Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform Members about changes to how the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation calculates rent for public housing tenants.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time today I will table “Working Together: An Action Plan to Reduce and Eliminate Poverty in the Northwest Territories.” This collaborative Action Plan demonstrates our government’s commitment to work in partnership with other stakeholders to tackle poverty in the Northwest Territories. It builds on the great work that produced “Building on the Strengths of Northerners”, the Anti-Poverty Strategic Framework, in 2013.

Mr. Speaker, I do not wish to be the bearer of bad weather reports but as Mother Nature may have it, and based on the reports from our meteorologist, we will once again experience drought over the summer of 2015.

The prediction for this fire season is for another year of hot, dry weather. The downturn in weather for the next two days is unlikely to make much difference. It will be getting warmer and drier in all regions starting on Wednesday.

Mr. Speaker, economic opportunity comes in all shapes and forms. This summer, it is coming to the Northwest Territories in the form of morel mushrooms – a delicacy highly sought after by food markets around the world.

Ultimately, Mother Nature will have the largest role in determining the success of our harvest. However, under the right conditions, we anticipate this harvest could generate as much as ten million dollars in the NWT this summer.

Mr. Speaker I would like to take a few moments to speak to the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link project or MVFL.

On January 12, 2015 the Government took the first step towards removing the limitations of our current communications infrastructure. The Fibre Link project will allow Inuvik to become a global remote sensing site, enable our Government to improve our programs and services, particularly in the areas of education and health; and allow many more of our residents and businesses to join the 21st century and communicate in real time, with the rest of the world.

Mr. Speaker, today I am very proud to rise and recognize that two of our very own have been elected to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

I am, of course, speaking about Sharon Firth and Shirley Firth-Larsson who will become the first Northwest Territories residents to be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony later this fall in Calgary.

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to achieving this Legislative Assembly’s vision of strong individuals, families and communities. By working together in partnerships we can reach our goal of healthy and educated people in sustainable and vibrant communities throughout our territory.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring Aboriginal languages survive for future generations is a key priority for our government and the Members of this Legislative Assembly. One of the most effective ways to ensure the continued use of all of the NWT’s 11 official languages is simply using and hearing these languages as part of our day to day interactions.

Mr. Speaker, the cost of energy continues to be one of the leading contributors to the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories. This past winter, a drop in wholesale prices for heating fuel and gasoline gave the Department of Public Works and Services the opportunity to pass savings on to the residents of some of our most remote communities.

Mr. Speaker, in October 2014, I tabled Building Stronger Families – An Action Plan to Transform Child and Family Services supporting the Government’s commitment to improve the quality of child and family services for those receiving services under the Child and Family Services Act. I am pleased to provide an update to Members on the progress to date and implementation of our Action Plan to Transform Child and Family Services.