Monsieur le President, as the 18^th Legislative Assembly enters the final year of its term, it is important to take stock of the state of affairs here in the Northwest Territories and the well-being of the people who elected us to serve them as decision makers and representatives.

Since taking office in 2015, the public has been led to believe by the Premier and Cabinet that the NWT is securely on the right path to a prosperous future. GNWT press releases and Ministerial talking points repeatedly insist that our fortunes continue to grow, despite significant evidence to the contrary.

Following current trends and measures, real economic growth is forecast to fall almost every year well into the 2030s. Unemployment is set to rise in the Northwest Territories, while wages are not expected to keep pace with inflation over that same period. As more and more Northerners move elsewhere to live and work, many homeowners are concerned as to the security of their investments and savings locked away in their homes.

Average working families are increasingly unable to make ends meet and, according to a report on NWT food insecurity and poverty, more and more families are becoming reliant on food donations. The rates of police-reported crime and the Crime Severity Index have reached record highs. In fact, we are number one, Mr. Speaker, in Canada, according to the most recent statistics released in 2017.

Despite these hard facts, the leadership of this government continues to dodge questions and avoid taking responsibility for the very real problems that demand real solutions. For example, recent media reporting on poverty in the Northwest Territories pressed a Minister of this government on the aforementioned statistics, and the response was all-too familiar, referencing of "strategies," "partnership," and the need "to see data over time."

Mr. Speaker, the data the Minister referred to is readily available through the poverty indicators from the NWT Bureau of Statistics, going back all the way to 1984. Income assistance cases have increased 23 per cent from 2009 to 2016. Mr. Speaker, there is sufficient data, and yet we are hearing the same delay tactics that we have always heard.

According to a recent plan review, only 37 per cent of mandate commitments can be considered substantially complete, with one department having zero mandate commitments after three years into our term. This government cannot continue to dodge questions and avoid responsibility when decisive leadership is required to meet the challenges of today and lead us into a stronger and more secure future.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier about his leadership over this government. Thank you.