WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories has set the goal of having a healthy and educated population and has agreed to work with families, communities and schools to improve the physical and mental well-being of our youth;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories provides subsidies for goods and services that cost too much for ordinary northerners to realistically bear;

AND WHEREAS the increasing costs of living in the NWT make it more and more difficult for many northerners to provide the basic necessities for their families;

AND WHEREAS milk is an essential nutrient for the healthy development of children;

AND WHEREAS the price of milk in many northern communities can cost twice as much as Edmonton prices;

AND WHEREAS cheaper substitutes such as soda pop and other less expensive sugar-loaded drinks are often substituted for milk, leading to serious longer-term health issues;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that the

Government of the Northwest Territories establish a Milk Subsidy Program for all children aged one to twelve in any NWT community where milk costs are ten per cent or higher than those in Yellowknife;

AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories include the costs of the Milk Subsidy Program in the 2009–2010 budget and implement the program in early 2009.