Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to recognize Seniors' Week in the Northwest Territories. As several colleagues, including Minister Miltenberger, have announced and noted earlier it is Senior Citizens' Week, a time to highlight the contributions that seniors and elders have made to our culture, heritage and northern society. We did so in part today with the luncheon recognizing seniors and the launching of the government's seniors' action plan status report.

Mr. Speaker, there are many, many respected seniors in the NWT who truly deserve our gratitude, admiration and thanks for bringing us to where we are today. We also need to thank those organizations and groups who work on behalf of seniors, including the NWT Seniors' Society. They provide information and act as a resource for seniors across the Northwest Territories. The Yellowknife Seniors' Society run the Baker's Centre and offer social, recreation and educational programs for seniors.

Mr. Speaker, at the luncheon today I was reminded that my membership was due, so I'm pleased to advise that I am now, once again, a paid-up member in good standing.

Another organization that deserves a lot of credit in Yellowknife is YACCS, the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors, who have been working tirelessly towards a new facility for Alzheimer and dementia patients.

Mr. Speaker, most of those active in these organizations are volunteers. Our volunteer seniors compared to seniors nationally, spend more of their time helping. They are a remarkable group here in the North. Despite, Mr. Speaker, all they have given and continue to give, however, NWT seniors live on less income on average than seniors do nationally. In 1999, more than half of all seniors here in the Northwest Territories had an income of less than $15,000 a year. Mr. Speaker, we must do something about looking at that issue, particularly, Mr. Speaker, because our numbers of seniors are increasing quickly.

As the Minister has indicated in his status report, numbers are expected to double by the year 2020, so we need to be prepared, we need to plan for this and be ready to support the needs of seniors. We need Alzheimer and dementia care facilities in place soon. We already know, for instance, that one in three of us can expect to need special care in our old age.

Mr. Speaker, let's show our elders the respect they deserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause