Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a big bone to pick with the Department of Health and Social Services. The Northwest Territories has the largest per capita population of residential school survivors in the country, and the distressed voices of residential school survivors are constantly ringing in my ears, but the department gives one excuse after another. It says it doesn’t have enough money for a full continuum of mental health and addictions services. Things like one-on-one therapy, made-in-the-North residential treatment and after-care for recovering addicts.

It’s time for a reality check. No more excuses. On one hand the government says there’s no money, there’s no money. Yet, it finds money for a delegation to fly to China or send down to Ottawa and for expensive infrastructure projects. When there’s extra money resulting from low uptake on government programs, that extra money goes into the government’s other projects.

When children are repeatedly beaten and belittled – and let’s be honest, that happened to almost everyone who attended the residential schools in the Northwest Territories – why wouldn’t they repeat that behavior when they enter into adult society? The medical community tells us that there’s a clear link between trauma and addiction. Alcohol and drugs numb the pain. Healing from trauma isn’t a quick fix. It involves nothing short of remaking yourself, sometimes even remaking the entire family. That, in turn, requires intensive therapeutic support.

I’m tired of excuses. I think this government does have the money. What it actually lacks is an unwavering political support to the residential school survivors.

I call on this Department of Health and Social Services to do more for the residential school survivors and their families in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.