Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when you add up the numbers, the latest numbers from the seven herds, you get a number of about 1.2 million animals. That is the number that is in question. Also, in 2005, the Department of ENR arrived at a number of 1.534 million caribou that they gave to the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre that was doing a survey study in terms of what the number of caribou were in the Northwest Territories. How is that number of 1.5 million arrived at? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, some people are taking the liberty to take our survey numbers from 2006 and then adding numbers from historic times such as 1996 and then lump them all together. Mr. Speaker, we have the numbers for the three Bluenose herds. We have the numbers for the Bathurst herd and we know that these herds have been reduced by a range of either between 30 percent and 80 percent. If you factor in that it is an average of around 50 percent and took the other remaining herds and those numbers from 1996 and reduce them by that much appropriately, it will come well under 1.2 million, Mr. Speaker, I can reassure you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are so many questions when it comes to the numbers that it is impossible to ask them all in this forum, but, again, I will ask the Minister this: How is the Department of ENR arriving at a number of 1.5 million animals? How can the Minister say that the herds are declining to the extent that they are declining when they are giving numbers like 1.5 million to organizations, suggesting that there are that many animals here in the Northwest Territories? How is that possible? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure. I would have to go back and see what number or what organization the number was referring to, but the Member is completely aware that we don't have the resources to go out and count every herd that comes through the NWT or calves in the NWT. We have counted the ones that are of concern to us. Next year, we will count the Beverly herd. We have to, at some point, make a decision based on the information we have. We don't have the resources to go out and count every herd. Not every herd is in the NWT. We have to work with other jurisdictions. If we are going to wait for all of those things to come into play and come into line, we will be waiting for a long time, Mr. Speaker. We have to make decisions now. We know the caribou herds are dropping. We know the caribou herds are declining. The people of the

Northwest Territories are asking us to take action. We are responding accordingly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, diagnosis is available to all residents within the territory that would need a service in any area of health care. In this particular area, we have a process established through our regional facilities as well as the Stanton Hospital on how we would approach this. Initially, a client or patient would go in to see the local physician or doctor to discuss this matter and then be sent in for further analysis if it was found that there should be some further tests done. That would be done here at the Stanton facility. At that point, decisions would be made as to what actions would be required following that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My constituent has been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, Mr. Speaker. He has to wear a mask at night in order to breathe. I can tell the Minister today that that is certainly not a pleasurable lifestyle he is living. It has been a significant setback to his personal life and his family life. Mr. Speaker, he is not covered by this process for treatment. OSA has increased by 400 percent in the last few years. Where does this constituent now go that our government doesn't cover treatment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the area of coverage for the equipment needed once a diagnosis has been confirmed and direction has been taken, again, the process starts and we have testing. It can be done in Inuvik, Hay River and Fort Smith. If there is, again, a positive movement that this patient would need further testing, it is done here in Yellowknife and then an internal medicine specialist would review those results and make a decision. There are a number of areas that people are covered through this. First Nations or Inuit persons are covered under Health Canada's Non-Insured Health Benefits Program. The Department of Health and Social Services administers the Metis Health Benefit Program that would cover these areas and then a Specified Medical Conditions Program under the Extended Health Benefits Program will cover some costs as well as the insurance cost of employers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, health care is a defining principle of Canada. It is what makes us Canadians and what makes people envy Canada so much. Mr. Speaker, my constituent has been diagnosed and they fall through the cracks. Every one of those examples of coverage you had just mentioned, this doesn't apply to this constituent. Noting again that it has increased 400 percent, the OSA problem, would the Minister agree to look into ways of making sure that this constituent can get fair and reasonable coverage, because this is a horrible problem he is now dealing with? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the area of coverage, the Member is correct; a number of our program areas, we have people in the territory that fall through the cracks, but it is not to say that they fall through the cracks and aren't receiving as good a coverage as any other resident in Canada. In fact, this program is based on programs that are delivered throughout the country. So we mirror that in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, there are people who do fall through the cracks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have 166 people acknowledged that have OSA in 2005. The Minister knows that. He pointed out all of the groups that receive coverage. How many people are not receiving coverage? How much are we really talking about? We shouldn't be leaving anybody out there who will fall through the cracks, so we can't be talking about a lot of people. How many people are missing out on treatment, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, not all people, once they go through this process, end up needing all of the equipment. We just have to work with that. The fact is there are some people who fall through the cracks. Our program is developed and is no different than any other jurisdiction in Canada. We do have additional coverage again through programs that we've established in this area. The actual number of

people who are not receiving or are not being provided help, I'll have to get that information from the department and give that to the Member. Thank you.