Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to offer my condolences this morning; I think especially to the mothers of these young men. I have two sons myself that are probably about the same age as a couple of these young RCMP officers who died. We do what we can to protect our children, but these are very honourable callings to take up the job to protect the public and the public safety, and I certainly do send out condolences to the families and especially the mothers of these young men today.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, specifically as it affects adults. Mr. Speaker, FASD was identified as a medical condition in 1973. We know that in provinces or territories with high levels of alcohol consumption, FASD is widespread. FASD is a lifelong condition. Mr. Speaker, a child with FASD becomes an adult with FASD. Adults that have FASD often behave in socially inappropriate ways, are unable to hold down a job and frequently have problems with the law. In many cases, they are labelled as troublemakers or bad people, when in fact they have a disability and require support to be successful contributing members of society.

The unfortunate reality, Mr. Speaker, is that FASD often goes undiagnosed. Without the diagnosis, individuals do not qualify for medical or financial support that they would otherwise be entitled to as would anyone with a mental health illness. We spend thousands of dollars putting people through the justice system, yet we fail to provide a diagnostic team to properly assess individuals with FASD.

Mr. Speaker, the diagnosis of FASD is a collaborative effort by professionals in a variety of fields. To date there is no available information of the numbers of people with FASD in the Northwest Territories because of the lack of a complete diagnostic team and screening tools. How do we know, Mr. Speaker, whom to help and what type of help they require and the amount of money to spend on FASD if we don’t know the numbers?

Mr. Speaker, adults suffering from FASD have a variety of needs for special supports and services to give them a chance to live a productive life with their families and within their communities. If we are going to make a final diagnosis of this condition and offer the proper support, Mr. Speaker, then we need to have a team in place for that purpose. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.