Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the track record of this government when it comes to spending. Prior to division in 1999, the entire Northwest Territories had an annual budget of just over a billion dollars. It only took us five years as a stand-alone territory to increase spending back to over a billion dollars in 2004-05. Five short years to increase spending by over half a billion dollars.

In 2006-07, our spending habits remain alarmingly high. This year, we are set to spend a record $1.1 billion, and I would equate our current government's spending habits to an out-of-control locomotive that just keeps steaming ahead.

The two-and-a-half years I've been a Member of this Legislature, I have not seen one initiative designed or brought about to effect any substantive cost savings. Saving money remains a foreign concept to the Government of the Northwest Territories. They seem to only know how to spend money and not to save it, Mr. Speaker. Efficiency and effectiveness are two things that government should always try and achieve, and the GNWT always seems to think that achieving effectiveness and efficiency means spending more money.

One hundred forty-seven new positions in this budget alone. We currently spend approximately $440 million on our 4,500 employees; soon to be 4,657 and counting. Forty-three percent of our spending is immediately taken up by salaries and benefits. I know the government does not have an overall plan, nor do they pay the least bit of attention to the out-of-control growth of government.

We need a plan, Mr. Speaker, a strategy, a concept, or some type of idea on how this type of growth can be sustainable over the long run. In my estimation, forced growth brought on by increases in the collective agreements with our unions will cost us an additional $60 million over the next three years. Where are we going to get this money from? I would suggest that the Finance Minister may need to take up farming, as in money trees, Mr. Speaker, to balance our books. Any opportunity I've seen to cut costs and get more money for things like day cares, treatment centres, schools, et cetera, is never taken. The government has absolutely convinced itself that it has to let the tail wag the dog, and meanwhile our people are demanding more, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause