Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would you pay $18 for a cabbage, $55 for a whole chicken, or $80 for 12 litres of water? That's not the cost of a meal at some high-end restaurant, Mr. Speaker; that's the price of some basic foods at NWT grocery stores.

The cost of living is the biggest challenge facing Northerners. We know this, and that's why we stated as a priority in our mandate that we would lower the cost of living.

Many people who love the North but have left will tell you they just couldn't afford to stay. Wages are good for those who are working, but wage increases aren't keeping up with rising costs. The dollars slowly dwindle away year after year, not to mention that in many communities 65 per cent of the population can't find work.

We know that more people living here will increase our federal funding. The last Assembly made a pledge to grow the population, but this government has hardly mentioned it. Our population is starting to trend downward, and we are contributing to the decline by trying to meet fiscal targets.

At the same time, as we heard earlier from the Minister of Transportation, this government is considering a new airport user fee. For Yellowknifers, they face six consecutive years of power rate increases. We already feel the impact of Alberta's carbon tax at our pumps and in the stores and, like it or not, we will soon be paying a carbon tax of our own. Do you see what I mean about the dollars dwindling away?

Mr. Speaker, it's time to get serious about reducing the cost of living. It's time for real, concrete steps. We need to create more affordable housing and negotiate a new public housing plan with the federal government. That should have already started. We need to encourage more local food production and traditional harvesting. The Agricultural Strategy can't come fast enough. We must invest in alternative energy, renewable energy sources, and energy infrastructure. We must reduce our dependence on expensive diesel.

Like it or not, we must invest in critical transportation infrastructure that will drive down costs in our smaller communities while bringing jobs and opportunity for economic development. Mr. Speaker we've made this commitment. It's not re-inventing the wheel. We know what needs to be done. We must tackle the cost of living in concrete, specific ways.

It's a mandate commitment we made a year ago, Mr. Speaker, and it's time we put some of these ideas into action now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.