Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government spends approximately 35 percent of its total budget on administrative overhead. In the next four years, it is my goal to see this number reduced and to get more money on the ground, in the communities and into some tangible, real benefits for the people who call this territory home.
We're very quick to point fingers at Ottawa for our financial difficulties. I will be one of the first to stand up and say that we do need firm commitments from them to go forward. However, some of the responsibility, Mr. Speaker and my fellow colleagues, rests with us. We have to manage what we are given and what we have more effectively. I'm looking forward to working collectively with both the government and our committees to see that together we can tackle some of our bad spending habits.
The 14th Legislative Assembly did not know how to say no. In fact, I doubt they could even spell it, Mr. Speaker.
---Laughter
Whether we like it or not, the word "no" is going to have to be in our vocabulary. Our future is bright, our economy has never been stronger, we're moving ahead with our relationships with both the federal government and our aboriginal governments. The time is now that we as a group manage our resources and our finances much more effectively. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause