Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and celebrate a very positive and optimistic budget delivered by the Minister of Finance yesterday. There are times in this House on this side when it feels very much like we are mired in negative energy and we cannot see what is ahead of us and all of the things that may be good.

Mr. Speaker, I realize I will have a chance to discuss the budget in more detail in our budget review and I hope to make a more detailed reply to the opening address. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that I was on the phone all night long talking to my constituents. Once I explained the detail of some of the initiatives of the Minister in the House, the response has generally been positive. In particular, the fuel rebate and the proposal to fast-track Highway No. 3. I want to make note of the fact that this infrastructure money will go to all highways, not just Highway No. 3.

Mr. Speaker, I can also advise you that I talked to a major commercial truck operator in Yellowknife who told me that he saw a lot of good in this proposed highway spending. He is prepared to accept a slight increase in the cost of doing business that may result from the highway toll. I think he understands that this highway proposal money is an investment and not excessive spending without reason.

Mr. Speaker, the most important thing I want to state is the prominence and the attention paid to badly needed spending in social agendas. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the government for coming up with the Literacy Strategy and extra money on early child development and additional money on health care. These are very important and they are exactly the things that our constituents have been asking for. All the Members in this House have been asking for it for the past year.

Mr. Speaker, I realize we do not have enough money, but that would not be a good excuse for inaction. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this budget is about what we can collectively do for our people as an Assembly, and not about sitting on our hands and talking about not doing the things we need to do because we do not have enough money, or the big brother in Ottawa is not giving us enough.