The Minister has just said they are not challenging the results, so let’s get it on the record.

Does the Minister accept that the Government of the Northwest Territories Health Care Program has received a fair mark at a D minus? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For 61 years the Conference Board of Canada has been a think tank, providing research advice on economic trends and organizational performances on public issues.

Knowing what the Conference Board of Canada has given the Northwest Territories government, what is the Department of Health going to do with this D minus? Are they going to accept it or are they going to dispute the D minus given to this government? If they choose to dispute it, which specific areas are they disputing? Thank you.

The Minister cites the MDS, that’s Mineral Development Strategy, and the EOS, the Economic Opportunities Strategy, as the solution for this. I’d like to actually hear what the Department of Health is doing when it comes to improving the outcomes of life expectancy, premature mortality, infant mortality and mortality due to cancer specific to health.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

First off I want to say, I dare not argue with the Minister’s keen eye and good observation of the assessment of the work being done here. I certainly like to agree when he’s right.

My final question is: Would the Minister be willing to devote a bit of time and policy development in his department to take some assessment of this particular potential? We have people travelling on the land in different forms, be it on the lakes and rivers through their boats, be it on skidoos and other modes of transportation, and what a great way to reward people on their long trips out on the land by putting a...

What is the plan of Environment and Natural Resources to address this environmental liability that has been left on the people of the Northwest Territories to carry this burden and to be financially responsible for it? In other words, does the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have any type of plan in place or plan for the future to address this liability of these fuel barrels sitting there on the land?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had planned to talk about a health issue today and I think one just sort of overpowered me and I felt that I had to address it.

Overwhelmingly, I feel troubled with the way and the approach the Mental Health Act is presently taking today. Although I certainly, like every single one of my colleagues here both on this side of the House and the other side of the House, will welcome a new act to help address the problems that we all see today, there are ways we can help today.

The other day I was asking the Health Minister about trying to find another way. There is another...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 2, 2015, I will move that Bill 48, An Act to Amend the Mental Health Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, that’s okay if the government doesn’t intend to get to it because they’re either not interested or too busy, but I’m not uninterested, and I’m certainly not too busy to bring up good ideas for the department to get to work on.

As such, would it not make sense for the government to consider putting a bit of fee, a reward or a bit of bounty on every one of these barrels?

By way of example, and I know the Minister likes examples, so for example, if we put a $100 fee or reward or return price on every one of those barrels, we could fund that out of our environmental recycling fund. That way...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in Committee of the Whole it was discussed about the fuel barrels left throughout the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, does the department know how many barrels there are? I’m not speaking to every single barrel, but I’m speaking to the large volume of barrels we estimate are out there and the general location of the larger cache of barrels. I mean, we can always understand there will be one or two here and there, and those are difficult to track unless you stumble upon them.

I guess the question is: How...