Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we all got elected to the 16th Assembly

from our constituents who gave us the direction to represent them in this House regardless of who they voted for or who they didn’t vote for. I think, Mr. Speaker, we have to ensure that we represent all our constituents in this Legislature and not just one group over another.

Mr. Speaker, we all have similar problems regardless of whether it’s in our larger centres or communities; the issue with regard to health and social services and delivery of programs and services. We cannot pit one group off against the other.

Mr. Speaker, the Inuvik region expends some $13 million with regard to health care, but in a lot of the communities I represent, a lot of these services that are being paid for by this government are not being delivered.

Mr. Speaker, to take an example, this government spends in the area of mental health and addictions $1.2 million in the Inuvik region. Yet, Mr. Speaker, I had to beg the Minister of Health to get money into my community so we could fill that position and not have the money sitting in the Inuvik board of health office to send someone to my community once a

month. Mr. Speaker, there again it shows that this government is not listening.

Mr. Speaker, the budget for mental health in Fort McPherson is $184,000. The Minister is committed to give the community $75,000, again shortchanging the community. Mr. Speaker, I, for one, will not take the injustice with regard to programs and services or even with regard to how capital is being allocated by this government. I think it’s very much underhandedly driven. I think it’s important that we sit down with those organizations and work with them and not work against them by using policy decisions or saying sorry you don’t have a qualified position or you don’t have a business case.

Mr. Speaker, I am still frustrated after yesterday’s events, but I think this government has to do something more than little gestures to say here, I’ll write you a letter and give it to the chair of the Beaufort-Delta Health Authority and see if they react to it. Mr. Speaker, the Minister has to do more than sending out a letter.