Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Blake, for seconding the motion. I want to leave this motion to my colleagues to give their
views on. This motion deals with the compensation of people who travel as escorts financially, emotionally, socially. Travel into our small communities is quite stressful and hectic. Travelling out of our communities is also stressful, especially on medical travel.
So, I wanted to give support to people who take patients to the hospitals in this type of situation when they travel for medical treatment. From the time I’ve known these escorts who volunteer, family members, cousins, aunties, uncles, sometimes friends of the community, and they are volunteering their services. It’s a little bit different than when you have someone who is paid and who has some leave and they can take the patient out. I’m looking at people who go to the hospital for a week, two weeks, a month, two months, an extended time. They stay at the hospital, and the people who are working, their time from employment benefits is being used up. More importantly, when we have these volunteers coming that have no jobs, they are at the whim of the government and certainly they appreciate it.
I want to leave it at that and have other Members speak on this motion. Thank you.