Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Speaker, the Lupin winter road exists today. It is used by industry today. It is maintained by industry today, but there is a limited amount of northern control on that route. We are trying to encourage more northern control and more northern involvement on that route. I, as a Minister, also realize the Member's concern that we are concentrating on this route rather than concentrating our resources somewhere else on other routes and to other roads into our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to assure the Member that, as I said, if we were to take over control of the Lupin winter road, it would cost this government nothing. That is the intent of the department. It would still allow us to concentrate on roads into communities and to have resources to continue what we are doing right now in maintaining the existing highways system. Thank you.

Thank you. I would just like to remind Members that the Speaker has no control over how a Minister answers a question. Ministers can choose to answer a question in any way they want. They can either answer it, not answer it, or speak as they see fit. The Speaker has no control over that or over the quality of the answer. Members, just keep that in mind. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what the availability is throughout the Northwest Territories but the health boards do have the responsibility for delivering these flu vaccine shots. I heard the program advertised. It is going on here in Yellowknife and I was in Hay River when they had the seniors' health clinic day so I know they were made available there. I am not familiar with how extensive they are but I would assume, Mr. Speaker, that these flu shots are available in all of the communities, all of the regions of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister have any information as to the benefits of these flu vaccines? Is there any indication as to how much benefit we are getting from the flu vaccines to cut down on the amount of flu that is going around? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the flu vaccination program is something that has been in place for some time and I believe that the knowledge within the health care community is that they do serve a very useful purpose. Certainly for people who are elderly or at high risk because of chronic illness, these are very advisable shots to receive. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister have any information or can the Minister inform me as to how these flu vaccination shots are being administered in Hay River and who has to pay for them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that the flu shots are available in Hay River and, as I mentioned, there was a public health day held recently for seniors in Hay River. There were a number of things provided that day for seniors. One of them was the flu shots. I also believe that through public health in Hay River, flu shots are available to the general public. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have done a bit of canvassing at the public health departments in the NWT in regard to this. In Fort Smith, they have never charged for the flu shots. In Yellowknife and Inuvik, they have charged for them in the past but for this year they have waived the fee for these flu shots. In Hay River, I understand that these flu shots are available free of charge for caregivers, seniors, and the chronically ill. In light of the fact that other jurisdictions do not charge their residents for these flu shots, Mr. Speaker, would the Minister consider directing the Hay River Community Health Board to waive the fee on these flu shots for this year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, health boards do have the authority to decide whether or not to charge a fee for people outside of the chronically ill and the elderly. The Hay River Community Health Board did make a decision to charge people this year because the board did not budget for providing flu shots free to all people. So it is my understanding that the board will be considering offering free flu shots to everyone next year. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services and relates to the deficit recovery plans for boards in the Northwest Territories. We were told earlier that four boards had run up deficits totalling in the millions of dollars. I was wondering if the Minister could advise us, have the plans for the deficit recovery for all boards been received yet?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the last time I was updated by the department on this, I do not believe that all health boards had submitted deficit recovery plans yet. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.