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