Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the cost of living in the north is a significant obstacle to the growth we are trying to achieve as a territory. Yellowknife is our capital city, home to half of the NWT's residents. Yet those 50 per cent of NWT citizens are asked to carry an even higher burden than other residents most of the time. In two short years as an MLA, I have learned a lot about the various things that drive up the cost of living here in Yellowknife.

The Alberta carbon tax has put increased costs on all goods transported into the territory. Our own forthcoming carbon tax will increase that even more.

It now costs more to fly in and out of Yellowknife airport due to new landing fees.

The Power Corporation has increased its rates by 33 per cent over the last six years, with another 4 per cent coming this year. Mr. Speaker, that's nearly 40 per cent in seven years.

Lease fees and permit fees for lands have gone up in some instances by over 100 per cent, and now the government wants to add a new land transfer tax on people buying homes.

Mr. Speaker, I know the cost of living in the small communities is higher than in Yellowknife, but Yellowknife residents pay more to subsidize people in those communities. Maybe that is unavoidable; maybe that is our duty as the capital city.

How long can this trend continue, Mr. Speaker? The government has the intention of increasing our population by 2,000, but why would they come here?

We know that our biggest private sector employers, the diamond mines, fly workers in from away. Workers could live here, but they choose not to because it's too expensive.

Now, Mr. Speaker, our own government is proposing a tax that will punish Yellowknifers even more for choosing to live here, for making a commitment to live in the North. A land transfer tax will disproportionately punish Yellowknifers for deciding to commit to living, working, and raising their families here.

That their own government, our government, would consider a new tax on the residents of the NWT, Mr. Speaker, that is just unfair, and it does not serve our mandate commitments for economic growth.

It is especially disheartening to hear from a resident who has decided, after years of living here, the he must uproot his family and move away, specifically because of how much it costs to live here. I got that email just last week, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, a land transfer tax will punish the very residents this government is committed to keeping in the North, and it will punish our government by reducing federal transfer funding. Mr. Speaker, it's a bad idea, and it should not go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.