Mr. Chairman, there are a number of reasons why we would want to subsidize water. Good clean water is necessary for health, cooking, washing, et cetera. In my own community, until very recently, you could get all the water you wanted for $5 a month. That was one of the things that was happening in Hay River. In other parts of the Northwest Territories, as those places came along, there were other programs that were put on to help people get water. There was also the pressure upon the government to make it feasible for people to live in their own houses and have water in those houses.

There were a number of reasons and it grew, over time, until it was a hodge-podge of different things across the Northwest Territories. I think the government tried to boil it down and make it more standard. Of course, when you are looking at making it more standard, it is very difficult to look at all the communities in the Northwest Territories and then realize that they all have a different economic rate for hauling water. It may have to come a certain distance. It may have to be treated differently. It may be by pipe or it might be by truck. There are all kinds of other factors that have to be taken into consideration.

Right now, there are a number of people who say water is a commodity that we have every right to have and we are surrounded by it in many instances. We should get it to our door at a relatively low price. For all those reasons, the government is trying to assist people in having good water in their residences. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.