Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to make some comments in terms of the capital estimates for 2017-2018. The process that we saw -- this has been my fifth year in terms of at least being a witness of having the departments and the committee work together in terms of the budget process regarding the capital estimates. We're proposing to commit $331 million estimated in spending for communities throughout the NWT. Now, one thing that I wanted to express is just a concern of the process that we experience, and it's left me to say that I know it's a bit presumptuous to act as if we have already concluded the amalgamation of two departments or a series of departments and that any department has been formed.

While I have concerns, I mean I am encouraged by some ongoing initiatives in terms of tourism, at the same time there's initiatives towards ensuring that transportation projects will continue at the same time. We know there are initiatives towards housing, especially in regards to another reserve in terms of jurisdictions. There's been challenges in terms of trying to get the consensus in terms of trying to move forward to bring housing to the reserve. There's still of course in the riding that I represent the need for basic recreational services in terms of perhaps the contemplation of an arena on the reserve or perhaps elderly care facilities that we still need to see in terms of addressing the whole matter of aging senior population in terms of looking at the baseline infrastructure.

At the same time there's still fundamental need for schools in our small communities and, of course, basic infrastructure, services that we expect to be in small communities. An example is water treatment plants. So those are just some of the comments that I wanted to make. Mahsi.