Thank you for those comments. I’m sure that this government recognizes that our current Greenhouse Gas Strategy is out of date and needs a tune-up, and I think we’re acting within that context. I’d like to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, are we urging the federal government to meet these science-based targets that have been so well demonstrated? Mahsi.

We’re taking the approach of making sure in our own area and our own bailiwick that we are being as responsive and responsible as possible to try to deal with this issue, investing, as I indicated, the money that we are, trying to change how we do business, how we’re delivering hydro and energy, generating energy. We have had discussions with the federal government. We’ve indicated what we’re doing, as opposed to what they’re doing. The federal government will be, at the end of the day as they want to do, making up their own mind. Thank you.

Unfortunately it is clear, and I do believe in the power of example, as the Minister obviously does, but it is clear that it’s not working with this federal government, it hasn’t worked to date and we are running out of time. I think that’s well acknowledged now. So I’m wondering what role -- assuming that this government is participating in the negotiations in Copenhagen, and I’m sure we are -- can this government plan to try and move forward this science-based target adoption by Canada as our citizens are demanding during those negotiations. Thank you.

We will continue to, we think, be the voice of reason, speak to the examples, point to the urgency in the Arctic, not only in the Northwest Territories but in all the circumpolar countries and, like many of our circumpolar neighbours, we will be making the case that we are paying the biggest price, we’re feeling the most and greatest impact and that we have to take the steps necessary. We will continue to state those points of view. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that’s done in the strongest possible terms in recognition, again, of the efforts that our citizens

are taking on and the actions across the North and, really, across Canada. I’m wondering, just to be complete here and comprehensive, what options does the Minister see having for our public, our concerned citizens, to try and influence Canada’s position at the negotiations in Copenhagen. Thank you.

I believe, looking at the press and having been travelling around, most of the options are being exercised that are available to people. What we have is two different perspectives on an issue, and that is the challenge, and the government-of-the-day, the federal government, is going to make its determination of what it sees in the country’s best interest in balancing all these factors.

While there’s many that may not agree, that’s going to be the responsibility that they have. For those of us that want them to do more, we will have to continue to press them and we have to acknowledge, I think, that there has been a shift from the time that the federal government first got elected to where they are today, where even they now recognize that there is growing urgency in this area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the high cost of living in the Sahtu on various fronts here. I want to ask the Minister of ITI, when businesses in the Sahtu try to recover some of the costs because of the high cost of heating and power and these costs are also recovered through customers. I want to ask the Minister what his department is doing in terms of helping the businesses to reduce the cost of goods and services to make it affordable in small communities.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this year we announced the number of actions that ITI was taking to help small business, specifically with BDIC, those of our clients that are best clients that we are making reduced loans available to them. We also are helping with working capital for those companies that would be ordering for goods that they would be selling. We’ve made arrangements for some effective rates for them to take advantage of. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for some of the highlights of what his department is doing. I am also asking about some of the other

businesses such as the Northern Store, the Co-op or some of the other industries that have goods and services, because of the high cost of running their stores on these diesel power plants in my region, where the costs are fairly high in terms of being in the region. Mr. Speaker, I will ask the Minister if there is anything his department is doing to reduce the costs in these communities.

I am pleased to announce that my colleague the Minister of Environment and myself have had the opportunity to meet with some of the businesses that operate on a territorial-wide basis, particularly of how we could use commercial subsidies that have been identified to help reduce the cost of goods for businesses that are operating not only in the Sahtu, but throughout the North. So this is an area that we are still working on, and certainly most of the businesses were very eager to work with us and to find ways to not only to reduce costs of the products they sold, but to make their businesses much more energy efficient. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to zero in on the comment that the Minister made in terms of the commercial subsidies for these small businesses. Can the Minister inform the House as to what type of…When would this type of discussion come to the floor in terms of looking at our commercial subsidies? I know the program is in place and I know there is some controversy as to the effectiveness of this commercial subsidy program. Can the Minister tell me and the House here what type of discussion can come to the floor in terms of the commercial subsidies program?

As the Member knows, we have an electricity review underway and as part of the terms of reference, this is one of the areas the review team will be looking at and this is what we will be reviewing when we get the recommendations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to reviewing the recommendations with the rest of the Members of this House here and Cabinet colleagues. Can the Minister tell us as to when these recommendations can come to the knowledge of the public in terms of this review of this specific issue on reducing the cost of living in our small communities?

As we indicated earlier at the start of this process, we are working very closely with all Members of this House. We will come forward when we have had full opportunity to receive the recommendations and review them fully. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to my Member’s statement regarding the decision to formulate a committee, the Territorial Admissions Committee, to oversee the administration and processes of individuals to long-term care facilities.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we have to have a fair and equitable system in regards to accessibility of programs and services with regard to persons who need it. We also have to be aware that there are cultural and social needs, individual needs, with regard to the regions they come from and based on their diets, traditional foods and whatnot. By this decision being made at the Yellowknife level, we have to also ensure that the communities such as Aklavik, with regard to the Joe Greenland Centre, is also given a fair share of infrastructure dollars to ensure facilities are up to par and, more importantly, that they are functional and able to ensure the care of patients in our communities and not all in Yellowknife Centre with the new Dementia Centre.

So I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services what kind of assurances can she give to employees of the Joe Greenland Centre and the patients who are presently in the Joe Greenland Centre, that ongoing care will be there and also that they will not see any change in services and that, if anything, we will see an improvement in programs and services. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Territorial Admissions Committee‘s objective is to make access to our existing long-term care units across the NWT fair and equitable, and we project to do that by having a standardized assessment process whereby all of the applicants and residents in need of a long-term care facility will be considered equally and fairly, so that not one region is banished in any way.

I would like to assure the Member that this will not in any way impact the creation of new facilities, because that’s a completely different capital process. This has to do with how we maximize the use of existing long-term care units across the Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My concern is with the opening of the new Dementia Centre here in Yellowknife where a lot of patients will receive that special care,

but, more importantly, they are presently in the territorial hospital system with regard to care facilities in Inuvik, Fort Smith, here in Yellowknife and, more importantly, to ensure that those people who need the service for dementia are given the service, but we move the people in there that need that 24-hour care and specialized care in that particular area. But by moving these people, we don’t see a decrease in regard to programs and services in the other care facilities such as the Joe Greenland Centre. So my concern is more in regards to the new facility coming on stream and also the individuals being moved to that facility, that it does not affect the operations and maintenance of those other facilities. That is where I am going with my question. Has that been looked at with regard to the transition that is going to take place of moving these patients into the new Dementia Centre?

I understand the Member’s concern and I want to assure the Member that our plan is not to move residents from regional centres in smaller communities and move them into Yellowknife into the Territorial Dementia Centre, thereby decreasing the use of these long-term care facilities in communities like Aklavik. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the Member that the Territorial Dementia Centre, not only that, but, say, the assisted living campus in Hay River, is specialized, very high-level care facilities that are in desperate need. We have residents with severe dementia that are at the hospital right now or are not being taken care of adequately in the way we want to. So we are building this 28-bed facility for use by all of the residents of the Territories, but it’s not meant to bring people in from smaller communities unless they absolutely need this service. When those applicants do apply, we wanted to have a standardized process that’s fair and equitable for all applicants for all of the Territories.