Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just briefly, I think climate change is a crucial issue, not just for us here in the Northwest Territories but for Canada and the world. In fact, perhaps more so for Northerners, we've been combatting or struggling with low water levels; increased forest fires; we've seen new species entering the Northwest Territories; rising sea levels and coastal erosion; and, of course, our economy is dependent on ice roads which are increasingly seeing degrees of fluctuation, unprecedented degrees of fluctuation.
Thankfully, this department and the government as a whole have placed a high degree of emphasis on gathering the scientific knowledge necessary to make a difference on combating the worst effects of climate change. I think they should be commended for that. The North is and should continue to be a leader on informing Canada's response to climate change and our government has a very important leadership role to play in that.
That being said, I share my colleague's, the honourable Member from Frame Lake's concerns about cutting capacity to address these problems accurately. In a post-devolution context, we now have the tools available to us to be masters of our own domain, to quote a historic phrase, and start to be more proactive in creating our own unique northern solutions.
I hope the department continues to work on these issues and continues to be a leader in climate change and certainly does not underestimate this very important priority for both our residents and people across the country and the world. Thank you.