Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for two Ministers: Minister Abernethy and Minister Cochrane.
Mr. Speaker, the small communities in the Northwest Territories want to retain their elders. They want their elders at home. As everyone knows, the elders' population is diminishing, and as they get older, the elders then are usually sent to a central location into a long-term care. I recognize that long-term care cannot be provided in all the communities because of the economies of scale, but there are huge benefits to keeping elders in their home, in their communities, and in their home; otherwise we are referring to aging in place.
Maybe just a little background. I feel that there is a shared responsibility. I do not want a response that there is going to indicate that there is something in place because there is not anything in place. What I think we need to do for aging in place, we need to develop both a program from Housing that keeps elders in place that are able to function in their home for ten years; and then also having a program that has continuing care as well. I will come down to a question. Do the Ministers know that using 2017 dollars, the value of you keeping 300 elders in their homes, in their communities, is worth almost half a billion dollars? Thank you.