Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we consume alcohol at two to three times the national average, I believe. I would suggest, based on that simple correlation, that our rate of alcohol abuse is higher than the national average. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regarding the Minister's comment, we definitely have the bragging rights regarding alcoholism, the consumption per capita in most places in Canada. Just on that basis alone, does the Minister agree that tells us we have a major problem in that area in the Northwest Territories? What are we going to do about it?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not think there is any argument at all with that particular statement made by my colleague. Our jails are filled, our family violence shelters are filled. We have children in care. We have a rate of FAS/FAE that is very lamentable. Yes, it is a problem.

I outlined to this House at some length earlier in question period the various initiatives we have underway. I could let those stand, unless the Member would like me to repeat them. I have already provided the information on what we are trying to do on that particular issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the Minister exactly what is his department doing to educate the public regarding these high statistics, and making them aware that we do have a problem and that we definitely have to take some stringent action to ensure that we implement some policies and procedures, and ensure that we have the expenditures in place to deal with these problems.

I would like to ask the Minister, exactly what is he doing regarding public education about these problems?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have initiatives that encourage young people not to drink and drive. We have initiatives encouraging pregnant mothers not to drink while pregnant. We have initiatives with Education to deal with that kind of information in the schools. We deal with it through public health. We are dealing with it through the early childhood development initiative with family visitors to try and get into the home early to work with families.

We, in a number of areas, at every opportunity, make the case about not drinking; not drinking when they are pregnant, not drinking when they are driving, not smoking, trying to eat right. The issue of personal choice and those kinds of decisions are very critical, and we are recognizing that we probably have to do more. We are not unaware to that particular area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister responsible to maybe touch base with the Minister responsible for the Liquor Commission, they being the ones who provide most of the alcohol in the Northwest Territories, if he can find some sort of meeting of the minds, realizing we have a major problem and we have a distribution agency within this government to find a solution to make some major changes in how alcohol is being distributed. Also, how some of those profits can be put back to address some of the problems with alcohol in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, alcohol is a legitimate legal substance. If the Member has a particular suggestion about how it should or should not be distributed, I, along with my colleague, Mr. Handley, would be interested to hear those.

Very clearly, Mr. Speaker, this is a very complex issue. The impact of alcohol stretches far beyond the $5.6 million that I have indicated we have dedicated to that particular area. If you put together the full cost of the impact of alcohol across the Northwest Territories on all of our systems as a society that would far exceed -- far exceed -- any money that is raised in tax revenue from the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. 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 Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, I am very happy to see some of the activity going on there, but I am very concerned about a phone call that I received yesterday from a local company that has been trying to get some work, saying the majority of the work, a big majority, is being done by southern firms. His company, or some of the companies from the North, are being known as the raven companies because all they are doing is getting the scraps.

I was wondering if the Minister or anyone in his department has or could have a list of the companies that are doing the work north of the border in the Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is it still a priority with the department to have as many northern companies as we possibly can working in any development that is going on within our borders? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.