Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to my Member’s statement, I mentioned the lack of respite care services in a lot of our communities. In the communities I represent -- Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic -- in Aklavik alone I have 24 people identified as disabled; Fort McPherson, 10, and one individual in Tsiigehtchic. Mr. Speaker, that’s 35 individuals in the Mackenzie Delta riding that are disabled. These individuals are asking for nothing less and nothing more than what’s being provided in the larger centres.
I, for one, sit here listening to the discussions here in the House. Mr. Speaker, we have individuals in our communities that are stuck taking care of their elderly parents, people with disabilities, special needs in our communities that are 24-hour care, 365 days a year, and the only program we have for respite care is they’ll take the elders out of our home communities and send them to the Inuvik hospital and put them in the long-term care facility or the Joe Greenland Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister why we are having to send our elders away or individuals from our communities for respite care to the regional hospitals and not assist them and keep them in our home communities and support the families.