Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, with regard to the overall budget, there’s a lot of good things in it, but I think we’re losing sight of the reason why governments exist and operate is to provide services to its residents. For myself, that’s one area that I feel that is lacking with regard to this budget. We’ve done a lot of focus around infrastructure, we’ve done a lot of focus around building capacity for governments, government departments, large-scale projects, whether it’s the Deh Cho Bridge or looking at the Taltson project.

Again, I think that fundamentals for government and government responsibilities to providing services

and something this government should seriously look at is what were the programs being provided prior to division to what programs and services are being provided today. I think it will definitely show that we have seen a decline in programs and services, especially in the smaller communities and an increase in programs and services in the larger communities. I think it’s pretty clear to see that from the allocations to the communities based on the distribution of services based on per capita has declined in those smaller communities compared to 1998-99 to where we are today.

I think, if anything, myself, I see that without having healthy, vibrant communities that are socially and economically viable to sustain themselves and also providing programs and services so that people do feel safe, secure and have assurances that their health and well-being is being taken into consideration and that those services are being provided, we will see a decrease of student attendance, a decrease in regards to health and social statistic with regard to diabetes, cancers, those ailments which could be preventable if the government focussed on sustainable communities.

I think it’s also important to relay that this government has to quit passing the buck with regard to saying it’s not up to us, it’s up to a health board, up to an education board. The Ministers of those departments have sole responsibility to ensure programs and services are being delivered and if they’re not being delivered, that you take steps to remedy the situation or take those dollars back from those particular agencies and ensure that those programs are administered through a different mechanism. I know there were discussions earlier on with regard to board reform and the more I think about it, that’s probably the way we should go.