Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as indicated in the committee report, we have some concerns about the general aging of the population and the lack of palliative care in the Northwest Territories. I think all other jurisdictions in Canada, save for Nunavut, have palliative care legislation and a strategy for dealing with people who need support and care, terminally ill patients. We do not. I think we have maybe a couple of beds at Stanton here in Yellowknife sort of dedicated to that purpose, but we do not have any sort of hospice facility where a terminally ill patient may be stationed with some nursing help and their family can move in with them for a short-term arrangement.

I am wondering if the Minister has any plans to look into this area, because I think it is something that is very important, not only for Yellowknifers here, but for a lot of people from the regions when they are sick, who come to Yellowknife for the services. They are brought away from their families. The last few months of their lives they spend in isolation here in the capital while their family is still back home in the communities.

I know there has been a trend to allow people to spend their last few months in the home. One of the concerns we have here in the North, especially given the high rates of illiteracy, when we send people back to the home to be looked after, we may give them directions and medication. There is some hope that pain management will be managed correctly. I do not know if that is always a given.

I am wondering if the Minister can talk a bit about the department's strategy for palliative care. Thank you.