Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Today I would like to express my appreciation for the water and sewage services subsidy program that the Minister of MACA announced on Monday. This subsidy program is something I have been pursuing since I got elected over two years ago. It would certainly benefit my constituents in Fort Simpson.

Presently, we don't have a subsidy program in the area in which I live. We pay $15 a trip for water, no matter how much water you get. Some people need two or three trips a week, so if you add all that up and multiply it, you're looking at about $120 to $180 a month we are paying for water. This subsidy program would certainly help. It would reduce the costs for water we use and bring it down to the level which everybody else in the north has been enjoying since 1987 when this subsidy program came into place.

However, there are Members in this House who are concerned about it because of the lack of consultation. I'm told by Members in this House that they have no problem with the village of Fort Simpson getting the subsidized program, however, there is some concern that there was a lack of consultation with other communities. I would appreciate it if the Minister would consult with other communities as soon as possible so this subsidy program could be put in place so that people in my constituency would enjoy the type of subsidy that everybody in the north has been enjoying since 1987. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

---Applause