Mr. Speaker, the role of a Member of the Legislative Assembly is not confined to sittings of this House and work on committees. An equally important aspect of this job is helping address our constituents' concerns by helping them access government services and programs.

Mr. Speaker, it should come as no surprise that my constituents are my first priority, something I share with the honourable Members of this House. Since the election, I have constantly worked to assist Kam Lakers with the challenges they face in their everyday lives, and, when it comes to these issues, Mr. Speaker, there is no...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all support youth. I think everyone here is very proud of the young people in our constituencies and our communities and the work they do, but I think it's key to actually establish bodies and policies that give youth a voice in government. Again, if not a youth council, why not establish a youth secretariat to better coordinate the government programs directed towards youth? Currently, they are scattered, as the Minister said, scattered throughout the public service. Why not have a youth secretariat to better coordinate those resources and so the Minister...

Does the Minister have any information on how those consultations or interactions with young people have shaped government policy? Does he have a "what we heard" document that is kind of an ongoing tally of youth issues and youth concerns as we do with other stakeholder groups?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Mr. Fraser Oliver, a constituent of Kam Lake and president of the NWT Teachers' Association. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee of Government Operations has reviewed Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, and wishes to report that Bill 17 as amended and reprinted is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

So that was a no I heard from the Minister, but, that being said, the Minister is clearly quite engaged in this topic and clearly enjoys working with youth and listening to what they hear, so will he commit to establishing a youth council that will be a standing body for young people to participate in, not just in a youth parliament setting but year on year, and provide ongoing feedback to government programs and policy and allow the Minister to canvass young people on their ideas about what our priorities should be as a government? Will he commit to establishing that youth council?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Northerners know that supporting the development of the next generation of Northerners is a top priority for any government, and this one is no different. As Minister responsible for Youth, I would like to ask: what resources are available to the Minister to support young people, and how does the Minister formally engage with young people and learn their viewpoints, what kind of services they need to support their development? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a few short weeks ago, 19 students from across the Territories took the role of honourable Members in the 15th Youth Parliament. This is an event that is a great way to engage our youth in our unique system of consensus government, civic participation, and assist them in becoming the northern leaders of tomorrow. I would like to thank the Legislative Assembly staff that was involved in this program and the staff who worked tirelessly for months in order to make sure Youth Parliament would come together seamlessly. I can say with great confidence you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I asked a question about procurement reform, and the Minister responsible said that he is not aware of any complaints. Today, I have a complaint for him. Some of my constituents are concerned about the 50 per cent plus one ownership requirements of BIP, saying, it is extremely frustrating for us to stay here year round, pay property taxes on several properties, pay extremely high living costs, and watch all the work go to divisions of southern companies who have a majority of equipment and employees in the South come up on a seasonal basis. There is a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, this motion recommends something that is quite self-explanatory, ensuring we have appropriate indicators, so we can, in fact, measure the progress that we are hoping to achieve. Given that the audit is related to the provision of essential services in communities including emergency preparedness, fire, water, the committee believes that having clear indicators is of crucial importance to our communities moving forward. We hope that this will be adopted, and we will see those indicators in the final action plan. Thank you.