I have read with much interest the same e-mail that the doctor has sent to the Member and myself, and I’m interested in pursuing further what the doctor has to say. Having said that, the government is not at the moment considering the harm reduction proposal that the Member is suggesting, which is the sort of self-service IV clinic in Vancouver. That is not an option that we are considering. However, a small group of people in Yellowknife, the front-line workers are aware of who are our most in need of help in our streets in Yellowknife that the doctor is referring to and we need to continue to work with them to provide the support and services they need so that we avoid contamination or a spread of disease.

I should let the Members know that HIV rates in the Territories remains very, very low. We are lucky in that regard, but all the people working on the front line are aware of the potential danger and there’s a lot of work done to address that.