Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we are unable to afford to put positions like this in each region or community. It's felt that through this position within Finance and tied already to the Bureau of Stats that works with the gathering of the information from all communities in the North in all areas, whether it's the economic side or the health status side. That's why this position is required. This position will help with putting together and building plans so that we can be better prepared for the community impacts that will be felt by this, not just at a territorial level but regional level right down to the community impacts. That's the work required now for being better prepared. That's why it's felt that this position is required at this time so that we can build those cases and get the information, so the departments can be prepared, whether it is to put it into their business plan process for coming forward to request more money to spend in their areas where the impacts would be in the communities. As well, on a territorial side when we deal with the federal government, we need to have the best information possible, so that we can build our business case and show that the impacts of the North are being felt even though it looks like we are doing great up here in the Northwest Territories because of all the development.

On the other side of it, we don't get the same treatment on the funding side or pay day at the end of this process, so we are spending up front. So this position is required at this time and would help build a case in dealing with the impacts that communities are feeling. It's the front end of what's going to be happening.

Initially when the supps in this area started coming forward, it added up to much more in requests, but we felt that it wasn't possible at this time and it was better to build some of this into the business plan, and that's what they have been directed to do. We felt that these were the critical areas that needed to be moved on, and brought it forward through a supplementary appropriation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.