Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There having been no nays, Mr. Allen, you may continue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, my fellow colleagues. Again, as a surrogate father to a child who has been diagnosed, I would like to let you know that our commitment to this challenge will be extended far beyond the needs of a normal child to which we have worked hard to fulfill that commitment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today we have focused upon FAS and FAE and the impact it has on government, schools, correctional institutions, the individuals themselves and the community. As Members of this Assembly, we have dealt with FAS/FAE for just a small amount of time compared to those who deal with it on a daily basis.

These are the people who live with the profound impact of FAS/FAE on a daily basis; the birth mother, the father, the adoptive or foster parents, the family, the teacher, the fellow student, classroom assistants, supervisors, the community and the affected individual, to name a few.

The support people in groups that work with people with FAS and FAE are often unappreciated. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the volunteers and non-government agencies that devote time and money in order to assist people with FAS/FAE and other cognitive disabilities.

The FAS community team has been instrumental in today's theme on FAS and FAE. Members of the FAS community team include representatives of the following groups: the Department of Health and Social Services, parents, public health, Status of Women Council of the Northwest Territories, Tree of Peace, Yellowknife Women's Centre, Yellowknives Dene Community Wellness Program, Stanton Regional Hospital Pediatric Rehab Team, Mackenzie Regional Health, and the Northwest Territories Council for the Disabled Persons. My apologies if I have missed any of the other groups involved.

Mr. Speaker, in May 1996 the Status of Women Council of the NWT released a report entitled, Keeping Women and Communities Strong-Women, Substance Abuse and FAS/FAE, an NWT Needs Assessment. This is a valuable document as a source of information for FAS/FAE in the Northwest Territories. It sets out the groundwork for what should be done to confront our problems with FAS/FAE. Unfortunately, all of the recommendations within the document have not been acted upon.

Mr. Speaker, there are no statistics on the extent of FAS/FAE in the NWT. We operate in a void. The Special Committee on Health and Social Services, a committee of this House, stated in 1993: "We heard estimates of anywhere from 15 to 50 percent of the students..."

Mr. Roland, the time for your Member's statement has expired.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There having been no nays, Mr. Roland, you may conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and colleagues. Mr. Speaker, the Special Committee on Health and Social Services, a committee of this House, stated in 1993:

"We heard estimates that anywhere from 15 to 50 percent of the students in a given school, and up to 25 percent in one region, may show the effects of FAS/FAE."

As a Territory, we have no idea of the magnitude of our problems with FAS/FAE. As a government, we have not adopted any strategy or plan to deal with this problem. It will not go away. Often, we have left it up to outside agencies and community groups to deal with the issue. Perhaps now is the time to work with our partners and deal with FAS/FAE in a planned and coordinated way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. Déclarations de députés. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following on Mr. Dent's recognition, we also have in the gallery Dianne Cook and Emily Cork, from the NWT Council for the Disabled; Pat Dove, Barb Andrews, Mike Saloy and Krista Gill from the YWCA; we have Liz Baille from the YK Catholic Schools; Pat Struess from YK Foster Families; and Jolene Bordak and Georgina Firth, concerned residents. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to recognize the people who have joined us today in this very important discussion. In particular, I would like to recognize several: Mr. Jim Peterson, who is the president of the Barren Ground Outfitters Association; Mr. John Evans, a captain with First Air and a good Weledeh resident. I had seen Chiefs Rick Edjericon and Peter Liske. I cannot see them right now, but they were with us a while ago. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a Hay River resident who technically is not in my riding but he is my neighbour and lives on the same street, Gordon Norbert. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great deal of pleasure for me to recognize someone who is not from my constituency, but who does work for all of Yellowknife and all of the Northwest Territories, a very important person in many of our lives, Captain Al Hough from the Salvation Army here in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Welcome, Captain Hough. He is also the president of the Yellowknife Rotary Club. I believe you have a Page serving with us today, Captain Hough. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier. As was mentioned earlier, there are a number of Government of the Northwest Territories departments that are involved in the treatment, identification and prevention of FAS/FAE. Government departments need to coordinate their efforts to ensure that there is a cohesive and cooperative approach being taken. In this case, we can learn from our neighbours.

In the early 1990s, the Government of the Yukon developed a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effect Action Plan. This document addressed prevention programs, services to people affected by FAS/FAE, community involvement, integration of services and research.

Mr. Speaker, the concept of a government-wide action plan for FAS/FAE is not new. Is the Government of the Northwest Territories willing to consider the development of an action plan for fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.