Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is reflecting the budget address that we've just heard. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to be part of the Assembly's work on this, especially on the advances and the decisions that have been made on spending in the social envelope. From talking with some of the leaders in the non-government sector who were here just a few minutes ago on the break, people from the education field, from the homelessness and disabled, I think we have shown that we have a responsible piece of work in front of us.

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Mr. Speaker, on the side where we can't deliver yet is that this really is a management budget though. I'd like to think it's a good management budget. But we can't, Mr. Speaker, really start to extend our reach and be a visionary Assembly. We cannot be an Assembly that can push the envelope of development and opportunity and potential that we have, Mr. Speaker, until we see a devolution deal and a resource revenue sharing deal and a formula financing deal, as the Minister I think has so clearly pointed out in his budget. Those are the things that are holding us back. But in the meantime we have a budget that is demonstrating that we are doing, I think, a reasonably good job and effective job of managing.

Mr. Speaker, I would reflect, and I haven't quite had time to do all the math here yet, but I do reflect on the budget that this Assembly first passed back for the fiscal year 2003-2004 was just over the billion dollar neighbourhood. We are now in the $1.25 billion neighbourhood, Mr. Speaker, an increase of 25 percent in expenditures. That is quite a step for this Northwest Territories to be taking in such a short period of time. Mr. Speaker.

---Applause