Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services and are on the supplemental health program.

Before I start, I would like to thank the Minister for acknowledging what we all feared was true, that the changes are actually taxed on the sick and the elderly. The Minister has talked about doing things in the fairest way and opening up the system to everybody. She has also indicated that it is not available to all non-aboriginals. The Minister is a master of doublespeak, because, in fact, it is available to everybody right now. Specified medical conditions coverage under Extended Health Benefits is available to everybody in the Northwest Territories regardless of whether they are a senior or not. Anybody can apply for coverage on drugs. I have obtained a list of conditions that are covered under this program from pharmacists. Basically it

includes almost every condition you can possibly imagine, so for all those low income people that the Minister is talking about who don’t have coverage right now, they can fill out the paperwork and they can get coverage for the vast majority of the drugs they are receiving.

I am curious if the Minister can tell me how, in fact, we are changing anything other than adding some dental and some vision coverage, because we are already covering the dental. We are already covering the medical under the specified medical conditions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.