Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do want to thank Mr. Moses for bringing this motion up, and I also wanted to say to government, you have come a long way in the different areas of how we deal with mental health, addictions, drugs and alcohol and moving away from the residential treatment programs and now to listening to people on-the-land treatment programs, mobile treatment and just new initiatives that we’re taking on. It’s been a while since we’ve had this type of new shift in the making of healthy communities as to our priorities and goals. This motion here speaks to support this. We’re looking for money inside.
Last year the Northwest Territories Liquor Commission made $24 million profit off of liquor in the Northwest Territories. They bought about $47 million, $45 million worth of booze, and after all the expenses they have a profit sitting there of $24 million. We have, through Bill 24, had some quite intensive, emotional, strong statements of people in the Sahtu just on the effects of alcohol and the things that they needed to do in the community to deal with the evils of alcohol abuse. The motion speaks to maybe looking at the Liquor Commission. I know there’s money that goes into general revenue and then goes to all the departments. We passed a motion last year to have a percentage of the profits from the liquor sales go directly to a program in the communities to fight alcohol abuse, and that motion hasn’t even been acknowledged or been responded to looking at what we want on this side here. I would say that if the government could look at finding the additional dollars using the Liquor Revolving Fund as a means to say yes, we could look at something like this, other than to say, well, it goes into general revenues and it cuts right across the whole board.
Let’s do something symbolic, something that says we’re buying $47 million of liquor. We could at least put some money, 10 percent of that percentage directly into the communities and in support of
community members. Let’s change some things. Let’s do things differently. Otherwise, you’re going to hear we had money, $86 million. This is a specific area of profit we want to go into even though alcohol touches many other areas. I would strongly urge Cabinet to think about this and to look at this and really consider when you’re looking at this motion, give us a good reason why you’re going to be voting against this and not supporting this motion. If you’re not going to support this, give us a good reason as to why you’re not supporting this motion of $2 million. We buy $47 million worth of booze for the Northwest Territories people. We make a profit of $24 million. At least a percentage should go back to the communities. We have heard from the Sahtu, five communities, through Social Programs. We know of the pain they spoke of and the alcohol abuse and addiction. I do applaud them on the new direction we’re going in, but we need to ensure that this type of funding gets into the communities. We’ve lost enough young ones and enough people through this addiction and we’re looking for something challenging.
I want to thank Mr. Moses for bringing this up and for the Members for listening to our people in the Sahtu on the recommendations we had on Bill 24, which is outside the legislation we’re going through. I want to leave it at that, Mr. Chair.