked to number of staff members in my riding and am happy to say, most are pleased with the offer and I hope the union will listen to its membership. As I have stated previously, in this day and age of tight budget restraints and cutbacks, we must all cooperate to ensure our staff and membership is the main party that wins in the end. Our staff is, our most important asset. They should have this contract negotiation settled, so life can go on and everyone can concentrate on the other just as important issues that are currently at hand. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my Member's statement today, the Community Service Board has now been operating since May 22, 1997. Although this organization is operating, it does not have the legal capabilities to provide necessary programs and services, as a result of this government not having legislation currently in place to provide for this. As I also stated previously, I am prepared to continue with the final draft of a private Member's bill to establish the Community Service Board. However, I would like to get the Ministers of Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services views on this. Could the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Charles Dent, please inform this House as to what his department is prepared to do with regard to this matter? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.