Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the future of the Beaufort Delta is uncertain. My constituents know this, I know this, and the government knows this. Despite this knowledge, my constituents still have hope and are willing to work together for the future, but they need to know they have willing partners. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, from what my constituents hear coming out of Yellowknife these days, they aren't optimistic about what kind of partnership, if any, they can expect, but this is something that we can work on together, Mr. Speaker.
Many of my colleagues said they represent small communities. Mr. Speaker, I, too, represent small communities, and they face many challenges. Unfortunately, their concerns are often lost in the noise of the debate which has focused on the negative instead of looking for solutions and a way forward.
I want to take this opportunity to speak directly to my constituents and explain to them why I support this budget. I believe this is a financially responsible budget that gives the government the right amount of flexibility to make serious investments in the longterm future of the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, this budget isn't just about the future or about cuts. It's about $1.7 billion in spending for the 201819 fiscal year, $1.7 billion for a territory of 42,000 people. It may not be enough, especially for my communities that have the highest cost of living than any others in the Northwest Territories. My colleague from the Sahtu has communities with the secondhighest cost of living. It's not a competition we want to be in, Mr. Speaker. We want longterm solutions to lowering the cost of living. We have to pass budgets that are smart and that will allow for longterm investments that will lower the cost of living.
I support the budget because it means my constituents will continue to receive housing, education, healthcare, income support, student financial assistance, medical travel, water, and sewer service, to name a few; and, yes, Mr. Speaker, even junior kindergarten.
There is a meaningful partnership in my constituency between junior kindergarten and the Aboriginal Head Start program. Without the cooperation of those two programs, there wouldn't be early childhood programming available to the children of Nunakput, Mr. Speaker, and that would be a shame. If we cannot agree that supporting our children is our most important task, then I don't know what is. Junior kindergarten will also give the children of Nunakput increased opportunity to get ahead, Mr. Speaker, a chance to begin their life's journey with hope and high expectations for what they can achieve.
I say yes to 911 service, as well, Mr. Speaker. I have to say that I have not heard one single Nunakput resident say that the NWT shouldn’t have 911. They are supportive of safety for all, no matter what size of the community.
I say yes to the NWT Child Benefit. That means all families who make less than $80,000 a year will receive increased benefits. That affects over 500 families in the Beaufort Delta, Mr. Speaker.
I say yes to the $3 million increase being invested into the Small Communities Employment Program. This means there will be $4.3 million for all residents, including those in my constituency who gain employment skills and opportunities.
I say yes to the muchneeded upgrades for Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk. The project will bring jobs and business opportunities during construction, but more importantly, it will give the children of Tuktoyaktuk the school that they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, my constituents know hardship. They also know patience and forbearance, but how much more are we going to ask of them and other Northerners? This budget is the spending planned for the next fiscal year, and it looks at what we can do now and what we can do in the future, Mr. Speaker.
As I said in my Member's statement last week, the people of the Beaufort Delta want responsible economic development, oil and gas development that has been an economic driver since the exploration began in the 1960s. Interest in development has already dropped, and in 2015 Imperial Oil BP PLC scrapped their plans for drilling north of Tuktoyaktuk. The communities are struggling. Residents feel like their options for the future are very limited.
When we first met at the start of this Assembly, we talked a lot about the importance of doing government better. We agreed that changing the way the Assembly does business was one of our priorities. Strengthening consensus was one of ways that we said we would do that. Consensus is about hearing what matters to people right across the Northwest Territories and doing what's best for them. It isn't about getting a win for one side or for the other or for one point of view over another point of view. Sometimes, once we've heard and debated all sides of an issue, doing what is best for the Northwest Territories means setting aside our individual preferences and priorities.
Strengthening consensus, not trying to tear it apart, is ultimately something we all need to be responsible for. Whether people realize it or not, this budget was put together in the consensus system. MLAs have been involved from the very beginning in reviewing and providing feedback and comments to Cabinet. Not all their changes we wanted were included, but to vote down this budget means a vote against the very consensus system that allows MLAs such a significant role in developing this in the first place, Mr. Speaker.
I support consensus, not just because it was a system I believed in when I made my decision to run for MLA but because it's a fundamental way that decisions have been made for the North for thousands of years. Our survival has been based on what we could achieve together. We focused on our strengths and helped one another because we knew that our survival meant being part of a strong group. There was no room for egos, but a lot of room for leadership and just getting on with it, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I want to close by saying thank you to the people of Nunakput for their continued confidence in me. Their support means everything to me, and I will make sure their voices are heard. I have said it before, Mr. Speaker, but it bears repeating. Whether it is decisions about development, moratoriums, or budgets, nothing about us is without us. The people of Nunakput deserve to be heard loud and clear. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
