Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to do my Member’s statement on an acronym, FMP, Food Mail Program or as my people in the Sahtu would prefer, Feed My People. Today I would like to think about the possibility the Food Mail Program can work. This federal government program has recently been reviewed by a consultant, Mr. Graeme Dargo, who recommends the short-term overhaul and replacement. I would like to think that it can, and indeed it should, be fixed.
Our people in the North need all the tools available to help fight the high food costs. Northern stores that sell groceries receive discount costs on freight charges. The Northwest Company, who owns and runs Northern Stores, say they added their mark-up to the product and delivery costs to determine the retail prices that we pay. This being true, we should see people benefiting from lower prices of postage and freight but, of course, there is no control on how much the mark-up a grocery chain applies.
For example, in Tulita, for 10 pounds of potatoes, we pay $25. In the Beaufort-Delta, I heard a case of pop is going for $63.
Mr. Speaker, one of our strategic goals in this 16th Assembly is to reduce the cost of living. Mr. Dargo sees the next step as doing away with the freight cost discount on personal orders. I do not agree with this step. The main reason for taking away the personal orders are to increase sales in our stores.
Mr. Speaker, to some degree, we have a dependency on northern retail stores and to a larger degree these Northern Stores have the benefit of a captive market. So, therefore, I would like to keep the right at least to have the choice as to how our people spend their hard earned dollars on food to feed their families. A little competition shouldn’t hurt the Northern Stores. Mr. Dargo stated in his report that personal food orders aren’t fair and favour privileged people who have cars and credit cards. This may be true; however, that doesn’t diminish the fact that, in my region, my people always have wanted the right to healthy food to feed their families.
Feeding one family is a costly matter in the Sahtu and throughout the Northwest Territories. What can be the logic in pursuing people who are a bit more successful? An awful lot of people in my riding, indeed throughout the North, have these things: a credit card and a car; well, maybe a pick-up. As
well, communities hold celebrations and regional gatherings. They often purchase food as personal food orders.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.