Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my constituency meetings, they stressed the apparent unfairness. An example I will use is, because I live near a hospital here in Yellowknife, if I happen to land in the hospital for some reason, my family could visit me for a total cost of $8.00 return cab fare or possibly $2.00 worth of fuel if they took their own vehicle. This is compared to several thousand dollars and many days away from home for an individual in my constituency.
Mr. Speaker, I started out by paying tribute to Ikaarutit and I hope I have made everyone more aware of how important their work is. Unfortunately, they will have no shortage of families to assist which is all funded from donations from a cash-strapped community of 450 residents. They have asked me to pass along their appreciation to individuals who have assisted in making donations. Local boards and agencies, businesses and First Air, have been cooperative. I understand that due to the stress and difficulty of raising money, let alone of deciding whom to assist and to whom to say no to, the group has considered disbanding. I hope this does not happen.
Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to say that we are thankful to this group, that their efforts are appreciated and I encourage them to keep helping these families in real need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause