Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Braden. Committee members continue to believe consideration of such legislation is needed because of increased accountability expectations of government. Consequently, there is need to shield those who expose or challenge breaches of conduct or impropriety in government. The committee has repeatedly asked the current government to start the consultation process by releasing a public discussion paper on whistle-blower legislation.

Review Of The Liquor Act

This was another early objective of the 15th Assembly, and is an issue that has eluded several previous Assemblies. The committee looks forward to introduction and consideration of a new Liquor Act later this year.

Reduction Of The Infrastructure Deficit

Years of fiscal restraint have left the NWT seriously behind in renewing and expanding our system of housing, roads, buildings, technology and other public infrastructure. Many communities are lacking facilities, while many existing public buildings are in serious disrepair. The committee has looked into capital investment needs at all levels and is pleased to see the amount of both GNWT resources and new federal funding directed to capital projects during the 15th Assembly. Housing, community infrastructure, specialized medical facilities such as dementia care, and modern court facilities remain high priorities.

Support For Front-Line Organizations

During its 2005 and 2006 pre-budget consultations, the committee received presentations from front-line organizations in several communities raising concerns about the level of support they are receiving from government. Staffing is an especially acute problem for non-governmental organizations and will rise to crisis level if they continue to lack the resources to offer competitive wages and benefits in order to recruit and retain qualified staff.

The committee understands that the government is developing and implementing new funding criteria and approaches for frontline organizations. Given the urgency of the situation, we believe the government needs to move faster, and we will continue to push for them to do so.

Energy And Cost Of Living

Although northerners have long struggled with a high cost of living, we saw the pressure on residents, businesses, organizations and government increase substantially during the 15th Assembly, as energy prices continued their dramatic climb.

Not surprisingly, the cost of living was one of the most frequently mentioned topics during our 2005 pre-budget consultations. At our request, the government provided detailed presentations on energy and cost of living measures to the committee in public meetings in late 2005 and early 2006. We made the cost of living the theme of our 2006 pre-budget consultations. Our report on those consultations, presented in October 2006, included a specific recommendation for the GNWT to bring forward a proposal for an energy efficiency loan program to provide interest-free loans to assist homeowners to finance upgrades that will reduce their overall energy consumption costs.

We look forward to the government's response to our recommendation for an energy efficiency loan program, and to seeing the results of the government's continued work on an Energy Strategy and the cost of living.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to pass this on to my colleague from Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.