Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for recognizing how important this program is to the people of the North. I respectfully disagree with him on the size of the figure he’s pointed out. I think it’s a lot higher in the Northwest Territories. The specific benefits in theory are supposed to go to the program.
But what I will say is that the important thing is: are we getting value for money? Is the money going to the right ideals that we believe we subscribe to, which is making sure we can keep the cost of food as low as possible for all Northerners to be able to benefit, no matter what community you are in? This is a fantastic program that emphasizes northern and remote communities and can do a lot. The question is: is it doing a lot? From all evidence I’ve seen and heard, I don’t believe it’s working as hard as it can. That’s why it’s so important that this audit bring those issues to light, and hopefully we’ll deal with it.
In closing, I think this is a good value step for the people of the Northwest Territories. I will be asking
for a recorded vote at this time, and I appreciate support from my colleagues who can stand behind this one.