Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as some of my colleagues have spoken about today, I'd like to speak to my frustration at the federal government's budget cuts to some of the programs that are very important to the people of the Northwest Territories. I don't know what the message is that they're trying to send to us, Mr. Speaker. They want to cut money from the women's groups, youth programs, volunteerism, smoking cessation. What are they telling us? If you belong to a women's group, light up a cigarette, don't volunteer for anything, especially if it's youth programs? I fail to see where their priorities are, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

This is another good argument for the Northwest Territories on this resource revenue sharing, some of the money that leaves here. I heard it's like $1,200 by the time I finish speaking here. I mean, I didn't realize my words were worth that much. The Government of the Northwest Territories has got an opportunity here to send a message to the people of the Northwest Territories that they believe that these programs are important, by finding the money to fill in the gaps until the funding from the federal

government is restored; and if we fight hard enough, that money will be restored.

I failed to mention literacy, Mr. Speaker, but that is another important part of it. My colleague from Thebacha likes to talk about the ABCs. Well, today I want to give you another lesson on the most powerful letter in the alphabet, and that letter, Mr. Speaker, is the letter X. With one simple little letter you can change things you don't like. If you don't like the way a government is run, use the letter X and you can change it. If you don't like people or if you don't think people are qualified to be MLAs or Ministers, use that little letter. The letter X is a powerful letter. A lot of people went to war and fought so we could have the privilege of using this little letter.

So, Mr. Speaker, people across the NWT may think they're powerless sometimes, but, no, they're not. They're very, very powerful people and that power comes from one simple little letter and sometimes they should exercise that responsibility that's been given to them and use the letter X. Thank you.

---Applause