Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon to my colleagues. I would like to thank the candidates for putting your names forward for Premier. All the best to each of you. My question is related, I guess, to the mental health and self-esteem type of issue. It's basically regarding the workforce, the make-work programs.
The people of the North need work. Optimism is about giving hope to the people for a better future. I'm talking about the immediate future, like tomorrow. For the people of the North, work equals much-needed income. Providing work develops happy people, happy families, and most of all improves a person's self-esteem, which I believe is much-needed.
Providing work equates to stimulating local economies. This is a win-win situation. In the past, funds have been secured from the federal government to create the much-needed work programs for all the communities of the Northwest Territories. It has been done. With that in mind, I ask the question of all the Premier-candidates: what is your strategy to securing that type of funding to stimulate the economy of the communities of the North? Mahsi.