Mr. Speaker, in Nunavut we share a vision that we can build a sustainable economy that will support our community, create job growth, reduce our dependency on Ottawa and put our standard of living on par with Canadians in the south. To do this requires substantial investment from the federal government to address urgent needs in four critical areas: food security, community infrastructure, housing, and skills and employment training. Only once these needs are addressed can we truly begin to build a sustainable economy.
The government is taking steps in the right direction. Since I was elected, over $1.25 billion in funding has been announced, and it is nice to see a renewed interest in improving our quality of life. However, the funding is slow in finding its way into our communities and is often spread out over a number of years, minimizing the impact.
In this session of Parliament, I will be focusing on these areas. I look forward to consulting and working with my colleagues on finding solutions for a brighter future for Nunavut.