Mr. Speaker, not only are perspective residents turning away from our territory due to soaring housing costs that prevent them from finding a home, but we're also now losing families long rooted in our communities to a cost of living crisis that is pricing them out of the homes they've lived in for generations. For these families, leaving the North was once unimaginable but with every power bill, the uneasy reality sets in: They may no longer have a choice.

Northerners now pay nearly double the national average per kilowatt hour, prices exacerbated by the fact we consume far more electricity than those in southern provinces. While it's true the North often ranks higher on price indexes due to our vast and remote geography and challenging climate, this is no justification when we now not only pay significantly more than Yukon but have officially surpassed Nunavut to hold the unfortunate title of having the most unaffordable electricity rates in the country.

This summer I've heard again and again from constituents -- and the summer just started, Mr. Speaker -- who are looking forward to the relief from the milder weather. Usually, that relief usually brings to their pocketbooks, a time when they can unplug their vehicles and turn down the heat. Yet, despite their optimism, they've been afforded no such break. Many are still facing power bills well over $500 a month. The Minister has stated repeatedly that she has protected these families and all Northerners from steeper rate hikes, but what comfort does that offer when their bills remain unimaginable and further increases loom on the horizon? Reducing the pace of these increases isn't enough. We need lower energy prices outright otherwise, in a cruel twist of irony, the government might solve our housing shortage, not by building more homes but by triggering an exodus of Northerners in search of affordable living elsewhere. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.