Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance. Yesterday I spoke about the high cost of home heating oil and its impact on the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories. Today I’d like to ask him some questions again related to the cost of living here in the Northwest Territories. Is there anything that prohibits the Government of the Northwest Territories from amending its tax legislation to include a tax credit for interest paid on mortgages -- something similar to the benefit that was proposed by the Clark administration in 1979 -- that is...

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Minister.

Page 9-40, detail of funding allocated to education authorities. Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Dent.

Total grants and contributions, $30.207 million.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Just a comment. Thank you. Total infrastructure contributions, $70,000.

Mr. Speaker, even with the relatively low interest rates of today, a Northwest Territories resident purchasing a $250,000 home still pays anywhere between $10,000 to $14,000 a year in interest for the first 10 years of their mortgage. Mr. Speaker, the cost of living, especially housing costs, is so high in the North that individuals employed in the diamond mining sector often prefer to purchase a home for their family in the South and commute. We spend a fortune attracting professionals north, only to have them return south after a couple of years.

This government needs to be looking at...

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mrs. Groenewegen.