Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week the former Minister of Health and Social Services committed to have in the capital budget for YACCS be in place for the '08-09 fiscal year, and obviously this is better than nothing but it's still disappointing from where we all thought we were at. Mr. Speaker, for at least a dozen years, concerned citizens of Yellowknife have worked tirelessly on this project. In fact, the government was so impressed with the proposal done by the YACCS that it actually hired the consultant that worked on the project to do a plan for the entire NWT. Well, good on them for doing them, but where are we with the NWT-wide plan for the seniors with Alzheimer's and dementia conditions, I ask you, Mr. Speaker.

For the YACCS, the first idea was to borrow the money commercially and build it itself as long as the government would be willing to commit to O and M funding. Then the Minister came back to say that they would rather fund it within the GNWT budget through the regular capital project process. It was a hope that the federal government might be able to step in. I was especially encouraged when the Minister committed $1 million for planning money last year and I logically assumed that the project would advance accordingly in subsequent years. So imagine my surprise, Mr. Speaker, when I learned that this was not in the books at all. So now we are all supposed to go away with the verbal commitment that this will be in the books for '08-09, but I have to tell you, the way the budget process works around here where even a

capital item in this year's budget could fall off the books for one reason for another, I'm going to have to insist on something more concrete and substantial.

Fiscal year '08-09 is a commitment for the next Assembly and that is just too distant and far too short. As such, Mr. Speaker, I'll be looking at the new Minister of Health to commit to a plan and put some money for the upcoming '07-08 budget; not only that, I'll be looking to him for an NWT-wide plan on Alzheimer's and dementia care, because I have to tell you this, Mr. Speaker, this is not just a Yellowknife issue, I believe all our citizens with A and D, wherever possible, should be allowed to spend their days in their communities and to do that, this government is going to have to plan, a concrete and substantial plan, and this plan has to include how to look after these elders in the interim and not just in facilities. So we need to revamp the home care and assisted living programs all across the NWT to clear the void and we need a plan and we need a plan for infrastructure. So, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to advise the House that whoever is going to get this portfolio has now been notified. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been talking a lot about the cost of living in the North. However, I would like to challenge this government for the somewhat unobvious and intangible things that they are doing to address the cost of living.

We, as Regular Members, went around to communities in late summer and talked to residents of the North about the cost of living. Now, fortunately for us, the weather is holding very nice. The long-range forecast is still good. It's October 23rd and it's still warm and summer out. I can say in my own house in Hay River, we have not turned the boiler on yet, but that doesn't mean the cold weather is not coming and the cost of fuel is very high and many northerners are struggling to deal with the cost of living. A big part of that is their utility costs.

Mr. Speaker, when we take action as a government to address the cost of living, we think of things like the Arctic Energy Alliance. We think about public service announcements, we think about energy audits. We think about pamphlets and brochures and a whole bunch of stuff, which the only real value they have towards the cost of living would be if you are using it as fire starter if you are fortunate enough to have a wood stove in your house.

I think we, as a government, need to get a little more creative, do something a little more tangible. I think that an interest-free program for northerners to access money....Ironically, if you have an issue with the cost of living, you don't have the capital money you need to install a pellet stove or a wood stove or put insulation on your house. So we need something that is a tangible, real measure that will go some ways towards helping people address that. So I would suggest that perhaps under the auspices of the NWT Housing Corporation, there should be an interest-free loan program that northerners can access and they can reinvest this money into their house. Enough with all those things that are out of everybody's reach. Later today, I would like to ask the Minister of Housing how long it would take him to come up with something real in that area, something useful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to rise to speak on the increase in natural gas for customers in Inuvik. It's become a real concern to the residents of Inuvik because they feel like they have a forum or a hearing to express their displeasure over the increase in the price of natural gas. The supplier is allowed to make a reasonable profit, but a lot of people up there think that it's an unreasonable request that they are putting forward, a 16 percent increase when they had to deal with another increase last year and the supplier is saying that they are going to be cheaper than diesel. Well, 1998-99 when this came forward, fuel was like $25 a barrel, now we are up around $60 a barrel. That's driving the price up. It's not realistic for people to switch back to diesel after they have already converted to natural gas. It's expensive and very costly. A lot of people's concern up there is that the fields are 50 kilometres from Inuvik and they are still expected to pay the high increases to the price of natural gas. The Public Utilities Board has said that there has not been enough evidence of public concern over this issue. I take exception to that because I have been getting a lot of correspondence from people up in Inuvik and I do speak for the people in Inuvik. I would like to think I speak for them. So they are asking me to bring this forward and they want a public outcry. They will get a public outcry minus the tears.

I feel people up there want a forum, they want a hearing, they want the opportunity to hear the supplier's case for increasing the price and they want an opportunity to voice their opposition to such price increase. The supply, Mr. Speaker, is only 50 kilometres from Inuvik and it's probably cheaper in Alberta than we pay in Inuvik. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays?

I hear a nay. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me pleasure today to introduce in the gallery, my constituency assistant, Ms. Jennifer Debastien, down for orientation at the Assembly. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me a great honour to recognize my sister Elizabeth Hardisty in the gallery today. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to recognize the former MLA for the Deh Cho and the Speaker of this House, Sam Gargan.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Ms. Donna Bernhardt, my constituency assistant from Tuk and also Kayla Kudlak and Craig Ruben, who are Pages here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome everyone in the gallery, but if I may make special mention of Mr. Sam Gargan. I used to work in research when he was a Member and I worked for him when he was Speaker. I remember he used to call me at every telephone stop with a project. I don't know if any other Members do that, but I would just like to welcome Mr. Gargan to the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the House. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to have an audience. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my statement, I talked about the alcohol and drug issues in the Northwest Territories. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Floyd Roland, in terms of the issue the communities want to look at regarding mobile alcohol and drug treatment programs that are community based, regionally adapted, that would serve not only the individual but the families as a whole to have mobile family treatment centres in our communities. Would the government consider looking at that option in terms of best effectively working with the families in this issue of alcohol abuse?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of drug and alcohol treatment programs in the Northwest Territories is one that has concerned us for quite some time. As long as I have been a Member of the Legislative Assembly, the issue has come up time and again. The Department of Health and Social Services, over a number of years, has tried to adjust its programming to fit the criteria for northern families and individuals. In this situation I know the department has undergone a review of how it provides programs and, with the previous efforts of the previous Minister, things are in the works to change. I would have to look at this particular avenue, what's entailed in it, what direction we would like to go in and see how that fits with the plans that are in place. As of yet, I think Members would realize that I need to get some of that detail from the department and gladly look at it, initially at least. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.