Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also wish to acknowledge the importance sports and recreation plays in the communities. I am sure we are all concerned about community wellness. This is a key element in shaping our youth for tomorrow. Sports provide an environment for developing learning and leadership abilities, and also provides excellent role models. Not only do recreational activities promote team-building and sportsmanship, but promote healthy individuals.

With that in mind, I wish to recognize the following Arctic Winter Games participants from my constituency of Tu Nedhe. From Fort Resolution, Travis Guild in badminton, Dexter Lafferty and Frank Lafferty for dog-mushing, and Tausia Kaitu'u' Lal, an official at badminton. Also, from Lutsel K'e, Jesse Michelle for Dene games. I would like to wish these and all of the other fine athletes all the best at the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my concern on the lack of funding and recreational facilities available in small communities. Small communities have very tight-knit people, but the communities do not have access to a lot of recreational facilities. If there are recreational facilities, there is no money in the community to really take full advantage of it.

I think sport and recreation boards and Municipal and Community Affairs could do a little bit more to guarantee that adequate funding levels are available in small communities where it is very difficult to raise money from industry and corporations. There are no industry and corporations in small communities. Everything is based on proposal writing to the federal and territorial governments. It is very hard to raise money in the communities. I think this government has to be conscious of that.

The representation from small, rural communities in the Northwest Territories at this Arctic Winter Games will be a good example of those problems. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS Rule 85 requires that Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Range Lake that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight:

1. Mr. Bell, Member for Yellowknife South
2. Mr. Braden, Member for Great Slave
3. Mr. Delorey, Member for Hay River North
4. Mr. Dent, Member for Frame Lake
5. Mr. Krutko, Member for Mackenzie Delta
6. Mr. Lafferty, Member for North Slave
7. Ms. Lee, Member for Range Lake
8. Mr. McLeod, Member for Deh Cho
9. Mr. Miltenberger, Member for Thebacha
10. Mr. Roland, Member for Inuvik Boot Lakes
11. Mr. Nitah, Member for Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday February 24, 2000, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Range Lake that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight:

1. Mr. Bell, Member for Yellowknife South
2. Mr. Braden, Member for Great Slave
3. Mr. Delorey, Member for Hay River North
4. Mr. Dent, Member for Frame Lake
5. Mr. Krutko, Member for Mackenzie Delta
6. Mr. Lafferty, Member for North Slave
7. Ms. Lee, Member for Range Lake
8. Mr. McLeod, Member for Deh Cho
9. Mr. Miltenberger, Member for Thebacha
10. Mr. Roland, Member for Inuvik Boot Lakes
11. Mr. Nitah, Member for Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the one person I physically see, Ms. Lorraine Catholique from Lutselk'e. I would also like to recognize the people of Tu Nedhe who will always be here in spirit with me in this House.

-- Applause

(Translation starts) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to congratulate you on your appointment. I would also like to congratulate the Premier-elect, Stephen Kakfwi, and the rest of Cabinet.

Within the Tu Nedhe riding, there is Lutselk'e, Fort Resolution and Reliance and the people that voted for me. I would like to thank them very much. We have a big job ahead of us. For everyone who lives in this Territory, I will do my best for you.

When we were visiting communities, I had said the only way to come out positive is to work together. I will do research and I will look at how the money is spent. Besides that, I have one more thing to say. The only way we can come out with positive situations here in the North is by working together.

For my wife and my children, I would like to thank them very much. I have a big job ahead of me and I still have a lot to learn. We all have a lot to learn. We will all learn at the same time, and that is positive thing.

For all of the young people that are growing up and all of the young people that have helped me in the past, thank you very much. My parents, my mother, the elders, I would like to thank them very much. I will be working with other Members here. They are all very hard working Members and they all have a big job and they all want to work positively.

There is one person I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart, my grandmother, who raised me. She was my mother, my grandmother, my father all at once. I learned a lot from her and she taught me right from wrong. While we were campaigning in the recent election, she passed away from me. That is what makes my heart cry. So now I speak to her with a positive mind. That is how I look at it and that is the way I keep her word.

One more time, I would like to thank you all very much. (Translation ends)

-- Applause