Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Welcome back, colleagues, to the third session of the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, closing our 2017-2018 fiscal gives me great pleasure on several reflecting highlights of this past achievement, with events being carried forward.
Mr. Speaker, to point out the highlights and share with our listening audiences:
• the Government of Canada announced $182 billion over 12 years of infrastructure growth, and $40 billion to support national housing strategy;
• the Government of the Northwest Territories Marine Transportation Services' first year of summer operations for many and servicing four of the Sahtu communities;
• the NWT Housing Corporation "Voices on Housing," providing core need per community assessments, strategic programming renewal;
• the devolution implementation to updating the Mineral Resources Act mirrored legislation;
• the fulfilling job opportunities and connecting our remote communities to the resource access with the recent Whati all-weather road procurement announcement;
• also, the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk road completion and celebrations of November.
Mr. Speaker, the foundation of the Northwest Territories economy is resource development. With the diminishing road utilization, simply attributable to Mother Nature and her vengeance through climate change, seasonal communities have their lifeline to southern groceries, supplies, and staples significantly shortened. A coincident reality translates to higher prices and critical lack of inventories for simple day-to-day needs.
Infrastructure development is a major solution, while subsidies as providers, however, can only be viewed as interim. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I look forward to the implementation of both our governments on infrastructure developments, and more specifically, the distribution of resources under the National Infrastructure Program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.