Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I read in the newspaper the other day that Cece McCauley is wondering if I’m running. Well, Cece, I’m seeking re-election for the 17th Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, there are so many other Member’s statements that I wanted to do while I was here, because of our time, and acknowledgements and stuff like that.
Again, it was said, first of all, I want to give the condolences on behalf of the people of Nunakput to the families that are affected by the plane crash in Resolute Bay. The community of Tuk has been through that, and only time heals. It’s never going to be the same. You just try to strive for another day. So our thoughts and prayers are with the First Air family and all the families that were affected, the Government of Nunavut, the mayor and council of Resolute and all the people in the community and all the people in Nunavut. We want to let you know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and you’re not alone.
This week we lost a leader, Mr. Jack Layton. I know he was a hardworking Member of the House of Commons and a leader of the NDP. Every time you watch, you pick little things up off of him. He’ll be sadly missed by his family and friends and all of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, there are so many people to thank. My mayors, Ray Ruben and Janet Kanayok, and Mervin Gruben, Priscilla Haogak, and all the council back home for all their support and taking calls from me and asking advice. I thank them all.
It was a tough four years, but in that four years, like Wendy said, I was one of those guys that always worked for my constituency first. It was tough some days, but I always thought I got better after the first two years, after I had all my campaign promises done.
---Laughter
So it was all good. Working here with all the Members, it was really a good experience.
For yourself, thank you, Mr. Speaker, for all the advice you have given me and all the little pep talks on the side about making my Member’s statements a little shorter and be more concise on the questions. Thank you for all the support.
Thank you, Floyd, for always being there and always giving me advice. Another Inuvialuit beneficiary, thank you so much.
Mr. David Krutko, you know that I always call him Battleaxe because that was what he was. He never took no. He always worked hard for his people. If only the people could see what he’s done in the backrooms in the meetings, they’d be so impressed, because that’s one Member that this Legislative Assembly is going to miss as well.
Again, all the support from the Regular Members, thank you so much. I look forward, once being re-elected and put into the 17th Assembly, to work hard together to make things happen all across the North.
For my Ministers, thank you all. Michael McLeod, it started off with Norman on 177 and it ended up with you. Thank you for the 22-kilometre road that you built in Tuk and thank you, Cabinet, and all the Regular Members. We even have the federal funding coming forward now with the $150 million to finish off the Tuk-Inuvik highway.
The biggest thing to me is all the new airports we have going into the communities; the James Gruben Airport in Tuk and the David Nasogaluak in Sachs Harbour, I look forward to all the openings in the new session. Mr. Minister, your staff, Doug Pon, thank you very much for all the assistance you have given Nunakput.
Mr. Bob McLeod, Mr. Minister, thank you for all the... It’s not only you but everyone as a whole. You know with the harvest funding for Sachs Harbour, for each community I represented, I needed to make jobs in the community. We did that. We had the funding for the muskox harvest with all the new equipment for the community to provide that harvest. That is needed. Qiviut is $490 an ounce. It’s a high commodity. It’s warmer than cashmere.
Also with Ulukhaktok’s Arts and Craft Centre, you know it’s an awesome place. Some beautiful art comes out of that. I know you committed to us for Tuk for our new carving centre. I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to that.
Robert C., thank you so much for being there. With all the stuff that we, I guess I wouldn’t say argued about, but trying to get things done for each other, give and take. Thank you so much for your support and your guidance too. I still look forward to working with you in the future.
Jackson, thank you for, you know, I always think, when I think of Sachs Harbour, of my good buddy Andy Carpenter because when I was first elected, the first five or six months in, we got the new RCMP building detachment in the community and that was probably one of my biggest things I’ve done. I think of Andy and our slogan, “we’re back.” That’s a big service to the community.
With Mr. Michael Miltenberger, thank you for all our talks and guidance on some of the issues. With the finance and the support you’ve given to us with regard to all the stuff that I brought forward and trying, always with an open-handed approach, to work together to get things done. To me anyway.
Myself and Mr. Roland are missing a big meal today back home in Tuktoyaktuk. A big feast for Adam and Annie Emaghok for their 60th wedding anniversary. I couldn’t say that under acknowledgements because I didn’t have it in early enough. I have to say it here. Adam and Annie, congratulations on your 60th wedding anniversary and all the best. I can’t wait to come home and have a cup of tea with you. Once Mr. Roland’s back home he can come up and sit with us too. It’s your auntie and uncle.
Also with the Ministers. Not only that, I’d like to thank Mrs. Groenewegen, too, for P and P chair. Thank you, Jane, for all the support and guidance with the issues.
My colleague Mr. Ramsay for being chair of EDI and always trying to make things happen for everybody on different projects in the communities.
For myself, all our staff here at the Ledge: Mr. Mercer, Mr. Schauerte, Jennifer, Lee Selleck -- my go-to guy in the back there. Go there with two minutes’ notice on some changes. He’s always there for you. Colette Langlois, thank you. The clerk’s office, Tanis and everybody. And Gail. Thank you so much. Sorry, Gail. I didn’t have it written down. At the end of the day you make our jobs easier here and the guidance that you give us to try to simplify stuff for some of the Members. Thank you.
I thank Mr. Hawkins for being my seat-mate, I guess, for the last four years. Always whispering when I’m talking. Thank you so much.
Kevin and Glen, thank you, and Bob, and Wendy. Thank you, Regular Members, again for being there.
All being said, back home my own staff, my CA, Donna Bernhardt. Thank you to her for all the hard work that she’s given to me over the last four years and all the commitments she’s done for the people of Nunakput. I always got good, always being there and doing a great job. My other right-hand man, Phil Moon Son. Thank you, Phil, for all the work you’ve done for Nunakput.
For myself, I would like to thank all constituents for being there over the last four years. I’d like to thank my wife, Jenny, for being there with me. You know I got sick the last couple months and getting through with some issues that I ended up in the hospital with. I thank her for that and I thank my family for being there and putting up with this job. Like Mr. Roland said, you sacrifice your kids. At the end of the day that’s all we’ve got: family.
Thank you so much. I look forward to the 17th Legislative Assembly, coming back and representing the people of Nunakput. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
