Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I can in no way speak for the unions. I can tell you that, as Members of the committee, we heard all across the Northwest Territories, not just from employees, but we heard people in the communities tell us that the people who provide services to them -- the people who are supposed to help them when they are hurting -- cannot do the job if the workers themselves are still hurting. We have to deal with that problem, or else they don't feel they're getting good services.
It wasn't only the workers who told us there needed to be an employee assistance program. We heard this from people at public meetings as well, who said our staff need to have help to deal with their problems so they can help us deal with ours. For us to make sure the job is being done properly -- if this is one of the things we have to look at -- then I don't have any problem with making this recommendation.
In terms of costs -- as I pointed out a minute ago -- our feeling is that the significant costs that this government is undergoing right now to replace and train new people to do jobs, with the significant turnover we have with front line workers, would pay for this kind of program. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.