Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, the issue of addictions in the Northwest Territories is a very, very perplexing one, and I applaud the Minister that he is trying to do something. However, I agree with my colleague Ms. Bisaro that we have studied this issue to death.
Minister Miltenberger came to Hay River when he was doing his forum on where we should be spending money and stood up and made a very, very eloquent speech about personal responsibility. Maybe we shouldn’t be asking people who are healthy and sober what we should be doing about addictions such as the wonderful people that Mr. Beaulieu has appointed to this forum. Maybe we should go and ask the people who are doing the drinking what the solution is.
Because you know what? In my 17 years as an MLA, I haven’t had very many people come up to me and go, oh, Jane, please help me, I have a drinking problem. I’m addicted to alcohol. Where can I get help? My gosh, if one person came forward and said I have a drinking problem, I need help, we’d be so all over them. We have so much out there to help them, but the problem is that the people that have the problem that we’re studying as the issue aren’t asking for the help. They’re more thinking about how can I keep drinking and pay for my house, or how can I sustain my drinking habit and still have a roof over my head or food in my cupboard.
Anyway, sorry. I know I’m going on about this as a Member’s statement. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services who’s on his committee.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
There are 12 people. We started off with 14. I could name them. In Beaufort-Delta we had asked Hazel Nerysoo, Lawrence Norbert, Freddie Carmichael and Ann Kasook to sit on that and two of them dropped out, Ann Kasook and Freddie Carmichael. In part of the meeting tomorrow we’re going to discuss the possibility of replacing them.
In the Sahtu/Tlicho we have Paul Andrew, Marie Adele Rabesca and Charlie Neyelle. I understand that Charlie Neyelle is contemplating not participating.
In Hay River/Yellowknife we have Jill Taylor, Laurie Sarkadi and Frank Yakimchuk.
In South Slave we have JoAnne Deneron, Pat Martel, Dave Poitras and Wilfred Simon.
Again, I’d like to applaud the Minister. This is a very, very good and esteemed group of people he’s pulled together for this Minister’s Forum on Addictions. But when we are looking at the terms of reference, could we please, for a change, instead of talking to people who think they know the solutions who aren’t living the issue but only observing the issue, could we please talk to people who are actually living the issue? Could we find a way to get them to talk? Because the Minister asks the question in his statement: I want to know what will make people stop drinking and want to live a happy life. That’s a very complex question and I suggest we should be asking the people who have got the addictions.
Yes, we will pass that information on to the forum. I guess many people on the forum may be listening to us today discuss this, but that can be something that we will put into the system. We will encourage people who are currently suffering from alcoholism to attend the forums. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, of course, this public proceeding here is a forum as well. If there are people out there in the communities, in all of our communities that are listening to this and hearing this today and do have a problem with addictions, who have problems with alcohol and want to find a way out, who want to find a healthy, happy life, I want them to not only know they can approach this forum but that they can go to their health centre, that they can write a letter to the Minister or their MLA, they can phone us and they can tell us what they think their solution is to this problem. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, that’s a good idea. Yes, I too will encourage that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Colleagues, I’m going to remind Members today, I saw six Members going off on their cell phones. There is no cell phone usage in the House. I am not going to name names, but enough is enough. Give your colleagues the courtesy of their questions and listening to what is going on in the House. I am not going to bring it up again. Thank you.
The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 8 on the Order Paper. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
