Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's no secret that women face a disproportionate amount of the child care burden in our society. They also, on average, earn less than men. And to pile onto the inequality, women pay a number of what are called "think taxes," Mr. Speaker. Those are costs on products and services that men do not. One example of this is that women shoulder the payment of birth control.
According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, timely access to effective contraception reduces the incidents of unintended pregnancy. Cost is a significant barrier to using contraception for youth in Canada. Many must pay outofpocket because they have no pharmaceutical insurance, their insurance does not cover the contraceptives they desire, or they wish to obtain contraceptives without their parents' knowledge, Mr. Speaker.
The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends, to address these barriers and reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy, that there should be universal free access to contraceptives and, Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what British Columbia is doing and starting this weekend. They will be providing all of those contraceptive measures for free in BC. All one has to do is get a prescription and bring it to their pharmacy, no cost. Now, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of health about whether we can provide universal contraceptive access in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
