Thank you, Madam Chair. A lot of comments there, but I appreciate them all coming forward as well because, you know, I first of all want to touch on AFN and when I first got the portfolio that, you know, there was some talk amongst AFN but they didn't recognize anything north of 60. So that conversation did not contribute to the Northwest Territories and what we needed up here in the territory. And also I want to compare us to Nunavut is that, yes, we do see the major plan that they do have out there but it doesn't come with any funding. You know, it's a plan that's out there, it looks great, but here in the Northwest Territories we're very unique. We have settled land claim areas. We have non-settled land claim areas. We've got Indigenous governments that are in negotiations. We don't represent as one where Nunavut represents as one. And when we're having the conversation, there is 17 Indigenous groups that are having the same conversation that we are with really different significant needs and building in different climates. What we're building in Nunakput is not going to be what we're going to be building in Nahendeh, you know, and what we're going to be delivering in the Sahtu is not going to be in a timely manner as what's being delivered in Hay River.

You know, we're up against a lot of challenges here in the North. And looking at our success, we had over $500 million coming to the Indigenous governments through the distinction-based funding that the Indigenous governments are front and centre. They are putting their land claim agreements to work. They are recognizing their self-government agreements. And us as housing, we're sitting there side-by-side as a partner, not to compete with them but to give them our expertise. This is what we build; this is how we build; and these are the changes that we've made.

And right now, our energy plan is out there for consultation for the next two weeks, and that is something that is quite important to the portfolio. And I also want to recognize that we never had a replenishment of public housing units in four decades. Four decades, Madam Chair. You know, we've administered the same public housing units. And we needed the federal government to recognize that we need a replenishment. And I see that Housing NWT and the staff have made significant progress. And also the partnership of meeting with Indigenous governments, we're more welcome to the table than looked at as if what is it that you want now. You know, and I see a lot of our negotiated contracts that are going out.

Communities are building on behalf of their own communities. They're creating the employment. The money is staying in the North. So I see the progress that we have made. And our vision and mission, we've updated that this year as well too. So there's been a lot of work but it doesn't say that it's going to stop. But we still open those conversations and whatever. And I do have a scheduled meeting as well too with the Minister of Housing for Nunavut as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.