Marci cho, Mr. Speaker.
[English translation not provided].
Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about the Department of Health and Social Services’ budget, just briefly. I have indicated a couple of times with this 18thAssembly that we have a huge budget-sucking issue with alcohol and drugs. I have talked about this, about the amount that alcohol and drugs is costing every person in the NWT, yet, Mr. Speaker, the budget for community mental health and addictions has stayed the same as last year. The budget for Health Promotion and Community Wellness has also seen no increase.
Mr. Speaker, I know how much alcohol and drugs and mental health issues have cost our communities. Mr. Speaker, without alcohol, our correction facilities potentially could be only 10 to 20 per cent full. That, of course, is that all the people that committed crimes under the influence of alcohol did not commit those crimes.
Why, Mr. Speaker, would this department not see that to help the people get off alcohol and drugs would be a huge savings to the government by:
1. not having inmates in corrections at over $300 per day per person to the government;
2. not having alcohol abuse-related hospital stays at thousands of dollars per day;
3. having children attend school every day, giving them a better chance of success and growing up to be tax-paying people with their children in school.
Mr. Speaker, these are just a few of the reasons why the Department of Health and Social Services must begin to put more money into the area of alcohol and drugs. Thank you very much.