The Minister knows full well, she’s the chair of the Strategic Initiatives Committee on the Cost of Living. She knows full well that it’s not a fair comparison to compare the cost of living here in the Northwest Territories to that of southern jurisdictions where, I might add, many people choose to retire in the South. Somebody has to protect the social fabric of our communities and keep families together and keep seniors in the North. I’d like to again ask the Minister how come a survey hasn’t been conducted with the seniors in the Northwest Territories to ask them if proposed changes to the Supplementary Health Benefits Program would result in them leaving the Northwest Territories. Like I said, when they leave, that affects the social fabric of our communities. We need to keep families together.

I really think the Minister has to address that concern and the $22,000 that the government gets in transfer payments for every person we have on the ground here in the Northwest Territories. That would be gone with them as well.