Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak to a concern that several Members have raised quite well here in the House and it’s the concern for the lack of support for the Canada 55-plus Games that will be held next year in Brockville, Ontario, in 2010.
Mr. Speaker, the issue is this: our government has had a history of supporting this program in the past for $50,000 each and every second year. Mr. Speaker, the issue here is this year the government, out of the blue, has decided not to support this program. Mr. Speaker, it seems to be a bit of a shame when we have a $1.3 billion budget and there is nowhere in any cupboard of government finances we could find that type of money. Not looking in the little jars of MACA, not looking in the big pots in Transportation, not looking in the little slush over in Health? There is nowhere anywhere we can find a collective way of finding a little bit of money?
I think the point posed by Member Bisaro the other day of why couldn’t multi departments work together to help support our seniors was a great approach of saying this.
Mr. Speaker, we have seen many times supplementary appropriations come forward and ask for specific amounts of money for specific projects that are very important. I think supporting the seniors of the Northwest Territories is very important, Mr. Speaker. I would encourage the Government House Leader as well as Finance Minister, Mr. Michael Miltenberger, to consider this. He controls the purse strings of that supplementary appropriation if he ever needed to dip into it to support some important initiative. I would be very surprised if anyone from this House questioned it in a way of it being thought of as irresponsible. If anything, we would probably champion the government in thinking seniors are important. It is about time you show it.
Mr. Speaker, the seniors are looking for $50,000 to help their organization of the games to help book hotels, help coordinate jackets, and it really goes to the fundamentals of helping our seniors. They help the youth out there so they can participate in multi-sport games. When has anyone ever heard that not engaging our seniors and getting them out there is the right approach? Mr. Speaker, if anything, there are a ton of studies out there that say make sure you support them and keep them active and get their minds moving.
Mr. Speaker, later today I will have questions to the Minister of Finance, who should be taking a lead role. As well, we should be encouraging all Members of this House and anyone reading transcripts should be encouraging the people out there to e-mail the Minister of Finance to support this program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.
