Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I represent one of the second-most-expensive ridings in the Northwest Territories, next to yourself that is.

My constituents pay the most in this territory for home heating fuel, diesel and gasoline. Diesel in Tsiigehtchic, for example, is $2.05 per litre, which is subsidized, by the way. Gasoline is $1.92 per litre.

We’re actually lucky because the price went down by 12 cents. So you can imagine how much our people are paying up in the Beaufort-Delta and Mackenzie Delta.

Groceries are another thing that’s the most expensive. For one litre of milk in Tsiigehtchic, we pay $7.99. For 10 kilograms of flour, $39.99, and that’s the three communities I represent. Eggs, $6.99 for a dozen. Bacon is anywhere from $8.99 to $26 depending on what type we get. With an employment rate of 35 percent, you can tell how our people are struggling in the northern communities.

One of our priorities is to lower the cost of living. This is something that we really need to focus on within our last year here as the 17th Legislative

Assembly.

I look forward to what the government has in store and I’ll have questions later for the Minister. Thank you.