Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, thanks. So this could be used, moving forward, for health care benefits that are incurred related to opioid damages and the GNWT can, and perhaps should, start tracking these costs that are covered by other agents? I guess that's a question for the Minister. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Thank you. So the question is whether the GNWT can and should start tracking these costs? Perhaps for a discussion of -- part of the reason for things like this class action are that we don't have to prove damages for every individual, don't have to prove that an individual became addicted to opioids due to, you know, the actions of a company and then prove the number. So what we are doing is looking at damages on an aggregate basis. Perhaps I can hand it to Ms. Zimmer to maybe explain things a bit more concisely. Thank you.

Thank you. Ms. Zimmer.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, so, yeah, I get that there's a formula in here and that it's some kind of pro forma calculation then of what the damages are. But will GNWT then include costs that have been incurred by Indigenous governments in seeking damages as part of this class action suit? That's my first question. Thanks.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you. This is costs that are incurred by the GNWT only. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, then what's the purpose of, you know, (c) here which does cover through one or more agents or in other intermediate bodies. Does that potentially include Indigenous governments and why wouldn't we roll those costs into this if there's a way to do that? So, yeah, thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Thank you. So those intermediates, those agents would -- the example I used earlier, the GNWT flows money to an Indigenous government, the Indigenous government then uses that money to send their members to treatment. So it's not the GNWT directly sending somebody to treatment, it is another body, and that is what that is intended to cover. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, maybe this is just semantics then. So GNWT has to initiate giving money to Indigenous governments on their own before we're going to seek reimbursement. What about in cases where Indigenous governments incur some costs and then seek and maybe even get reimbursement from GNWT for opioid-related damages, would those sort of costs -- could they be rolled up in this as part of the claim? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you. So if the GNWT pays the costs, then it's my understanding that those costs could be recoverable. But I don't believe -- and, again, this is not my area. But it's not my understanding that the reimbursements like the Member is talking about are commonplace. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah, okay. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this in my one minute that's left now. And I haven't got an answer about what the current practice is, or the practice will be moving forward. And is any of this going to be communicated in any way to the Indigenous governments that their costs related to opioid damages, if they seek and maybe even get reimbursement from GNWT, they would be included in the claim and that there might even be the potential, at some point, for sharing some of the claim money. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you. At this point there is no such plans that I'm aware of. Thank you.

Thank you. Did you have any final -- okay, Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah, thanks, recognizing I have 13 seconds left. Yeah, this is obviously an issue. At least one Indigenous government has raised this issue and I am going to suggest to the Minister, and maybe the Minister of Health and Social Services, that you need to have this discussion at the Council of Leaders' level to get their views about this. If we're going to do things, we are going to do things with Indigenous governments, you have an obligation to talk to them about this. Thank you, Madam Chair.