Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just some general comments on the capital plan or the capital acquisition plan as a whole. The plan that is before us is the largest capital acquisition plan that this Assembly has seen to date and represents quite a substantial amount of money. I think what the red flag for me here is: who did not go through the difficult process of making difficult decisions to decide what this government could handle as far as commitments that were to be made and projects that needed to go forward? Because I think for me what the question there is: can the NWT handle this much work to be done, and can the GNWT handle this much work on the books?

I think that brings me to my next point, which is that a substantial amount of this acquisition fund, over half of this acquisition fund, is actually carry-overs from the previous year. I think this brings forward for me quite a bit of questions, one of which I put forward in a written question to the Minister. I know that the Minister might not have that information right away or at her fingertips. It makes me question: where are we lacking in capacity, or why is the government not able to get the money out the door? I think it's really important that we are able to spend money that we are holding aside for an acquisition because that is a substantial amount of money that is tied up in the capital acquisition plan that is not being able to be spent within the Northwest Territories.

Then I think of different places, like my colleague MLA from Yellowknife North was speaking about today, which is: our municipalities are screaming for money right now, and a lot of that is tied up in this acquisition fund. I think my colleague, again, from Yellowknife North mentioned that, if the GNWT all of a sudden decided not to fulfill its obligations as far as its education funding formula, what if, looking at it another way, the federal government all of a sudden decided not to fulfill its obligations to the GNWT with its territorial financing formula? I feel like what is happening with municipalities is really quite similar to that. We have laid out a formula of funding that is supposed to go to municipalities, and the GNWT is not able to fulfill that obligation. That is another concern of mine.

My third concern, Madam Chair, is the ability of the GNWT to get this money out the door. However, getting money out the door is not just about checking boxes. Getting money out the door is about making sure that we are building a strong and vibrant northern economy. It's really important that, when money is going out the door, it is benefitting northern business, it's benefitting northern residents, and that it is money that is growing our local economy, our local GDP, and, in turn, it creates people who pay for sports teams, it creates people who volunteer for the SPCA, and really ends up increasing the quality of life for all Northerners. I think that not only is my concern that this is such a huge plan but also that this money is spent locally, here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.