Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I raised the issue of adequate resources and training for drug and alcohol counsellors because of the important role they play in addressing addictions in our communities.

In a related matter, Mr. Speaker, there is also an issue of the adequacy of the number of positions and the staffing of these positions funded through our health and social services boards. For many years, the Hay River Drug and Alcohol Society operated as an NGO. They had their own board of directors; community volunteers who were concerned about addictions issues in the community.

Last year it was decided that the Hay River Drug and Alcohol Society would come under the management and governance of the Hay River Community Health and Social Services Board. There were five positions; an executive director, three counsellors and an office manager. Since the health board takeover, the executive director's position was redefined, requiring a Master's degree, making the incumbent ineligible and creating one vacancy that was not subsequently filled.

One counsellor position was reprofiled to that of a mental health worker, decreasing the complement by a further counsellor position and leaving two drug and alcohol counsellors with the entire program delivery and counselling responsibilities.

Mr. Speaker, because of this, not only are valuable community programs being cut or modified, the caseload for the remaining two counsellors is such that client follow-up visits that should occur weekly are booked bi-weekly or monthly. In most cases, a client in crisis needs to wait a week in order to have a session with a counsellor.

It is untenable for the clients and it is untenable for the counsellors trying to meet the demands on their services. A serious loss to our community occurs when these positions are left vacant or are reprofiled to other areas. How many people are not receiving the help they need in a timely manner? What is an acceptable waiting time and waiting list to exist for these services?

Important programs aimed at youth, at preventing smoking, referrals from court ordered counselling for persons on probation cannot be accommodated and this is an unacceptable situation. This has an enormous ripple effect in the community when these positions are not staffed and counselling services are not available.

Later today, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding these vacancies and changes in staffing in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause