Thank you, Madam Speaker. I look forward to the Minister’s discussion to see how we can work out this situation. The fact of the matter is our contract is not working with this government. Something is wrong. The contract isn’t working. Either the dentist or ourselves or the federal government, something is not working. That should tell you enough that we do not have a dentist in the Sahtu.
We have some oil companies in there. Surely this government can talk to the oil company, can talk to the town, can talk to the native organizations, talk to somebody and say let’s get a dentist in here. Let’s clear the barriers and get a dentist in here.
Right now people are having toothaches. Kids have toothaches and are going to the health centre where the nurse is giving them antibiotics and telling them to stay home unless their parents really can gather the money to fly them. It costs about $1,100 just to fly a person out to get their teeth checked. It’s a health concern. This can kill a lot of people.
I want to ask this government, are you willing to save some people’s lives? Get a dentist in the Sahtu. What can the Minister do to help us get a dentist here? Can he open some of the creativity in this government to get a dentist in the Sahtu? Can he do that for us?