Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. The community of Inuvik is continuing to be impacted by this government's decisions in the area of budget reductions. We in Inuvik and the Inuvik Region, are also impacted by other governments in the decisions that they make. For example, Mr. Speaker, last winter in Inuvik, we first heard the news of the Yukon government's discussions on the Dempster Highway in trying to control their costs. It raised a lot of concern in Inuvik and the surrounding area and communities, because the cost of goods in Inuvik rise dramatically when the Dempster Highway is closed, for whatever conditions. We have two seasons right now when the Dempster Highway closes on an annual basis, when the ferries are pulled out and freeze-up starts to occur and when they are put back in.

Mr. Speaker, as a community, we have raised this issue with our Minister of Transportation, and he was good enough to visit us in Inuvik and meet with the people and hear their concerns on the Dempster Highway issue, as well as other highways that we were hoping to see in our lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that the Minister has gone a long way since our discussion, and has discussed and had a meeting with the government representatives from the Yukon. I think the people of Inuvik would be happy to hear that we are not looking at the very serious impacts that were first discussed, as a total closure of the Dempster Highway for long periods. I think that as the news is let out on the meeting, the people of Inuvik will be somewhat relieved at what is being discussed today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause