Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to recognize a few members of the team that we've recently brought on. Our new principal secretary, Dr. Joe Dragon; the deputy secretary, Kyla Kakfwi Scott; and Fredrick Bergeron, the executive administrative coordinator in the principal secretary's office.

I also want to recognize Mr. Tony Whitford, former Member, former Minister, former Speaker, Commissioner, sergeant-at-arms. We're always happy to see him in the gallery.

Another former colleague, Mr. Jackson Lafferty, of course the Tlicho grand chief, former Member, former Minister, and former Speaker when I was Deputy Speaker. So I appreciate all of the support he's given me in that role.

Another former Member and former colleague and my father, Mr. Rocky Simpson; I want to recognize him as well. As well he's with Richard Skinner from GRC Camp Services. And, of course, my spouse Chantel Lafferty. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my constituent, His Worship mayor of Inuvik Clarence Wood. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Mr. Rocky Simpson, constituent of mine, and Chantel Lafferty, resident of Hay River. Also Clarence Wood who I sat on the NWTAC board for a number of years with. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Reports of committee on the review of bills. Reports of standing and special committees. Returns to oral questions. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my first question today will be focused to the Premier. It's been approximately three months and 20 days, or in other words a way of looking at it it's been about 113 days since the election was called. And the reason I define it that way is the public service hasn't had a direction from its leadership, its mandates, that I'm aware of. Now that said, one of the issues that the Premier does in their role is issue mandate statements. I'd like to ask the Premier has he issued ministerial mandate letters to the departments. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, we have no priorities as an Assembly yet. The choice was made by the 19 Members in this House to extend the priority setting exercise, and so we haven't even set those priorities yet. So I don't think it would be appropriate to task the Ministers with achieving something over the next four years without knowing what the priorities of the Assembly are. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, then there lies the question what direction is being given to the public service for the last three months and 20 days? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So similar to the election period where the public service still continues to exist despite the Cabinet not being active in providing direction, the public service continues to do their work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if Cabinet's not actively doing their job, what are they doing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you that when you're a Cabinet Minister, it's a four-year work week. So we're busy. Thank you.

Member for Yellowknife Centre. Last supplemental.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to ask the Premier when he finishes drafting the letters, will he share them with Members, and will he table them before the House? Thank you.

Of course. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on November 8th of last year, the federal government exempted home heating fuel as part of their carbon pricing regime for three years. The NWT has not made those changes yet but has made public statements committing to that. Can the Minister of Finance tell us will home heating fuel be exempt. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, home heating fuel will also be exempt in the Northwest Territories as it is now being allowed by the federal government for us to do so. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you to the Minister. I'm just wondering why it's taken so long to get to this point after the decision was made by the federal government. Can the Minister clarify what has taken us to this time? Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm certainly alive, as is everyone else in this territory, about the high costs associated with being in the North, the high cost of fuel, but specific to the carbon tax we are exempting the heating oil cost of carbon tax. It's taken this long for a couple of reasons, Mr. Speaker. First of all, people who are using propane or who are using LNG, other forms of fuel, they are not seeking any other kind of exemption to the carbon tax, so we wanted to make sure that we took that into consideration, and we took into consideration the impacts on revenues before seeing how this whole thing might roll out. We want to maintain as much fairness and equity in the system for residents in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.