Shane Thompson

Colleagues, this past weekend, February 28th to March 2nd, was a very busy weekend for me. As you are all aware, the King Charles III Coronation Medal presentation happened Friday evening with the Premier, Commissioner, Senator and MP and recipients that were in Yellowknife. I would like to recognize the people that were nominated from the Nahendeh Riding.

Nominated by the Premier: Deneze James Nakehk'o, Lucy Jane Simon, and Soham Srimani

Nominated by the Senator: Chief Kele Antoine, Gilbert Cazon, and our own Mary Jane Cazon

I would like to thank the Premier for allowing me the pleasure of...

Colleagues, the Tom Longboat Award was established in 1951 to recognize Indigenous athletes for their outstanding contributions to sport in Canada. The awards have been given out every year since its inauguration. It remains the longest standing and one of the most prestigious awards for Indigenous athletes in the country. Each province and territory is given the opportunity to name one man and one woman recipient of the regional Tom Longboat Award.

I would like to congratulate both James Williams and Shakita Jensen for receiving this year's award. It is a great honour to see both received this...

Colleagues, today, I would like to talk about an individual who is a great-grandson of Baptiste Cazon, the former chief for Liidlii Kue First Nation. The GNWT named the ECE building in his honour just previously. One of these individuals that provide a message to everyone present via the grand chief was Gavin Wilkes.

Gavin was born in Peace River, Alberta, to Naila Cazon of Fort Simpson and Brian Wilkes of Northampton, England. Gavin is one of seven children between the two. He has two half-brothers and a half-sister on his mother's side, and two half-brothers and a half-sister on his father's...

Thank you, elder Annie Goose.

Colleagues, on February 28th, 2025, the Member from Yellowknife North rose on a point of order regarding comments made by the Member from Yellowknife Centre. I will not repeat those comments today; however, I am prepared to deliver my ruling at this time.

As your Speaker, I find that our rules were broken and there was a valid point of order raised by the Member for Yellowknife North.

Although the words spoken by the Member for Yellowknife Centre were not captured on our microphones or recorded in Hansard, they were clearly heard in the chambers. Colleagues, I do not...

Colleagues, last August, unfortunately there was a house fire in the community of Jean Marie River. One of the residents, Mr. Derwin Clille, the plant superintendent for NTPC, attended the scene and discovered an elderly person trapped in the burning house. Without thinking of his own safety, Mr. Clille grabbed a ladder and took it to the window and rescued the elder out of the burning house. This fast action by Mr. Clille saved the elder's life. I can tell you the family and community were very thankful for his fast action.

Once NTPC heard of his heroic actions, they nominated him for the...

Please be seated. I'd like to thank elder Joe Otokiak for the opening prayer.

Colleagues, before we get going any further, it's been brought to my attention somebody very special is having a birthday today, one of our translators Judy *Esamiuk -- I said her name wrong again, I apologize. But we'd like to wish her a very Happy Birthday. I think it's her 29th.

Colleagues, I had the opportunity to attend the Indigenous Sports Circle NWT award ceremony on Saturday, December 7th. One of the reasons for attending this important event was to present the sport award winner: Lydia Nelner of Fort Simpson.

I got to know this young lady when she was playing soccer for a team my daughter coached. I watched this young, quiet lady become a leader and sharing her thoughts in a positive way. Lydia was the team's goalie and regardless of wins or loses, she kept the team on a positive path. I witnessed her listen to her teammates and coaches, take suggestions, and...

Please sit. I'd like to thank Mary Jane Cazon for the prayer song today to start off our session.

Colleagues, good afternoon. In yesterday's ruling, I urged caution in your language here and social media. As I said previously, it is frustrating that posts continue to be brought to my attention. Again last night, a post was brought to my attention. I feel the post did not accurately reflect my decision. The post suggested I found no wrong was committed. My job is to interpret and apply the rules we have agreed to. It does not mean someone, or their actions, are right or wrong. And to be clear...

Colleagues, the Paul Stipdonk Memorial Soccer Tournament in Fort Simpson is not just a sporting event; it is a celebration of community spirit, resilience, and the love of soccer. Held annually in memory of Paul Stipdonk, a passionate advocate for youth sports and community development, the tournament brings together teams from across the Mackenzie Region, fostering camaraderie and healthy competition.

This tournament serves as a platform for young athletes to showcase their skills and develop their talents. It emphasizes the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship, values that Paul championed...

Please be seated. Thank you, Karen Mitchell for the opening prayer today.

Before we get into today's business, colleagues, I will now bring my ruling on the point of privilege raised last week. The Member from Yellowknife South rose on a point of privilege regarding a social media post made by the Member for Range Lake. I will not rehash the social media post in question or the debate in this chamber on the point of privilege. However, for those who participated in the debate, thank you. You have given me many things to consider.

When a point of privilege is raised, I must consider two things...