Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, support the motion that's before us today. I can't speak about the drug situation and the need for addiction treatment in Inuvik, but certainly I am supportive of that happening and I know the people of Inuvik would be in support of that happening. I am more in touch with what is happening here in Yellowknife, being a Yellowknife Member.

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to mention the fact that -- and Mr. Yakeleya referred to it as well -- when you start adding up what it costs to send people south, what it's costing the Government of the Northwest Territories to send the people to the South, the impact it's having on Stanton Territorial Hospital in terms of dealing with those who have addictions at the hospital and it's taking away from valuable resources that should be dedicated to medical-type things, I don't really understand why the treatment centre in Yellowknife closed to begin with in 1999. I understand it had some difficulties in the running of it or there were some underlying issues there, Mr. Speaker, but I am not sure why it happened the way it did.

As a government, we have to understand that there certainly will be a price to putting up a new treatment centre in Yellowknife. But if it doesn't cost us now, it's going to cost us later in terms of cost to corrections, justice, health care. If you start tallying up those costs, Mr. Speaker, the cost of getting a dedicated treatment facility here certainly will outweigh that.

I also don't understand why it is -- and the Minister has spoken to it before -- about putting money into bricks and mortar. We have a facility on the Detah road, the Somba K'e Lodge, and I don't understand why we can't use that as a treatment facility. That is something I just can't understand.

This is in reference to this motion and it goes back to addictions, but last week when I started talking about addictions, I was out in the community at a restaurant. A young fellow about the age of 16 was working behind the counter and he said, Mr. Ramsay, you are saying some good things in the Legislative Assembly. I want you to keep that up. He said my parents have been married for 19 years and they are breaking up right now because my father is addicted to cocaine. That really stuck with me, Mr. Speaker. The young fellow said there isn't really anything here for my father. This is a run-of-the-mill, middle-class family living in Yellowknife. The impact that they are feeling as a result of an addiction to cocaine is really something that stuck with me then and will stay with me, Mr. Speaker.

Dealing with other constituents that are addicted to crack cocaine, there is really no place for them to turn here in Yellowknife. Having to go south, you have to be close to the support network, your friends, your family, to try to give you that encouragement to seek help and to get help.

I don't know if other Members are aware of this, but right now in Yellowknife, there are more meetings for Narcotics Anonymous, Crack Busters, there are meetings seven nights a week to deal with just drug addictions. There are more meetings to deal with drug addictions than there are for alcohol. It never used to be the case, Mr. Speaker. Drugs are becoming much more prevalent in the city of Yellowknife. With the economic activity that's happening north of the city, the proposed pipeline, there is going to be more disposable income here in the Northwest Territories and I really do support this motion.

I think it's high time that the government look at re-establishing treatment centres. We can't use band-aid solutions any longer, Mr. Speaker. We have to get some

dedicated facilities to deal with what's out there today and what's going to be out there tomorrow. There are many folks out there who are suffering and who are falling through the cracks.

I am in full support of this motion, Mr. Speaker, as I am sure the rest of my colleagues will be as well. Thank you.

---Applause