Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to ask and answer some questions in my statement on youth of Tu Nedhe. What are the youth doing? Mr. Speaker, the youth are not doing much, depending on the age they are, as there is only so much to do and in the other school there is even less to do. What do the youth have? Mr. Speaker, as you know, both Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution are small communities so the youth do not have the same opportunities as their counterparts in the larger centres. What do the youth need? Mr. Speaker, the youth need more. They need more in sports, recreation and youth facilities. They need more programming. They need more opportunities no matter what age they are.
What will it take to provide youth needs? Mr. Speaker, the youth know what they want and need and the community has certain resource people that can help facilitate opportunities. What the youth need is more support from this government and the communities need more resources to deliver what’s needed.
What are the alternatives for youth? Mr. Speaker, if the youth cannot get what they need, what are the alternatives? It is a well-known fact that when youth have nothing constructive to do or to participate in, it is only a matter of time before undesirable activities start to happen and the youth start to get into trouble and before too long a long cycle of trouble begins.
What is the cost of doing nothing? Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford to sit by and do nothing. Heavy youth social programs have devastated the community of Lutselk’e and youth crime continues to be a real problem in Fort Resolution. Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford to do nothing.
What is the benefit of providing youth with what they need? Mr. Speaker, if our communities are able to provide their youth with what they need, the benefits are tremendous. Mr. Speaker, with effective community-based youth programming, our youth can become positive role models themselves and they can become responsible members of their home community and go on to become healthy, productive citizens of the North.
Mr. Speaker, all too often youth issues are displaced by other seemingly important issues of the day. This must stop. The youth are our most important resource. It is time to focus on what...