Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to comment on the budget address which was given last Thursday. This impacts on all areas of where we are headed as a government.

Let me begin by saying that there were a lot of good things in this budget. There were a lot of goals established with concrete deadlines that will allow us to track our progress. Of course, in any plan, there are always things that could be done better or that require further understanding.

One of the concerns I have with the budget address is in the area of future planning for transportation. I did not see any plans for future development of the Mackenzie River bridge, or for an all-weather road to the communities and the mines. Apparently, they are only to build on existing infrastructure. To me, this budget is a list of expenses for operating and maintaining what is already in place. It is not a vision.

The Minister states in the third paragraph of the first page that, in finalizing strategies for this budget, the suggestions and concerns of the Members of this Assembly were listened to. I disagree. I have been extremely vocal about the need for an all-weather road to go through the Dogrib communities and the mines. I have heard other Members express the need for a bridge over the Mackenzie River. I do not see these suggestions included or even referred to.

Further along, on the first page of the budget address, it states:

"We need to take control of and develop our resources. We need to invest in our economy and infrastructure."

I am puzzled as to how we can develop our resources if we cannot access them.

Global warming is a key area affecting our winter roads and limiting access to our resources. As I have stated many times, we need to adapt to the changing climate and begin planning for overland routes to remote communities and the mines. This requires a vision.

A catch phrase of the budget has been that we need to invest today for a better tomorrow. I agree. It is the investment that we make today that will determine what kind of tomorrow we have. Let us be sure that the investments we make are not limited to improving the existing infrastructure, but that they allow for a long-term vision that benefits our changing North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.