Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to speak about the elders in our society, Mr. Speaker. As we are all aware, the number of elders in the NWT is steadily increasing. We are realizing the benefits the elders and seniors are contributing to our society as volunteers and for which they do not seek any fiscal or monetary returns for their contributions which are quite great.

Mr. Speaker, the NWT Seniors' Society will be meeting later on this week with some of the Members and attending a luncheon in the Legislative Assembly's Great Hall to socialize with government representatives to address some of the collective concerns such as issues on taxation, active living, medical assistance and other issues that the elders should be continually revisiting year after year with this government.

Mr. Speaker, we all seem to acknowledge the growing importance of seniors to ensuring the success of many programs and services of this government. We almost seem to overlook and under fund the essential programs and services that seniors depend on every day and rely on more and more as time goes on. I hope that we can, in this new budget, give more consideration for the true value of the work that seniors do for society which often goes unnoticed and unacknowledged by this government. Mr. Speaker, I hope that this government in the 15th Legislative Assembly will address some of the ongoing concerns that these seniors are going to be bringing to this House in the coming weeks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.