Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in about 100 days, we will be starting two new territories. This is pretty well the last time that we are going to meet as a Legislature, except for possibly a brief session in March. As two new territories, we are starting with a financial arrangement that is going to allow us to maintain programs and services, but we all know from the briefings we had that the increased population and demands for services will put a huge pressure on us and our limited financial resources. We are also going to want to try to, in fact, start new programs to improve social conditions, education and economic opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that as it now stands, our revenues are pretty well flat from here on in, unless they are pegged to population. We have no capability to, in fact, increase those revenues. It would appear the current government in Ottawa has opened the door to reviewing our tax structure and has given us a tax window, so to speak. For us, in the north, as resource activity grows, as it will have no choice but to given the resources we have here, we need a chance for more resources to stay, more taxes to stay in the north, rather than going straight to Ottawa.

With less than 100 days left, it is critical for us to move on this initiative that is now underway and to try to bring it to some closure before the end of March. As we look down the road with the time left in this Assembly, this has got to be one of the most critical issues facing us: a stable monetary source and the possibility, in fact, to increase those resources and allow us to meet the demands of the people that we serve. I would urge the government and Cabinet to ensure that we pursue this with all the efforts and resources at our disposal. We have 100 days left and the window will not be there forever. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause