Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's my pleasure to be here with the three territories. This is something we need to see a little more in Parliament as we discuss the importance of these territories in Canada and also the relationship the federal government has with them. This is the area of Canada where the federal government still has so many of the responsibilities, and that's been outlined pretty well by the witnesses.
I'll start my questioning by asking each participant a question. I'm going to take a slightly different direction, because of course economic development is all about people, and developing the territories is ensuring that the territories can provide a living and a direction for the people who are there. In the Northwest Territories over the past number of years, although there has been a rapidly expanding economy, we've seen a decline in our population because of the cost of living. Part of what we need to accomplish in the north is to have sustainable lifestyles.
I'd like to hear what each of the territories feels is the direction the federal government should take in encouraging reductions in energy costs, establishing taxation systems that will encourage the population of the north, and promoting a stable workforce.