Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank God for the federal government. I heard earlier today the Premier say that we have received over $120 million from the federal government in COVID support. I think that number would also be dwarfed by the amount of money we have seen the federal government dish out and serve through EI and through CanNor. There is no doubt that the federal government has kept our economy running. However, Mr. Speaker, early on in this pandemic, we heard talks of an Emerge Stronger Plan, a plan of what the GNWT was going to do to recover from this economic crisis. In fact, our newly instituted Business Advisory Council stated they are going to cease its regular meetings because they do not feel that economic recovery was a focus of this current Executive Council.

Mr. Speaker, I believe this Cabinet has been handed a free pass to do whatever it wants. During times of crisis, we have seen many policies fly through, and I do not believe there is the coordination to oppose them. This is a time of political opportunity, and I encourage this Cabinet to seize it, Mr. Speaker, so what are they going to do? Perhaps we realize it's time for a basic income and that many of our residents who have been stuck on income assistance for decades are in a welfare trap. Perhaps we're going to release a universal daycare plan for the next year, recognizing that, in getting women into the workforce, the number one barrier is childcare.

I don't know what we're going to do, Mr. Speaker, because we don't have a plan. There is a lot of debate about what can be in a plan. Maybe it is tax incentives. Maybe it's deferring BDIC and WSCC payments. There are a number of recommendations from our Chambers of Commerce, our Business Advisory Council, but the fact that we do not have a plan is a problem and it is undebatable that we should.

Mr. Speaker, the Business Advisory Council, before it ceased operations, conducted a strategic planning session. In that were many great ideas about building a green economy, about creating a school of mining. There are lots of ways to go. There are tough decisions to be made, but those decisions have to be made. When will this Cabinet present its plan for economic recovery and what is going to be in it? Because, absent that plan, we will continue to be funded and controlled by the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.