Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today our Finance Minister introduced the budget for 2002-2003. At first glance, the budget looks good and we are going to have to take some time to have a closer look at it. The agenda for a better tomorrow seems to be incorporated in here, but I will speak to the fact of the inequity of funding between smaller communities and larger tax-based municipalities.

There are 33 communities in the Northwest Territories and 27 of them are non-tax based. A lot of those communities would be considered third world, as compared to first world here in Yellowknife. I look forward to asking questions of the different Ministers with their departmental responsibilities, such as the mention in this budget of growth in the communities. How does the government plan to focus on growth in the smaller communities? What do they mean by infrastructure development? What do they mean by growth in small communities? Do they mean population? Do they mean businesses? Or do they mean infrastructure such as sidewalks, one simple example?

I look forward to the next four weeks and the next year to implement this budget and I will be asking questions of the different departments over the next three weeks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.