Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up on questions from my colleague for the Deh Cho last Friday, on the cost on agriculture. The cost of transportation is a major part of nutritious food costs in our communities. By cutting transportation costs, we cut a big and an unnecessary element of the cost. Local food production is clearly the answer.

My question for the Minister of ITI is: Given the community gardens and programs for commercial agriculture expansion and start-up are helpful beginnings, what are the Minister’s immediate plans for building on this success, putting needed jobs in the communities through agriculture and reducing the cost of living? Mahsi.