Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am glad to see that the department is working with boards, professional associations, and other stakeholders in starting a full review of the health and social services in the NWT. It has been a while now, I imagine, since this type of thing has happened. I think it is important that we do have some new blood doing this. One of the things that struck me from the Minister's opening remarks, was the fact that the department is striving to achieve an integrated system of care that is financially sustainable. I am just wondering what financially sustainable means. I do not imagine that this would mean that it is fully financed by the people of the Northwest Territories. I know that at one point, there was some thought put towards implementing premiums for health care, like Alberta, where I went to school for a couple of years. I had to pay $30 a month, I think it was. I guess I need an indication of what that means. Also, the Minister indicated, under care givers, the department is finding creative ways to involve more local and aboriginal people in the delivery of health and social care in the NWT. I believe that this is an honourable goal, but this particular item needs further explanation, so that people who are not on the Social Programs Committee will have a better idea of what this means. The Minister also indicated that the department is strengthening its ability to monitor things in order to help us control our spending. I think that this is also a very laudable goal and something that needs implementation. I certainly hope that it is successful. Considering the fact that spending has not been held under control in the past, it would be good to find out what type of monitoring is now being put into place.

In the area of addictions, I have had the opportunity to speak with people who work in the field. It was their feeling that the problem with the rehabilitation programs is not necessarily the way that the rehab programs themselves have been run. It is actually the assessment of the people going into rehabilitation and the aftercare that is put into place once a person comes out of rehab. We understand that the department has looked at the success rate. I am not exactly sure how they measured success, but I guess one of the measurements is the number of times a person has to go back to a rehab centre in order to finally stop drinking. I understand that there are some people who have gone numerous times and they still have not stopped. I am not sure if there has been enough thought gone into the problem, that there never has been proper assessment done before a person goes to rehab. We have heard of problems where people wanting to go to rehab and people who actually go to rehab, say in Yellowknife and Hay River, increases dramatically when Caribou Carnival is going on or if there is a huge bingo, that type of thing. I think that the commitment of the people that have gone into rehab in the past has not necessarily been there. That has been a big problem that this proposal, to me, does not seem to address. Unless this is addressed, whatever we put into place will be unsuccessful. Similarly, with the after care, it is absolutely essential that, after a person gets out of rehab, there is a support system in place for that person. Otherwise, it is very easy to fall back into the same trap that the person was in before, hanging around with their friends, perhaps going to bars, going to parties, that type of thing. Once you start doing that, it is very easy to start drinking again. It is very important that after care programs are put into place in the communities to ensure that people who come out of rehab are more successful. I just want to stress the importance of that.

Similarly, under the addictions, a new plan calls for providing 50 percent core funding to treatment centres, and the balance will be based on occupancy. I believe that this is a good move. It could make the centres more accountable as to help them to strive for a greater efficiencies, the rest of that type of thing. There seems to be an indication that it might go beyond, that they might get less than 50 percent core funding in the future. I could not support this type of move, Mr. Chairman. The treatment centres need some type of stability. They need the assurance that they will be getting enough money, so that people can get paid every two weeks. Without that assurance, it is very difficult to hold your staff. This is a very delicate area to begin with and if people cannot be assured that there is going to be a pay cheque four months down the road, then you could be losing good people to go work in the south or wherever. I understand that the money will be going to the regions. I need some kind of an assurance that money that is supposed to be for rehabilitation remains for rehabilitation.

Meaning that, if the three centres that we are supporting in the Northwest Territories, in Iqaluit, Yellowknife, and Hay River, if those three require a million dollars, then that million dollars has to remain in a kitty specifically for those three centres. It should not be allowed to be spent on other things. If it is allowed to be spent on other things, then we are theoretically setting up every one of those treatment centres for failure. For instance, if money goes to the smaller communities so they can set up rehab programs, one week things or whatever, and also for mobile treatment, then I understand that there are mobile, for instance, in High Level. Now, if communities bring in mobile teams from High Level, then there is going to be less money in the kitty for these three centres. We could wind up in a situation where everyone of those three centres winds up in a deficit. I do not think that is the intent of this program.

I sincerely hope that the Minister and his cronies have a plan in their hip pocket to ensure that the money is always available for the three centres that are eligible, so that they can receive 100 percent of the money they are eligible for if they maintain their numbers. Mr. Chairman, I seek consent to conclude my opening remarks.