Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I just want to ask the Minister to keep working on the forced growth issues and hopefully we will have more opportunity to discuss that in Social Programs committee in the days ahead.
I want to highlight another point from the Social Programs committee report and it has to do with treatment centres for troubled youth. In previous budget discussions under MACA, we spoke about some of the money going to youth. There is a Minister responsible for youth in this government and there are pockets of money and probably some of them quite significant, whether they be for sports and recreation or some of the youth conferences or whatever. I think what I would like to see, if we can organize it, is we should have as a goal at least one viable youth centre or youth activity place in every community. It doesn't have to be in away that the GNWT funds 100 percent of the money, but the GNWT taking a lead role or
working with community governments or aboriginal governments to make sure we are all working towards the same goal. The SideDoor in Yellowknife, for example, the history and struggle that centre had to go through to have the place built and then to fund the program, I know it has a program there and they do have a weekend program right now with support from the Department of Health and Social Services. They are still looking of funding and it's a constant struggle for the board and the people to make sure the program survives.
I wonder why it is that we do not have a comprehensive plan because I am sure there is enough money within the government and all the other community governments and aboriginal governments and some of the private sector. It seems to me it's just a lack of a big plan, a target that says in the next five years we would like to see a viable place for the youth to go to, a youth centre, a youth shelter. It is absolutely shameful that we had to witness a youth centre in Hay River close. The executive director there came and talked to us at the pre-budget hearing. He is one impressive young man and I won't be surprised to see him in this House years down the road if he decides to do that. It wouldn't be for lack of trying that he would have had to close that centre and we should all be reflective about the fact that a centre like that with the people behind it couldn't stay open. There is no question about how necessary that is. I would like to know if the Minister has given thoughts and talked to other Ministers, with the Minister responsible for Youth or at the Cabinet level, just talk about how do we bring it all together and have some kind of more tangible target and goal about how we address the issues pertaining to youth and place and centres for youth. Thank you, Madam Chair.