Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Just a chance at some opening comments on a couple of key issues for the community of Fort Simpson right now. The Minister talks about investing health care facilities. I know that Stanton requires huge investments, but also planning studies have been scheduled for the community of Fort Simpson Health Centre. It is on their list of critical infrastructure and I’d like to see it progress forward as well. I know it will be challenging to meet the fiscal constraints, but at the same time, government knows that that infrastructure has to be replaced and reconstructed. I just want to say that, certainly, it’s a concern to the community of Fort Simpson and the residents, that their health centre maintains a level of service, so it needs these capital investments and I look to the department’s plan in moving forward the replacement of the Fort Simpson Health Centre.
As well, I spoke in the House the other day during question period about the return of nursing services staff to Wrigley. I wasn’t really satisfied with the Minister’s answers and the department’s strategy for the community of Wrigley in returning nursing services there. I went on at length about how I will be moving this forward and how having the RCMP was part and parcel of the package, so I went and got the RCMP, the dedicated resources for the community of Wrigley. We’re just working towards somehow finding the detachment building for the community of Wrigley so the RCMP can be housed in Wrigley. But at the same time, I never did get the same level of commitment from the Department of Health to return nursing services to Wrigley. I would say that, of course, I think they have one dedicated nurse. Perhaps the Minister can correct me on that, but I think there’s one dedicated nurse to provide for the needs of the community of Wrigley.
All those make a little bit of a difference, but at the same time, restoring the services to the community of Wrigley is their priority. They often feel that they’re left out and neglected by a government that never hears them, and it’s no wonder why. We do the best that we can to, or I do the best I can to represent my constituents, and at the same time, every time the Ministers and government says no, that no is coming from me as well. We all have to work together to meet the needs of our small and remote communities. I know Mr. Minister has been giving me some fangled formula population ratio kind of thing, but that’s not what I’m interested in. What I’m interested in is serving the needs of our people in our small and remote communities. Thank you.