Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to first start by congratulating everybody, the newly elected MLAs. We have some hard work ahead over the next four years. And I'm so inspired and hopeful by the many words and ideas shared by my colleagues.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak about Nunakput, the traditional lands of the Inuvialuit, which comprises the communities of Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, Paulatuk, and Tuktoyaktuk. My comments are going to be short and direct.

Living and travelling and visiting throughout the Nunakput riding, you see and hear of many challenges of a mainly Indigenous population that wants a good standard of living like every other citizen in this great country of Canada.

What is my expectation and what do the Nunakput constituents expect? I have many bullets.

Many more homes built with quality standards made to exist in the Arctic, proper doorways and porches and hardware, not the cheapest. I met a constituent who told me that she owed housing over $100,000 in rent for a unit built in the early '70s. She had been homeless for eight years and couch surfing at her daughter's home for those many years. How can you be homeless in the Arctic? People want a safe existence in their home and in their community. Our policing services, our bylaw services, our ambulatory services, which are nonexistent in many communities. Drug and alcohol is plaguing our communities. We want a thriving school full of staff and students and all the resources required to fulfill their educational growth, like gymnasiums. Tuktoyaktuk hasn't had a gymnasium for over three years. The attendance rate right now is 43 percent. A health system with nurses ready to help in community in crisis and prevention. Constituents need help with mental health issues and addictions. They need day-to-day counselling services and many time clinical counselling. I find we are all still feeling the effects of the lockdown and with the minimal interaction, especially with our young people. Our medical travel and dental care is in terrible disarray. Patients are missing critical appointments due to travel with incomplete paperwork. It's a total disrespectful society system. The opportunity to live in an affordable environment, groceries, gas, and fuel are through the roof and people are barely surviving. They're barely surviving. The opportunity to make a living, to harvest for their family, to use their traditional skill set, whether it be harvesting, sewing, beading, or creating, or trapping.

While my riding Nunakput, waves the flag and says Canada, I'm still here, existing and thriving in an extreme environment, protecting Canada's sovereignty many times, it's last on the list. I'm here today to say I did not promise anything but to work hard, to be present, and to shine a light on the neglect of this most critical riding. Without this riding, you'd have no ocean, no Northwest Passage, no Arctic islands, and no Inuvialuit. A beautiful bountiful land of people who are humble, strong, and still very much traditional. So when I bring issues to the table, think of living an hour and a half away by plane from Inuvik. Sometimes waiting days for a medivac plane because of weather, where our marine transportation system cannot get into your community to drop off its annual supply due to sea ice, where elders are sent 700 kilometres away from their family to live in long-term care, you where you have to limit your water usage if you are in public housing. Where is the equality?

This dream of truth and reconciliation is many times a distant thought. I know and recognize that the next four years will be some tough choices, but remember that there is many in the territory that are living in poverty, with violence in the home, struggling with mental health and addictions, or lack of capacity or education to move ahead. So let's support those that are less fortunate and support those that can help themselves but need a little more assistance like our harvesters. That is what government is supposed to do.

Thank you to my family, the constituents of Nunakput, who elected me and all the support over the past campaign period. This concludes my short remarks. Quyananni.