Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We hear a lot about the riches of the Northwest Territories by way of our resources, but we are poor by way of the people that live in poverty in the Northwest Territories.
The social and economic standards of people throughout the Northwest Territories, regardless if it’s native people who live in the North with an average income of $18,000 or people in the North who are having health issues because of their diabetes or liver disease or ailments by way of poor health care or the lack of health care services in a lot of our communities. The challenges we have by mental health and addiction challenges all stem from poverty.
I believe that as a government we have to realize that poverty is a man-made element. It is man-made and can be prevented by man. Poverty in the Northwest Territories can be overcome by ensuring that the levels of services to people in the Northwest Territories who are in poverty by increasing the cost of living and increasing the services that’s being provided regardless if it’s health care or in the area of education, ensuring that the services that we are providing is getting them out of poverty and keeping them out of poverty and not continue to put them into a justice system that they continue with the revolving door scenario in which they get into jail, they get out of jail, they end up at Salvation Army or they end up on the streets or being homeless.
All I ask of the 17th Assembly is to make poverty one of their top priorities and ensure the next Assembly really deals with the problem in northern Canada and get the potential that we have, who are the people. One of the most valuable assets we have as a society is people. Everyone has the right to housing, to food, and to dignity. Only then will we see the richness of the Northwest Territories by way of the richness in our people.
With that, I would like to leave by stating I would like to thank yourself, Mr. Speaker, and Mr. Roland. I look forward to seeing you on the golf course. More importantly, thanking the other Members for serving with you over the last number of years, and I wish you all the best in the future.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
