Thank you, Madam Chair. In regards to Bill 60, the heating fuel and the gas over the last heating fuel and the diesel, gasoline has gone up in Nunakput. Heating fuel is up 25 percent. For automotive is 24. Gasoline is an average 12 percent. It's gone up to $2.75. Madam Chair, it's a rippling effect across my riding. Food prices are going up. We can't afford to buy food. Nunakput has the highest food price index in the Northwest Territories. Over 50 percent in Nunakput are worried about having enough money to buy food, and almost half the residents in Nunakput are worried that they don't have enough money to feed their families at any -- all the time or very often. We have to hunt, hunt to eat, Madam Chair. 67 percent of households in Nunakput eat country food. And if you're buying gasoline at $2.75 a litre, you have to get something on that hunt. If you don't, you're going hungry. We have a -- the price of power continues to go up across the Northwest Territories, which affects my riding. The power in Nunakput riding is among the highest rates in the Northwest Territories. For example, Sachs Harbour pays $2.37 a kilowatt.

Madam Chair, for the housing, you know, the insufficient housing that's built poorly, leaking energy, residents have to pay for poorly built public housing units that are 30 plus years or older. Also with that, approximately 8 percent of housings need in the region. Housing NWT will never renovate units fast enough to keep the housing problems at a minimum. 30 percent of the homes in Nunakput are overcrowded.

The inflation across Canada is at an all-time high, Madam Chair. The NWT has inflation, is higher than Canada at 7 percent. And going this way, where we have issues providing service already, why can't we do the federal backstop? I'd rather do it federally because I don't -- I don't trust -- in regards, I don't trust Bill 60 going into the government's hands in regards to what we're going to do and what's coming forward.

Nunakput has the highest cost difference in the NWT. 18 percent of the people in Nunakput are considered to live under low income. Nunakput has over -- is $50,000 below average on family income but the NWT's price of all goods and services in our region is the highest. We have to pay for where we live, Madam Chair. 10 percent of the families in Nunakput are less than $30,000 a year. 344 people in Nunakput live in income assistance, which is 17 percent. And I know that's higher. There are little employment opportunities in my riding since that moratorium hit and that M18 has gone into review from the federal government. We're resource rich and cash poor.

Impact to Nunakput communities on Bill 60, Madam Chair, the estimated total house carbon tax burden for the Nunakput residents is $899 plus, for 2023-2024. The people in Nunakput are already -- can barely buy food for the table, find employment, earn income, pay heat and power and housing. How can we tax people who have nothing?

The residents shouldn't be penalized for where we live, Madam Chair. The GNWT is not going to provide enough offsets, cost of living offset, the right direction? No. Madam Chair, this has to be sorted out. We should not support Bill 60. It's going to -- a rippling effect across the territory. It's going to be a rippling effect for all residents. Ottawa and the GNWT is looking out -- is not looking for the Beaufort Delta and Nunakput communities, Madam Chair. Ottawa is squeezing us financially with the tax while it imposes the moratorium and blocks resource development. The GNWT is doing Ottawa's dirty work, Madam Chair. If Ottawa insists on this tax, they should impose the tax that they thought and do the backstop. The GNWT isn't taking a meaningful role with this side of the House to try to work with us to get this done so I'm in total -- I'm in total disbelief in regards to why are we doing this? Why are we going to have more taxes on our people that have nothing? We have no jobs. It's just really disheartening. We're here to make a difference and put our people first. That's who we work for across the territory, and we're not. They're going to tow the Cabinet line; do the federal government's dirty work. Ain't going to happen. Whoever supports this bill, Madam Chair, they're not doing it for the right reason. They should be -- the right reasons is standing up for their people, their constituents that they represent, and not have this extra tax and extra burden on the families that are having a tough time. People are going hungry. People are not being able to pay bills. They're having to choose what to pay. This is not right. Our territory should be doing better.

Madam Chair, this bill will impact all residents, especially those in small communities in the High Arctic who already face the highest cost of living. Madam Chair, I oppose this bill, and I encourage everyone who's concerned about this, rising cost and living impacts of Bill 60, to talk to your MLA. And once this comes to the floor of the House, Madam Chair, everybody's going to have to answer for this to their constituents on why you supported Bill 60. I really -- I'm hoping that our Cabinet and this side of the House vote for the empathy for the people of the Northwest Territories and let the federal government do their own dirty work and so where we could be able to try to live a little bit.

And in regards to our moratorium, that's got to be lifted. We never used to have to worry about work in my riding. We always had work. We always had oil and gas but we're not -- we're not green. All the green projects, look at your windmill. They give us solar panels. Man, we're dark six months of the year, how does that help us? Nothing. Doesn't help. But here you could make a difference and stand up to Ottawa and tell them to do their job. Right now. We have to stand up. And I can't say this enough - stand up for your constituents, Members. Don't support Bill 60 because you're going to have to answer to your constituents when it's time for election. So Bill 60, please, let's kill Bill 60 and send it back to the federal government for the backstop and then we'll go from there, and we'll work together in regards to try to do better things instead of arguing in the House over something like this when the federal government should be taking full responsibility of it. Thank you, Madam Chair.