Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you, Mr. Chair. Your memory's been better than mine because I had forgotten where we left off. And I've also forgotten what questions I asked and what the answers were, so I will go again. I could check Hansard, but I'm too lazy.

Mr. Chair, for this particular item -- I'm too lazy -- addictions treatment facilities, so there's a drop in the budget from the revised estimates to these main estimates. Can the Minister explain why we require less funding for something which I think is a high need service of this government? Thank you.

Thank you. Before we go to the Minister, I just want to remind my colleagues here that we got translators, so I'm told if we could speak slowly as well. And also all your pressing issues and questions you had, we have allotted time of ten minutes, so I just want to remind my Members. Okay, I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Last year we had to go for a supp with the increase in number of people that were accessing and the cost that it -- the increased cost to travel, like the air costs and stuff to send people out. This time we didn't put those costs -- we didn't bill that into the budget this year because we were able to get an agreement with NIHB that their NNADAP programs that they have in Canada, they will approve the funding if any Indigenous people that are status or Inuit that fall under their program can access those programs, that through NIHB, the travel will be also included. So that might take some of the costs down. So it's more of the supplementary increase the last budget that we had to go for. This year, we're hoping that the other program will be able to offset some of those costs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Range Lake.

Thank you. So the -- it looks like that supplementary appropriation doubled the cost. So is NIHB really paying for half of our addictions out of territory treatment? Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you. For that detail, I will let the ADM fill that information in.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the ADM.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Range Lake.

Thank you. And if the department is unable to make up that difference, would then a supp come forward, a supplementary appropriation come forward? Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, one of the things that I -- I guess, becoming in this role is that -- and I've been saying it on the floor of the House, is that we can't really forecast some areas in health and, you know, right now, there's been a bigger uptake in addictions program in the last fiscal year, and, you know, if -- we hope, you know, that this is the path that our residents are wanting to go, we will support them, and then we would have to go back for a supplementary appropriation or else to be able to try and fund that within. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Range Lake.

Do we know -- thank you, Mr. Chair. Do we know the cost per client based on the actuals, the 2022-2023 actuals of this program? Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

We don't have the actuals per cost. We have the contract base facility what the -- like, what they charge per person going to the five facilities that we have in the contract. And we also have the -- it's the flights and accommodations. So where they're coming from in the territory to the facility base, whether or not they need, you know, an escort to go with them to -- it ranges, so there's not one cost. Thank you.

Thank you. The Member of Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, I mean, if -- I think just about everyone committed to some sort of land-based treatment option, whether it's an on-the-land program, an Indigenous cooperated wellness centre, but the priority is getting local options into regions and decrease our reliance on out of territory specialized facilities. I think a good place to start there is to look at cost and to see if there is -- like, what's realistic here, because we always resort to the same arguments where we can't do it efficiently or effectively in the Northwest Territories due to costs and limitations on specialized workers who can -- and doctors and psychiatrists and clinicians, etcetera. So could the Minister commit to creating or doing a calculation of what it costs per client to receive out of territory treatment services averaged across all regions, one; and then two, by region, or whatever's easiest. It's just if we have an actual number to work off of, then we could start having a responsible conversation. Because I think when, yes, these things are challenging -- challenges, but they're not insurmountable, and there's a very real need for treatment options, local treatment options, and I think we need to start by getting to grips with what the service actually costs the government and where there's potential savings. So can the Minister commit to providing an average cost per user of this service? Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Yes, Mr. Chair, that is something that we -- and the department has been doing lots of work in this area. And, you know, I hear what the Member is saying, and I agree that there -- right now as we stand, though, there aren't a lot of programs that are up and ready to access in the Northwest Territories and so what we're hoping is that within this government, and that's why it's in the business plan, that we can collaborate with those Indigenous governments that have programs. And we know that we're spending anywhere from $200 to $650 a day outside the territory on services for individuals. And depending on how long their program is, some programs, you know, are longer than others and then some have additional aftercare programs that they can stay on longer. So, yes, we can -- I'm not sure how quick we can come up with those numbers, but we can pull that stuff together. And I know that we have been because that's something that I know that I've also stressed is that if we do have addiction-based programs in the territory, how are we going to support them as well to have residents being able to access them. And so that something that we will be looking into. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other Members that want to provide questions to the Minister? I'm going to go to the Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And kind of getting back to some conversations we were having last week, have been kind of similar to the Member for Range Lake jogging my memory. And I do remember we were talking about residential care and the comments that the Member from Yellowknife North making regarding that and the desire to see people -- see us working towards keeping people in the territory.

I just wanted to note that, you know, at a constituency meeting I had recently, I was talking to a few different members of the public who had come to the meeting to express their hope that something could be put in place, even just as simple as something like respite care or temporary care. So this is for families who are providing care, or they have someone in care. They're generally able to maintain this themselves for the most part, but obviously from time to time may not be able to. So is this something, at the very minimum, that the department would be able to consider and look at in order to reduce this, you know, significantly expensive item where we are sending people out of the territory. Are there ways that we can kind of better support people where they are so that we don't end up in situations where we have to send people out? Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.