In fact, I've had constituents who have tried to access that policy, but Social Services has refused assistance to them because they are working and they say that, because they are working, they can afford to pay for it. In fact, these constituents have told me that they haven't got any money left to pay for it. I understand that one of the reasons for increasing the co-payment is it is another way to get a few extra dollars out of the federal government. I think that it is very important that we think about the number of people, especially in the larger centres, who will not be able to travel to get essential medical services. I have people in my constituency who have, in a very short period of time, had to travel to Edmonton three times. They have complained to me that it has been a severe economic hardship that they have had to pay $300 in order to get the services that they are being sent south for because they aren't available in the Northwest Territories. With this co-payment going up to a proposed $250, people in the same situation will now be faced with $750 in charges. For someone who is working in Yellowknife for minimum wage, Mr. Chairman, this can present a significant problem.
I would like to point out that, for instance, Alberta Health does not charge anything when they are doing inter-hospital transfers by way of air medevacs. In the Yukon, there is no deductible or co-payment charged. In Manitoba, there is no deductible or co-payment charged on air medevacs. I think this is one of those fee increases that the government is choosing to introduce because they see it as a way of getting some money back from the federal government. There are 1,800 people who are getting lost in the shuffle who are going to wind up paying significantly more to get essential services that aren't available in the territories and they don't have any way to get this money back. I say that is unfair. It is unfair that we are leaving one group out there hanging and twisting in the wind, when it comes to having to pay for an essential service.