Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has committed to building a strong, prosperous territory and ensuring its benefits are shared in all communities and regions. Strategic investments in transportation infrastructure will help support the long-term growth of our economy and provide jobs and opportunities to our people. The Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway is one of these projects and I am pleased to report on the success of the first winter of construction.

Mr. Speaker, tourism is the Northwest Territories’ largest renewable resource-based sector. Last year, approximately 76,000 tourists visited the territory – one of the highest visitor numbers we have seen in the last decade.

Today I would like to tell you about ways we have and will be improving our territorial parks and the positive outlook for our tourism industry.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share some exciting news about the roll out of Junior Kindergarten that will begin in the fall of 2014. There has been much discussion on how we are implementing Junior Kindergarten, and we carefully considered comments and concerns raised by Education Boards on the rollout of Junior Kindergarten.

Mr. Speaker, we put the decision to Education Boards and gave them a choice of whether they wanted to implement Junior Kindergarten in the fall of this year, or defer it to next year.

Mr. Speaker, on March 4, 2014, this Assembly received a report on Child and Family Services from the Auditor General of Canada. The report confirmed what we already knew – that we need to do a better job of supporting children and families. It highlighted areas where our system has seriously failed. It told how some children are falling through the cracks, and how some Health and Social Services Authorities have not routinely followed up on the well-being of children placed into care. These situations are unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome Members back to the continuation of the Fifth Session of the 17^th Legislative Assembly.

Elders, leaders, colleagues, ladies and gentleman, thank you for joining us here today. I would  like to recognize and welcome  Chief Harry Deneron of the Acho Dene Koe First Nation, President Ernie McLeod of the Fort Liard Metis Local #67, Chief Frieda Martselos of the Salt River First Nation and Sub-Chief Robert Sayine of the Deninu Kue First Nation. I would also like to recognize my colleagues Ministers Lafferty, Miltenberger, Beaulieu and Ramsay and MLAs…

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Northwest Territories has a very exciting economic story to tell. And I, for one, am excited to be here today to tell you about it. I want to thank all of you today – and to your President, Jason McEvoy for the opportunity to speak with you today, at home.

We are now in a position to take a hands-on approach to growing and building our economy, our Territory and our future.

Commitment to duty and service to others are important values for Northerners. We have always understood that strong people contributing to their communities is what makes this a strong territory and a strong country.

Today we join Canadians from coast to coast to coast in honouring the contributions and sacrifices made by the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces during their mission in Afghanistan. It is through their actions – and the actions of men and women just like them – that Canada is helping to build a better more peaceful world for all of us.

Thank you, President Gargan.  I am pleased to be here today to welcome you to the 48^th Annual General Meeting of the NWT Association of Communities on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Minister McLeod and myself. My congratulations to the Association, and to Mayor Roland and the Town of Inuvik, for the great work you have done in organizing this event.

Good morning, I am, pleased to be here to speak to you today. I was wondering what kind of turnout we’d get this morning, as we’ve been to Inuvik several times lately, most notably for the signing of the final Devolution Agreement last June. I was also here last January with the Prime Minister to mark the beginning of construction for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway. It’s nice to see that you still want to hear me speak.