Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Services. I want to follow up on my

statement. I mentioned a number of statistics in my statement and I want to provide a few more.

Diabetes prevalence rates among Aboriginal populations are at least three times higher than the general population. Aboriginal populations face higher risks for prediabetes and obesity, and Aboriginal women are particularly vulnerable to diabetes. They have four times the rate of non-Aboriginal women. They also have a higher risk for gestational diabetes.

I spoke to the cost of diabetes to our system, to our health system, to our government, and in the NWT those costs are fully borne by the government. Diabetes treatment is fully covered as an insured service. So I would like to say to the Minister that we are managing this problem and this is an opportunity to solve the problem. I’d ask the Minister to explain to me and to the House the rationale for the exclusion of bariatric surgery in the list of ensured services for the NWT. Thank you.