Thank you. I’d like to close debate here. I need to respond to some of the comments that have been made by some of the other Members.

I think the Social Programs Committee agrees that the Arctic Tern facility cannot continue in its current state, with the number of inmates compared to the number of staff members. It’s totally inefficient.

However, the Minister, to me, seems to continue to see only one option for that facility, and that’s to close it. As was mentioned by my colleague Mr. Krutko, there’s a definite opportunity to re-profile that facility. I want to emphasize that I don’t believe that people are keeping an open mind in regard to this particular issue

Secondly, the time is not right to plan at this point. We don’t know the status of the Arctic Tern facility from an engineering perspective. I don’t believe we should be planning for a new facility until we know whether or not that one is usable.

I believe there’s an opportunity to use both facilities in Inuvik and Fort Smith; we can probably end up with two facilities. But we don’t know yet what’s required in Fort Smith because we haven’t done an analysis of all our corrections facilities. That needs to be done.

It’s interesting that the statement was made that we should consider the supported living facility possibly. So on the one hand, we have somebody who seems to not have an open mind and somebody else who does have a more open mind. I guess that’s a good thing.

I have to take some exception to the remarks by Mr. Miltenberger, presuming that I’m pitting two smaller communities against each other. That certainly is not the intent. The motion is put forward not only by myself but with support from Members on this side of the House.

I do believe that I am looking at the large picture for the NWT. I recognize that Yellowknife is a large community and that I live here. But Yellowknife also has 50 per cent of the population of this territory. I have yet to study the numbers, but I would presume that the capital infrastructure that’s been designated for Yellowknife in this budget is probably in and around, or less than, 50 per cent.

I have to take some exception to the fact that it’s being suggested that I personally am trying to start fights between communities. Absolutely not. That’s not the way I work; that’s not the way I want this government to work; that’s not the way I want this House to work. I’m here for the betterment of the whole territory.

That said, to the motion, Mr. Chair. I believe firmly that now is not the time to spend this money. I believe we should pass this motion.