Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Escort support of pregnant women is limited. I have had several constituents come to Yellowknife to have their baby, and not one of them had their spouse there to help them. It’s not because they did not want to; it’s because we do not have the support in place for fathers during the delivery of their children. Mr. Speaker, it is a very special moment in the lives of families when a woman delivers a baby. I think we can all agree that we try to make it as comfortable as we can as an experience, in that special moment when a child is born. Mr. Speaker, this government has identified that we need to grow our population. You know, if we have a low population, that indeed it also reflects our territorial formula financing. It is only practical to grow our population, that we ensure measures are in place to support families so that programs and services reach parents and children through our northern communities and they can grow into large, vibrant, and abundant families. Mr. Speaker, supporting families, including support for fathers so they can play a big role in the delivery of the children, is important and integral, and I’ll have questions for the Minister later on. Mahsi.
Masi. Members’ statements. Member for Hay River North.
