Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Sunday, hundreds of people across our territory will "Run for the Cure" raising money for breast cancer research. Breast cancer is now the leading cause of death from cancer for territorial residents, second only to lung cancer. Breast cancer rates among northern aboriginal women especially, are on the rise, and yet the Northwest Territories is the only jurisdiction in Canada that does not have a breast cancer screening program. Since 1991, 25 northern women have died prematurely because of breast cancer. How many more will have to die or suffer the painful effects of intensive later stage treatment because their government did not fund an early detection program.

In July an ad hoc group of concerned citizens and organizations produced a report calling for more programs to increase awareness across the north of this disease. The recommendations call for the development of an early detection program. When this report was released, the Northwest Territories' medical health officer was quoted in the media as saying, "An awareness campaign would be difficult because regional health boards had different priorities, and were responsible for setting their own agendas." Surely this government has a way of making all residents, regardless of region, aware of this important issue. Breast cancer has one of the best cancer survival rates, if caught early. By not having an early detection program in place, health officials are taking unnecessary chances with the health of northern women and others. I urge this government to consider finding the money to implement an early detection screening program so that one day events like Sunday's "Run for the Cure" will no longer be necessary and we will all be able to look forward to many years of good health for our mothers, sisters, spouses and friends. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause