Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to use my Member's statement today to speak on parts of the budget that I heard Minister Roland present before us. I am pleased to see that there is more money going into student support. I think that is a good move that we have to continue to encourage our students, especially with the students that are going to school up North as opposed to going to school down South where there is a different cost of living. That is a good move and, hopefully, a lot of that money comes to the students that are going to school up here.

I am pleased to see the money going into the Language and Cultural Instructor Program. I think that is also another good move. The money for hiring apprentices, I think, with all the opportunity that is coming down, it is good to see more money going into hiring apprentices so they can be used on the pipeline when that goes ahead. I am always pleased to see money going into fur harvesters, people that continue to try and live a traditional lifestyle. I have always been a big supporter of that.

If you look at a map of the Northwest Territories and there are a lot of dots where each community is, and we talk about connecting the NWT and connecting the dots but we don't seem to do it. I was surprised to hear that not one kilometre of road has been built since 1987. I mean

four months, that should be long enough to do one kilometre.

---Laughter

It just blows me away, Mr. Speaker, that, as was mentioned in the budget address, $923 million in the past five years has gone to Ottawa. We need a highway to connect the NWT, $700 million, we would have $223 million change left over. It is a real injustice to the people of the Northwest Territories that we have to go to Ottawa to beg for our own money. That is not acceptable.

I am pleased to see a little stronger tone being taken in the last two budget addresses as to trying to go after the money from Ottawa that rightfully belongs here and we all know it. They continue to control the purse strings and we have to go begging for what is rightfully ours. Mr. Speaker, I am frustrated with this. I think the leadership across the Northwest Territories should be frustrated with it and try and unite and go down there and get a deal that will work for everyone. Then we can come back in the Northwest Territories and bicker amongst ourselves as to how we are going to divide it. But first we have to get the money, because $923 million over five years is not acceptable, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am told that the federal government does pay attention to what is said in this Assembly so I just want to add my reaction and my initial response to the budget delivered by the Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, obviously the first part of the budget has to do with doing the best we can within the money we have. I think it was a very good job; however, this is without knowing the certainty of what is to come and I guess a lot will be, hopefully, revealed to us in the next upcoming budget of the federal government. So this budget is dealing with the status quo. However, the focus on this budget is really on the latter part, which has to do with the glaring missing piece and that is the important role the federal government has to play in our political, fiscal and economic future. Certainly, Mr. Speaker, I believe this is an opportunity for the new Conservative, or old new Conservative government, a year-old Conservative government. This is an opportunity for them to do something on triple files we have, which is on devolution, resource revenue sharing and fiscal responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has worn out the phrase that they have done more in one year than the previous government did in 13 years, but I say to them, not so fast, Mr. Harper. As the new NWT tourism slogan says, look up, Mr. Harper, way up north. Look way up north and this is where the actions are at, where the real action is. If you want to be remembered as the greatest Prime Minister that ever lived, there is a lot of work here for you to do. The first thing you might want to do is read the budget address today.

Mr. Speaker, I want the federal government to know once again that this is where the great questions of our time are converging and where we can really find the right answers for. This is where the largest resource development projects in the world-class scale in oil and gas development, hydro projects, meet the biggest environmental questions of our time. That is a challenge, but it is an opportunity for Mr. Harper to really make a difference. This is also where the rural and urban balance can be really tested and won. This is where the aboriginal people and non-aboriginal people as equal and strong partners could truly be the masters of our own future. Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to finish my statement?

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I do believe this is where the leadership around this table and the leadership that we have in the North could really truly work together with the federal government to make this happen. I believe that the Minister of Finance has done a fine job in presenting our case for the second time in a row, as Mr. McLeod has already suggested. I think we have presented our case. I await, along with everybody else, the response from the federal government, breathlessly. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Members' statements. Reports of standing and special committees. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two people in the gallery today. Darrell Beaulieau, the CEO for Denendeh Development Corporation and Margaret Gorman, chief financial officer for the same corporation. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't often get to recognize people in the House, but today I have the special pleasure of recognizing my wife, Shawna, and two of my sons, Samuel and Mitchell. As well, I would like to recognize the president of the UNW, Mr. Todd Parsons.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize someone we don't always see here that I just noticed, Chief Charlie Furlong from Aklavik and our very own Hilda Camirand who is taking some time out and can watch us from the gallery. Also, I would like to

recognize the strong woman social advocacy in our community, Arlene Hache and Lydia Bardak. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a respected senior who is often with us, Mr. Ed Jeske. He is accompanied by Vivian Squires, who is the executive director of the Yellowknife Seniors' Society. I would also like to recognize a constituent, Ms. Barb Wyness, who is with Todd Parsons from the UNW.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize all of the guests we have in the audience here today, a special budget day and one that hasn't been recognized yet, Mr. Mark Bogan, who is an advocate for fathers' rights and equal shared parenting, who is with us today. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize Chief Charlie Furlong from Aklavik who is also the chief negotiator on the self-government table for the Gwich'in, so welcome, Charlie.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

On a budget day that I think will long be remembered as a good day for homelessness, I want to recognize also Lydia Bardak and Arlene Hache, members of the Homelessness Coalition. As well, in my capacity as Minister of ITI, I had the pleasure of dealing with Darrell Beaulieau as the chair of BDIC. I want to recognize him. Thank you.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize some of the folks in the gallery, constituents Mark Bogan and from the Union of Northern Workers, the president Todd Parsons.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of friends in the gallery today, but I would like to make special mention to just a couple, although they know I would like to recognize them all, but this time I would like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, one of our special seniors in Yellowknife Centre, he is also shepherded by Vivian Squires with the YK Seniors and Mr. Jeff Corradetti who is sitting right in the front who is taking a keen interest in the transportation issues as well as the Legislature as a whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Legislative Assembly. It is always nice to have an audience. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.