Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Minister of Transportation.

Mr. Speaker, like I said, the hamlet, if they want, can simply apply for funding and community access road funding doesn't have to be just for permanent all year round roads. It can be used to help with winter roads if that's what the community chooses to do. So, all they have to do is ask. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Minister of Transportation.

Mr. Speaker, we have money in the budget to cover these kinds of projects, so the money is there. If the community wants an alternative to using the highway route and they want to go across Marion Lake, sure, they can apply for support for that road. The money is there. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Colleagues, at this time I would like to direct your attention to the presence in the visitors' gallery of Mr. Doron Bard, Consul at the U.S. Consulate General office in Calgary. He is here visiting Yellowknife and Inuvik. At this time, I would like to welcome you to the Northwest Territories. Welcome.

---Applause

Oral questions, Minister of Transportation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have money in the Department of Transportation to cover these kinds of requests. I have no difficulty with doing it. I would have to talk to our staff in Rae-Edzo to see if they want to do it with their regular equipment. Most likely the preference would be to have the hamlet continue to build an ice road, as they have in the past, and if they want financial support from my department, let us know. Thank you.

Oral questions, Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my Member's statement, Hay River is desperately in need of two more doctors, namely a GP anesthesiologist and GP surgeon. This will alleviate the hearts of expecting mothers having to travel to Yellowknife a month ahead of their due date to give birth. Many of these mothers are having to pay that infamous co-payment as well I might add, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these ladies have to uproot themselves from their families and their support systems and stay in Yellowknife until they give birth. In this day and age, I can't see how we can allow this to happen. Would the Minister please advise if he is aware of exactly how much it costs to fly a pregnant mother from Hay River to Yellowknife and keep them here until they give birth including the flights, accommodations, meal costs and all the other costs that go with it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that specific dollar figure, but I would estimate that it's in the thousands of dollars. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for that answer, but I would encourage the Minister to try to get a cost on that. I am told it's somewhere in the neighourhood of $4,000 for a mother to have to come to Yellowknife to give birth. Mr. Speaker, the Minister stated that there is $8.3 million currently assigned for 10 general practitioners. I assume this is extraordinary funding. Would the Minister please provide this House with a breakdown of how these 10 doctors will be distributed in terms of what communities these doctors will be serving in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are three additional specialists going to Yellowknife. There are two for the Sahtu, two for the Dogrib, one for Deh Cho and the remainder we are devoting to Yellowknife. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn't get the last one that he said, but it didn't seem to me that I heard Hay River in there. Would the Minister indicate why, of these 10 doctors, there are none slated for Hay River, the second largest community in the Territories with a demonstrated need for more doctors? Why would there be none for Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.