Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to speak briefly to the issue of National Addictions Awareness Week. Like the issue of family violence, this is not a single issue unrelated to other major concerns that affect us as a Territory, that affects our communities or our families.
Mr. Speaker, like any other fundamental issues dealing with people, a lot of the solutions exist at the community level, involve the family, the parents, the community, having children born healthy, having simple decisions made that will effect the life of those who are going to be born. Mr. Speaker, while we can support and encourage people in our communities to be careful, do not do drugs, do not drink, we, as a government spend millions of dollars trying to assist, support and deal with, on an intervention basis, the problems that result from addictions.
As a government, Mr. Speaker, as with family violence, we have to demonstrate to the people that we are working together, that health and social services is working with education, is working with housing, is working with employment, with renewable resources. There are issues that have to be dealt with as a collective, unless the government can in fact put these recourses to work together to demonstrate a coordinated return and effort in dealing with these issues. It is very difficult to tell the communities to encourage people to deal with these issues when we do not provide the necessary support in a careful coordinated way.
As with family violence, Mr. Speaker, we have to never forget this issue, but as a government, we have to demonstrate to the people that while there may not be lots of new money, we can do a better job spending the money we have as we work with the families and individuals in this very important area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause