Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, will be supporting the motion with the understanding that we will expand this program throughout the Northwest Territories. It’s pretty hard to elaborate on a program that you can’t see the benefit of because you don’t have it. I think in a lot of our communities we don’t have the luxury of having this program in our communities. The program we have is an elderly person, the family takes care of them day in and day out. They get stressed out. They can’t take care of themselves and the elder. It comes to a point that the health provider will come in and say, okay, we’re taking that person out of your home, we’re taking them to Inuvik to the long-term care facility. That’s the respite care service we’ve been provided. That should not be the case.

We have individuals in our communities, young individuals who are disabled, who have special needs. Again, the services they get are being provided by the family members in those communities, and that should not be the way that these programs are being delivered. We have to have a universal health care system in the Northwest Territories that accommodates all needs and users of these different programs regardless of where you live.

I was frustrated to hear the Minister say, well, we have a program in the Inuvik region. But it’s in Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, I have 20, 35 individuals in my three communities I represent -- Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic -- who are disabled. What do we have there to offer those people? What’s there to offer to assist the families so that they can also take advantage of those programs and be able to take some time out and also get some relief?

Mr. Speaker, it’s critical that this government starts looking within the confines of the Northwest Territories that benefits all Northerners, that benefits 33 communities. Yes, it’s a challenge, but the challenge of the Northwest Territories and the resilient people of the North, we are used to challenges and we are used to being able to help each other out and support each other, and more importantly, those people who are vulnerable individuals in our society because they have special needs or are disabled or the elderly.

Mr. Speaker, it’s critical that this government puts the resources where they’re needed to implement this program throughout the Northwest Territories, and because of that requirement of the motion, I will be supporting the motion with that understanding that this program will be expanded to include other communities in the Northwest Territories; not just the larger centres, not the regional centres: communities. And when I say communities, I mean 33 communities. I hope this government hears me loud and clear and let’s expand this program to assist all people in need throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you.