Thank you.
Thank you, Minister, for being here and thank you to the officials.
I'm reflecting also on Mr. Battiste's eloquent comments and certainly wholeheartedly support the importance of your being here as an indigenous minister and bringing your experience to the table. I also want to thank you for speaking and answering questions with such candour. I think that says a lot for the work you've done.
On a theme similar to Mr. Schmale's, but from perhaps a somewhat different point of view, I'd say it's notable that you were facing a 15% cut and you and your colleagues I think have successfully advocated for reducing that. I want to note again the success of your advocacy in speaking to the need for reducing the spending reduction to 2% from 15%.
Nevertheless, that is a target. I know, having directly engaged with some of the public service locally in my region in the Yukon, that there is anxiety amongst regional staff about how cuts will affect them and their programs when they feel that in the north they're already really overstretched and overextended.
You've spoken very well already here, so I won't ask you to reiterate your vision for how you'll get there. What more can you say about how you can reassure continuity of service given the incredible demands you have to meet? Also, I know that there are really dedicated public servants on the ground in the north. How will you assure the continuance of that delivery of services and programs to first nations and Inuit communities?