Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have listened with interest to the comments made in this House and in the media over the past week with respect to northern clients with disabilities who are being cared for in Alberta. I realize that there may be occasions when northern residents cannot receive very specialized services that they may require in the North, given our smaller population and more limited services.
The one group home being referred to has had difficulty with their licensing, insurance, accreditation, and they have at least nine NWT clients residing there. Mr. Speaker, I realize that this may create a position of liability for our government, and I am not particularly interested in speaking so much to that issue as I am to the fact of why this many Northerners are being cared for in Alberta in the first place.
Mr. Speaker, I personally had the opportunity to tour some of the facilities in Alberta. I realize that some of them are extremely specialized, and we are not able to duplicate those services here in the North. I am also aware of the fees we are paying for some of these services in the South. I find it hard to accept that more programs and services for Northerners with disabilities cannot be provided in the North by northerners. I think of the facilities we currently have on the Hay River Reserve, in Fort Simpson and in Yellowknife, just to name some locations. I am quite certain that not all of these facilities are operating at full capacity. These facilities are staffed by Northerners. They are closer to the clients' families, and they are accessible to many cultural, recreational, medical and professional services.
Mr. Speaker, it does not seem like there should be any magic associated with figuring out a way to stop this exodus of our clients to Alberta and the jobs that are also associated with caring for these folks. I am not sure what all of the obstacles are to repatriating these clients to the North, but I will have some questions about this matter for the Minister of Health and Social Services today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause