Thank you, Madam Chair. The mandate was to develop Cabinet-based priorities to be set by all 19 Legislative Members. It sets out what the government intends to do during its term to achieve these priorities. I will have comments on individual priorities and move through them page by page. However, first, comments to the mandate and in general.

Madam Chair, the Legislature of Ontario governs 14 million people, roughly, for every MP. For 115,000 people, Legislature of Alberta, just 4 million people, roughly. For one MLA for 49,000 people, it governs that we have a population of 44,500 people, meaning that one MLA serves 2300 people roughly. Why does that matter? Because not governing tens of thousands of faceless people that we will never meet and governing our friends, families, and our neighbours, that gives us a unique opportunity to govern the compassion and respect. We know the people are doing that are directly impacted in decisions that are made in this House. It makes a huge difference in responsibility on all of us.

To do better for the people we know, love, we've been doing in the past. The GNWT budget is nearing $2 billion. It's such a big number. People can't even imagine how much money that is. It's like 2,000 million dollars when you look at it. That means territorial government is big business in the NWT. The government has all the responsibilities of provincial government to provide education, healthcare, social programs, and infrastructure. We have added challenge in delivering these programs. These services are in small and remote communities, scattered in a large land mass. This increases the costs of everything: food, building materials, wages, gas, power, you name it. The North costs more.

Given this reality, it makes sense the territorial government must spend carefully to keep an eye on the bottom line, however, prioritizing the bottom line has been ingrained in generations of public servants over the past 50 years, and it has deeply affected the corporate culture of the NWT. I believe the GNWT public servants, from deputy ministers to front-line staff, are expected to act as gatekeepers, controlling the public access to government services, to protect the public purse. The outcome is corporate culture. Members of the public often encounter attitude and resistance seeking access to government programs and services. They feel that they are being judged or feel unworthy of the jobs and support of the programs offered by the GNWT. What does this mandate have? Simple, we do things that are important to us. The Premier and the Cabinet have made a pledge to do things differently. In evidence, I grant, they're still early days. I believe what is needed is a dramatic change in how the GNWT responds and serves. The government needs to radically alter the corporate culture and focus on client-centred service. It also needs to rethink and prioritize the regional centres over smaller communities.

In implementing this mandate, I want the GNWT to put the "service" back into the public service. What I mean by this is I want a more client-oriented approach. I'd like every public servant empowered to support and serve the people of the NWT, no matter what the needs are. I want to see public service training and front-line staff. I want to see more of our people becoming employees and senior managers and more travel from senior managers into our communities so they can know and understand the challenges that are facing our people, who they work for. What I see, Madam Chair, is attitude, a service where the government and employees, when they come to work in the morning, they should be saying, "How could I help the people today in the Northwest Territories?" instead of thinking, "How can I protect the bottom line of the government purse?" I'm suggesting that we're not being fiscally prudent. We do, but employees need to be taught the ethic of service of the people, not the judgment of them.

Before I close my general remarks, I want to point out what is important. The government must recognize that the focus of past governments on big infrastructure projects has come at a cost. It has taken time, attention, and resources away from things that are needed in people's everyday lives: adequate housing, jobs, good schools, quality health, and financial support of the most needy among us. In delivering this mandate, these are things that matter most to the people. We must not forget that.

What matters most to the people in my riding of Nunakput is jobs, decent housing, adequate funding for the community government, dealing with shoreline erosion, affordable taxes. When I look at the successes and failures of our government in delivering this mandate, I'll be looking to see improvements in these areas, real, meaningful, and tangible improvements in the lives of the constituents that we serve. Thank you, Madam Chair.