Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today is going to be in regard to one of the Minister’s statements last week in regard to a strong, very heavy contribution that was made to the City of Yellowknife here. It is in regard to shelters in the communities of the Northwest Territories.
As great as it sounds for Yellowknife to have this shelter brought forth into our territory and help those people that are in need, we also have to look at adjusting the root causes and the issues. As long as this government doesn’t address those issues or those root causes that put our people into these shelters or make people go to these shelters, we are going to continue to have this problem. We are going to have to continue more infrastructure building to house these people in the communities that come from the communities who are either running away from very harmful relationships or who are having problems in the communities not having adequate housing.
We need to work together. This government needs to work together. Department and departments, when we build infrastructure, that we have programs to go alongside it. If we create programs, we have to have the infrastructure to house those programs to benefit the people of the Northwest Territories. Right now I think our government needs some work in that area. I think this government’s 17th Assembly should be addressing that over the next four years so that our people don’t suffer anymore. When we put our money out there to build these things, we should do it in the best way and for the best way for the people of the Northwest Territories.
I was really glad to hear of the Minister of Health’s statement earlier today, that we need some focus on prevention and promotion. I will have some questions for him later on today in regard to that area and possibly changing up some of our policies so that people of the Northwest Territories, our non-government organizations, our people who are working on the front lines have adequate resources and funding to put these programs into place to help these people that are in dire straits in these shelters. That is it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
