Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I begin today by reminding all Members today is red Friday and I am wearing a red tie to honour our Canadian Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, in 1859, Florence Nightingale, the famous founder of our modern nursing profession, promoted the important role pets play in therapy. She said a small pet animal is often an excellent companion for the sick, especially those battling long, chronic conditions. Since then, many studies have proved the benefit of human-animal bonds. Medical and emotional improvements have been recognized as a result of therapeutic value found in pet therapy. Multiple sclerosis patients have found their pets to be one of the greatest comforts during their ups and downs of the disease.

A constituent of mine, Mr. Speaker, Ms. Carmen Tees who is in our gallery today, knows exactly what Ms. Nightingale advocated for almost 150 years ago and what studies have confirmed since then. My constituent suffers from MS and finally has the opportunity to move into a barrier-free home. Understandably, she was pleased to see an apartment building that was finally being built that would meet her special needs right out her front window. Unfortunately, there is one problem. My constituent was told no pets are permitted in this building. She has a cat as her long-time companion pet for some time now and has stated that she will not move into this building if she cannot bring her pet. She needs her cat, a therapeutic aid, for comfort, emotional well-being and to help her cope with her long-struggling illness. This new building has no carpet. All the floor surfaces have linoleum and they can be easily cleaned. A no pet policy seems completely unnecessary. At the very least, there must be some discretion to allow people with pets for therapeutic reasons in this building.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT must look at this policy and deal with this situation. Yesterday, I tabled in this House the two cases provided to me by the Human Rights Commissioner where it shows and demonstrates clearly that a no pet policy should not apply to people who have disabilities when they have doctors’ notes saying that it is an important role into their long-term health and gain.

Mr. Speaker, we don’t need a human rights case to go on here. We can do the right decision today because we know what the right decision is by allowing people who need pets for therapeutic reasons to enter this building. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Housing Minister later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause