Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This budget and past budgets have been concentrating on super projects like the Deh Cho Bridge and super schools like the one in Inuvik. I believe it is time to start concentrating on the needs of our small and remote communities, Mr. Speaker. They have infrastructure needs of which I’ve been speaking for some time, like a new school in Trout Lake and reviewing the need for a new school in Nahanni Butte, increased funding for health and wellness program dollars for the smaller communities. As well, as I travelled, there were two other important issues that came up. They are housing and roads.

While I am pleased with the level of investment in housing, constituents continue to raise the issue of their arrears and have no recourse to appeal those old debts. I wasn’t very pleased that there was no mention of the appeal system that I’ve been asking for, for some time in this House, in the budget. I look forward to a resolution on that matter in this coming year.

Secondly, roads, roads, roads. This is always brought to my attention. The level of expenditures in the budget may be adequate. However, the O and M dollars must be spent and stay away from carry-overs, Mr. Speaker. We do have lots of time to plan and the government does, and I ask the government to carry out those expenditures. Highway No. 7 and Highway No. 1 to Wrigley are much travelled roads for the constituents and they often tell me that is their lifeline. That is how they make their money, and those roads are notorious because they break down so easily and I believe that the O and M has to be expended, Mr. Speaker, on a timely basis and not let our roads deteriorate. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.