Debates of December 11, 2003 (day 1)

Let us pray. This is the first day of the First Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. We gather in firm acknowledgement of the awesome responsibility of its membership in providing good government for your people and mindful of the trust they have clearly expressed in these whose election has brought them to this place today. Grant your blessing upon each so called to leadership among us. May wisdom and insight, courage and high resolve, truth and justice inspire all their counsels and decisions, that among all our people through this territory, a true reflection of Your Son’s Kingdom of peace and justice be established. Amen.

---Drumming and Singing

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that the Honourable David Krutko, of the electoral district of Mackenzie Delta, do take the Chair of this House as Speaker.

Thank you. Are there any further motions? There being no further motions, I, therefore, declare that the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, David Krutko, has been elected as Speaker of the House. I have requested the mover and the seconder of the motion to please escort the Speaker to the Chair.

---Carried

---Applause

Merci beaucoup, mes amis. Honourable colleagues, drin gwinzii and good afternoon. I wish to express my gratitude for the confidence you have demonstrated by choosing me as your Speaker. It is with a great deal of pride that I accept the honour of being your Speaker for this, the 15th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

My first obligation is to give you my commitment to ensure that the rights and privileges of all Members will be upheld and to ensure you are each able to carry out your duties.

The most important and fundamental right is the freedom of speech in your debates and freedom from interference in carrying out your duties.

I can assure you that I will do my best to ensure that these rights are upheld, as well as all the other rules and procedures that this House has adopted.

At this time, I would also like to acknowledge the efforts and steady hand of my predecessor, Mr. Tony Whitford…

---Applause

…who has set a very high standard for me to follow. It was a very great pleasure and a privilege to have served as Deputy Speaker to Mr. Whitford, and for a short time to Speaker Sam Gargan in the 13th Legislative Assembly.

I am sure you will all join me in extending our thanks to Mr. Whitford for the many years of dedicated effort and service he gave to his constituents and particularly for the admirable performance of his speakership duties within this Chamber.

On a personal note, I would like to take the time now to thank the constituents of Mackenzie Delta who were the first to place their trust in me by electing me to the 13th, 14th and now the 15th Legislative Assembly and who even now, I am confident, will support me in my new role and responsibility as Speaker.

I want to assure them that my accepting the position of Speaker will in no way diminish my efforts to serve each and every one of my constituents. I want them to be aware that I will carry that out to the best of my ability.

I would like to acknowledge the people most important to all of us: our families; our wives, husbands, partners and children. We must all strive to strike that balance between our work here at the Legislative Assembly and our families at home, and we would certainly not be here today without their support.

On this first sitting date of the 15th Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to note that this year also marks the 10th anniversary of our Legislative Assembly building we are presently in. It’s truly a place of the people that all northerners can be proud of.

As we begin our business on behalf of our people, I wish to ask all Members to pause and reflect on the tasks before us. We are still a new and vibrant territory, in a new century and a new millennium.

We are fortunate to be here as the chosen representatives of our constituents. It is an honour that is bestowed on so very few people. As a legislature, we are facing many critical decisions in the days and years ahead. There are many decisions made in this House. We may not always agree on these decisions, however, we must remember to always treat each other with respect, dignity, compassion and understanding.

On your behalf, I would like to thank the Right Reverend John Sperry for being our chaplain today. It is always a pleasure to have you with us. Thank you.

I would also like to acknowledge the fine performances of the Detah Drummers and Sir John Franklin High School Choir led by Mr. Bill Gilday.

In conclusion, my ability to preside over this House ultimately rests in your hands and I will continue to work hard to maintain the trust and confidence that you have placed in me today.

Mr. Clerk, is Her Honour the Commissioner prepared to enter the Chamber and address the Assembly?

Please be seated. Mr. Speaker, Members of the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to welcome you to the First Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. I would also like to welcome members of the public with us today in the gallery and those watching on television.

I would like to extend my congratulations to you, Mr. Krutko, on your election as Speaker. Members of this House have selected well and have bestowed upon you the heavy responsibility of ensuring that the rights and privileges of all Members are upheld, to ensure freedom of speech in debate and freedom from interference as each of you carries out your duties. You are charged with ensuring the rules and procedures of this House are followed so democracy prevails. I wish you the best during the life of this Assembly and have every confidence you will be successful.

The Northwest Territories is an exciting place at this time. We have this new Assembly. Land claims and self-government agreements are being negotiated and finalized.

We are on the edge of major resource developments. The years ahead will be challenging and rewarding. Each of you, as Members of this 15th Legislative Assembly, carry into this House the hopes and aspirations of your constituents and all people of the Northwest Territories. Each of you has the responsibility of representing your constituents and ensuring that the government does its best to serve all those who live in this great territory.

Mr. Speaker, Members of this House will face challenges during the life of the Assembly. My best wishes are extended to all Members. I am confident all will serve the people of the Northwest Territories to the best of their ability and will make a difference. I wish you all Godspeed in your deliberations.

Mr. Speaker, before declaring open this First Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly, I would like to invite all Members and visitors in the gallery to a reception in the Great Hall when the House adjourns and to invite all to stay for the swearing in of the Executive Council at 4:00 p.m.

As Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I now declare open the First Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

---Applause

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) I'm very thankful and grateful to the people for electing me as their MLA, and I would like to say…(Translation ends)

…to the very important office of Speaker. I also want to congratulate all the new and returning Members. It has been a pleasure to get to know you over the last few days. In particular, congratulations to Premier-elect Mr. Handley and other Members of Cabinet. I look forward to working with you over the next four years. Some of you mentioned open-door policies in your speeches yesterday, and you can be sure I will be taking you up on that.

I am very honoured to be here today as the elected representative of Nahendeh. To my constituents who put their trust in me by sending me here, I would like to express my sincere gratitude. Throughout the campaign I spent a lot of time visiting with you and hearing your concerns, and I thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with me. I have not forgotten what I heard from you, but if I do I'm sure you will be quick to remind me. It is a privilege for me to be your MLA and I will do my best to use my strength and abilities to represent you.

To my family and friends and all the hard-working people who put a lot of effort into my campaign answering phones, handing out buttons, putting up posters and giving me your support, thank you for believing in me. I also express gratitude for the candidates that were not successful but had the courage and strength to pursue the seat of this riding.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Nahendeh, I would also like to thank Mr. Jim Antoine for his three terms of service dedicated to us as an elected MLA.

I send my greetings to the residents of Jean Marie River, Trout Lake, Fort Liard, Nahanni Butte, Wrigley and Fort Simpson. I look forward to seeing you again soon and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my constituents of Behchoko, Gameti, Wekweti and Wha Ti for electing me as your MLA. I would like to thank them. As I stand here today I will represent you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

When I went into your communities, you heard what I had to say. The things that I promised to work on, I will work on them for you for the next four years. Not only that, but when I campaigned in the communities, I had mentioned that my door will always be open and that will be the same as I promised.

Mr. Speaker, not only that but there are a lot of people who supported me from my communities by travelling with me to communities and putting up posters and signs. I would like to thank every one of them. I would also like to thank my fellow Members of the Legislative Assembly for electing me yesterday to be a Cabinet Member. I would like to thank you for supporting me and trusting me to do the job.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my family, my wife and my daughter. They stood by me through the election. I would like to thank my wife and my daughter with my heart. I want to express my sincere thanks…(Translation ends)

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is requesting unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? No, there aren't. You have unanimous consent.

(Translation) Thank you. As Christmas is approaching, I would like to wish everyone in my constituency and fellow Members and Mr. Speaker a very Merry Christmas. I would say thank you, Merry Christmas and thank you very much.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few minutes to speak about the 15th Assembly and those who will serve in it.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to thank the constituents of Hay River South for electing me to serve for this my third term in the Assembly. I want to tell them that I'm here to serve everyone.

It's been a busy few days since we gathered back here, welcoming former Members, meeting new Members and selecting colleagues to serve in positions of leadership. I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on your election and I wish you well in your new role. I would like to congratulate the honourable Member for Weledeh in his successful bid for Premier, and I wish him and his new Cabinet a productive and rewarding term.

I'm impressed with the new Members who were elected to this Assembly. It's a relatively young group and already I see much promise and potential. The average age of the Assembly seems to be getting younger all the time, or maybe it's just that I'm getting older all the time.

---Laughter

I'm looking forward to the next four years. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it promises to be an exciting time in the history of the political, economic and social development of the North. I'm looking forward to exploring ways of working effectively together. Within the context of consensus government there is room for creativity, innovation and putting this Assembly's own signature on how we want to accomplish our objectives on behalf of the people of the North. There are some emerging themes about the style that I briefly want to mention and hopefully will find support to develop more in the days ahead. Everyone elected to this Assembly is a leader in their own right. Everyone comes with unique backgrounds, experience and skills, and I want this Assembly to display respect for these talents and abilities through true consensus and inclusive leadership. We are only 19 Members, we need to harness and engage the energy and enthusiasm of all Members to achieve the best outcomes for our people. I want to see us embrace this inclusive leadership. We need to set an example of it amongst ourselves and further extend it to the way in which we work with other governments and community leaders. When we do this, Mr. Speaker, the potential for the Northwest Territories will be unlimited. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm very honoured and excited at being here with all of my colleagues and the folks in the gallery on opening this First Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

I want to start off my Member's statement by saying thank you to my family: my mom, my dad, my fiancée Amanda, and my brothers who are all very supportive. I would also like to thank the constituents of the riding of Kam Lake for their vote of confidence in me to do this job on their behalf. It was an interesting and hard-fought campaign. I wanted to thank Mr. Bill Aho and Mr. Steve Petersen for running in this election and participating in this important democratic process. I also wanted to thank my campaign manager, Mr. Brian Desjardins, and my official agent, Mr. Brad Anstey, and all my campaign workers and supporters for all their help. Without them it wouldn't have been possible.

To Mr. Krutko, Mr. Handley and the new Cabinet-elect, congratulations. Congratulations are also in order for all the new Members and returning Members to this House on becoming Members of this new Legislative Assembly.

I am certainly looking forward to working and learning from each and every one of you to ensure that we govern this territory to the best of our ability. I'm looking forward to a prosperous four-year journey with you, my colleagues. When we all give our best and do our part, we will see some positive results. We cannot afford to get off track. We have momentum on our side and what we do with that momentum will be up to us.

I would also like to thank the outgoing Member for the riding of Kam Lake, Mr. Tony Whitford. I know he served in the capacity as Speaker in the last Legislative Assembly. Those are big shoes to fill and I certainly am honoured to be the representative for Kam Lake, to get to work for the constituents that live in this riding.

I also wanted to thank the staff -- Mr. Mercer and his professional team -- for inviting us, especially the new Members, into the Legislative Assembly with open arms. Much appreciated and thank you very much. Also again I just wanted to say thanks again to the constituents of Kam Lake. I certainly promise to do this job to the best of my ability and look forward to a very prosperous four years. Thank you very much and Merry Christmas.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start as well by congratulating everybody on becoming Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly. I would like to send a big heartfelt thank you back to all the constituents of Inuvik Boot Lake for returning me to this Assembly for the third time, and to my family for their support. I just want to let the Members of Inuvik Boot Lake know that even though I will take on a different role in the 15th Legislative Assembly, I intend to continue to work hard on their issues that they bring forward, ensuring that we continue to work on all the issues that are brought forward in a fair and effective manner. I would like to again wish all those back home a very Merry Christmas, and I hope to see them there as I return home, hopefully tomorrow. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to congratulate you, too, on your appointment as the Speaker of the House. I would also like to thank and congratulate the Premier-elect, Mr. Joe Handley and his new Cabinet. I'm sure they will do a good job in the next four years and I'm looking forward to working with them all.

I would like to acknowledge the fine performance of the Detah Drummers and the St. Pat's Choir.

I would like to start off by thanking all my constituents, my campaign team for the good job that they did, and especially my family for instilling the confidence and trust and having faith in me to be the representative for Tu Nedhe in the 15th Legislative Assembly.

During my campaign, I had the opportunity to speak with many of my constituents, listen to their concerns and, more importantly, seek their advice on how to make their lives better and the lives of everybody in the NWT. During the 15th Legislative Assembly, I intend to work hard toward resolving the issues that have been raised by my constituents and by the Members-elect over the past week in working toward improving the lives and the quality of life of all the residents and constituents of the NWT. I realize that in order to accomplish this we all have to work together and take a unified approach in resolving issues that are of common interest to us all. Things like housing, education, health, economic development, not to mention partnerships with aboriginal governments, land claim negotiations and devolution which are all a common interest to all Members of this Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that we, the 15th Legislative Assembly, as diverse and distinct as the regions we all represent, can and will plan, construct and build a vision for the NWT that supports and works toward a prosperous future; a vision that has the support and the consent of all our aboriginal governments, community governments and the federal government. A vision that encourages everyone full participation in the exercise of our independence and wealth, so that at the end of the day we can all be proud of our accomplishments and realizing our commitments to our constituents, to the people of the NWT and Canada.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, again I have to say that I look forward to working with all my colleagues over the next four years. I am optimistic that we are all going to prosper from the vast knowledge and the respect and the privilege that we all share for one another. I also want to wish all my constituents…

Excuse me, Mr. Villeneuve. Your time has expired.

I seek unanimous consent to finish off my three words.

---Laughter

The Member is asking for unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent to conclude.

Thank you. Again, Mr. Speaker, just to finish off, I just want to wish everybody in the gallery, especially my constituents, the Legislative Assembly Members and staff and the NWT residents a very Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous New Year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't know how long I've waited to say these few words.

---Laughter

I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, and also the Premier-elect and the Ministers. Congratulations to my fellow honourable MLAs in this Assembly.

I rise as a rookie MLA for my home region and the Sahtu constituency. However, I'm a veteran in northern politics. I am honoured to be here today. I thank my supporters in my campaign, the elders who gave me advice, my family and the residents of the Sahtu who voted for me to be their elected representative. I would also like to thank Stephen Kakfwi on behalf of the Sahtu people, for his many years of service to them as their MLA. I look forward to working with all the residents of the Sahtu and keeping an open-door policy.

Mr. Speaker, I will be presenting the Sahtu vision that was outlined to me by my constituents. We have been facing some challenges that have not been addressed by past governments. This is a good group of people in this Assembly here. I believe that over the next four years we will give the attention to these issues that they deserve.

We in the Sahtu are fortunate that our region is wealthy in culture, resources and languages. However, I am concerned about the wellness and the welfare of my constituents. My communities have concerns about health care, education improvement, affordable housing and a lack of elders' assistance. I'm looking forward to working with my region to address and to resolve these issues that continue to linger. We are going to work on a comprehensive regional wellness strategy that includes the people at the community level. The last government did not address the support for victims, witnesses and their families who are going through a current criminal trial of sexual abuse in Inuvik. One of my goals in coming here is to raise the profile of the residential school issues in the Northwest Territories, because the majority of my region has been involved in those trials and through the alternative dispute resolution experience.

Mr. Speaker, the proposed pipeline route runs through the Sahtu. We have gone through the experience of the Norman Wells expansion project, an experience we do not want to repeat again. This time, the first ones to benefit will be our people.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to finish off my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement.

Thank you, honourable Members. This time, the first ones to benefit will be our people. We will not stand by and watch the benefits pass us by like the last time a pipeline passed through our land. We need to plan for these types of development such as the pipeline, hydro and upgrading our road systems.

I support the self-government initiatives that will be going on in our region and that people are striving for. We are just beginning to build the foundation of the Sahtu region that will see self-sufficiency through the efforts and the cooperation of claimants and community organizations.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the support of the Legislative Assembly and the government to assist me to move my constituency towards positive goals and objectives. Many of my colleagues from around the NWT have shared that they have heard similar concerns from their people, so I think we will have many common goals. As I said earlier, this is a good group of people here, and I look forward to working with you.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank some of the people who didn't make it to this Christmas; young people in my region and older people in my region who didn't make it to this Christmas. I want to say prayers for the people. I want to wish people in the Northwest Territories, the old people, a happy Christmas holiday and a prosperous New Year. God bless you wherever you be. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As this is my first statement, I may appear nervous. In my political history whenever I saw a crowd this large it always made me nervous, so I'm very nervous today. I must say that upfront.

Mr. Speaker, may I congratulate you, as well as our new Premier-elect, on your positions as well as your acclamations to your positions. You are both going to be our shepherds into our new future. It's going to be a unique journey, and we will be looking to you both to teach us and carry us forward.

To Mr. Handley -- Premier Handley, I should say -- I would like to bring echoes of trust and support from the Yellowknife Centre constituency. Your leadership role is something our community is looking forward to, and we know and trust that you will lead us well in the next Assembly. Mr. Handley, I do want to say that it will be an honour serving in the Handley Government, this 15th Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, it's with a great deal of pride and honour that I thank all of the constituents of Yellowknife Centre for their trust and confidence. I did promise them that I will work hard and I promise that I would make sure that this mandate would be a source of pride for all of them to remember.

Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you that my victory in the Yellowknife Centre riding was not an easy one. I will tell you clearly today, sir, that each one of those candidates was a winner, regardless of the outcome. I believe there were some good fights fought and they worked hard. Sorry, my apologies for being nervous.

Mr. Speaker, even on my coldest days I have to tell you most honestly that there were many warm faces and many warm hearts that kept us going. Mr. Speaker, it's important to note that I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the special support of my wife Susan, and my son McKinley Man-Lung. If it wasn't for their support to allow me to follow my dreams, I can't say where I would be today.

I also would like to follow up with recognizing some of the special members from my team. There was Larry Pineda, Cito Domingo, Tina Rivera, my parents Kim and Terry Hawkins. I also have to pass out a special thanks to my chief engineer Winnebago driver Daryl Dolynny and my campaign strategist Paul Bachand.

Mr. Speaker, my heart tells me that the burden of success will be an element for all of us to participate wholly together in as a team in this next Assembly. I believe we all have a vested interest in its success if we work together.

Mr. Speaker, may I continue my statement?

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

May I thank all of my colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I believe we can all work together in this success and build a great North that we can all be proud of.

Mr. Speaker, I grew up in Fort Simpson. I've danced in the friendship circle. I came to high school here in Yellowknife and I lived at Akaitcho Hall. I've been a Yellowknife city councillor and now I have a great source of pride being able to say I’m a father, a husband and now an MLA for Yellowknife Centre. My dreams are coming true and I believe I have many years of my journey still to continue, but I thank the many people who have helped me and brought me this far.

Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of life experience and I believe in community and family values and I hope that will be a significant asset in this leadership circle with all our friends here today.

Mr. Speaker, before I close my statement I just want to especially recognize once more, I’ll start off first by saying I’d like to say adieu to the former Member of Yellowknife Centre, Jake Ootes. I don’t see him here today. I did look. I want to thank him for his many years of service. Once again, I want to thank my constituents of Yellowknife Centre for the privilege of being here and, again I want to stress, many thanks to my wife Susan, and my son McKinley, who I love very much. Thank you.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to add my congratulations and express my faith and trust in you and our Premier-elect and the Members of the Cabinet-elect, whom we will be affirming later on in this 15th Assembly.

I am honoured to have the privilege to serve for a second term as the Member for the riding of Great Slave. Mr. Speaker, I’m here to help build on the foundations of our young territory. I want to help build even better ways of delivering government to our people and strengthen the links of our consensus system among the First Nations, among the communities and among every voter across the NWT.

Later on today, Mr. Speaker, we’re going to be affirming the choices we made yesterday and today, and I think Members will agree with me that we’re all very grateful that this whole period of elections is just about over, and that there will be very progressive and positive times ahead, Mr. Speaker. We have a great opportunity to show innovation and show confidence in the remarkable future that’s before us and I want to state my pledge to continue to work to the very best of my ability on behalf of this legislature and the people of Great Slave. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this Legislative Assembly is that my best and rather exclusive body and I would like to congratulate all of my colleagues who have been sent here by their constituents to represent their interests over the next four years. The last four days have shown me that I believe we’re off to a very good start and we have the makings of a very productive Assembly.

I would like, as well, to congratulate, Mr. Speaker, yourself, Premier Handley, Cabinet colleagues and all those who have been put into positions of trust and responsibility as committee Chairs, Caucus Chairs and such.

This is my third opportunity to stand here at the start of a Legislative Assembly and this time I would once again like to thank my constituents. I would like to thank my family, my friends and my loved ones who have stuck by me through many difficult times. I’m here and I committed in my campaign to be a voice for everybody. I commit to do that not only for my constituents, but for all the people of the Northwest Territories.

As we are in the midst of the Yule Tide season and we’ll all soon be going back to our homes, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the people of the Northwest Territories who have assembled here today and across the land, a very happy, safe Christmas and a very prosperous New Year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to congratulate you on your election as Speaker. The words that you spoke today, the directions that you’ve given us will be taken very seriously and we certainly look forward to working under your guidance. I’d also like to welcome all the returning Members and a special welcome and congratulations to the new Members of this House.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the people of Weledeh for their unanimous support for me to represent them for another four years, at least. I want to have a special thank you to my campaign committee and all of the workers and volunteers and advisors who were all geared up for a good campaign. I appreciate the work that you have done and now we have to figure out what to do with all those buttons. I will not disappoint you, my constituents in Weledeh.

I also want to say thank you to all of the people from all parts of the Territories who have given me words of support as I considered the responsibilities of Premier. Again, I want to say mahsi cho, migwich (sic), thank you. I will do everything in my power to make sure that all of our lives are a little bit better as a result of the 15th Assembly.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, to my wife Theresa, my family, my friends, what can I say except thank you for your great support. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Congratulations on your election as Speaker and to Premier Handley on his election as Premier. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my wife Lucille, and my sons, Bertram and Darren -- you’ll have to excuse me, I’m getting emotional right now -- and my daughter Letitia. Without their full support and commitment over the next four years I would not have considered running in this election. Thank you to them very much. I would like to thank the constituents of Holman, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk and Tuktoyaktuk for electing me to represent them as their MLA for Nunakput.

The constituents of Nunakput are the true winners because my voice is their voice in this legislature. I will be back home pretty soon visiting them to talk to them again and raise the concerns and issues that they told me to bring up in the legislature in the new year.

Thanks also to my brother, Charles Pokiak -- he was my campaign manager and official agent -- and the 15 individuals who signed the nomination form for me to run in this election. It showed that they had the confidence in me to represent the people of Nunakput.

I also would like to say thank you to Vince Steen for running a good campaign and challenge. I wish Vince Steen and his family all the best in the future.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, congratulations to all the elected and acclaimed MLAs in the House today. Together we can make a difference for our constituents and for the NWT. To my constituents, as I was campaigning, remember: Cal is your pal. Mahsi, kuyananni, thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to start out by saying how extremely pleased I am to be back here in this wonderful Chamber with yourself and all of my colleagues. I want to congratulate you on your successful campaign for Speaker. I know that you will do a good job over the next four years. I also want to congratulate Mr. Handley and the rest of the Cabinet Ministers on their successful election and I look forward to the swearing-in ceremony later on this afternoon.

It has been said many times, Mr. Speaker, that when you look at the big picture, very few of us are fortunate enough to make it here to represent the people of the Northwest Territories. I want to let everybody know that I certainly feel very privileged to be here and I do not take these responsibilities lightly.

I would like to recognize some very special people in my life that have helped me make it here and that continue to support me every day. I want to especially thank my wife Davida, and my entire family: my daughters, Michelle, Monique and Katrina, and my son Darcy, and also my brother Francis, and his wife Maryanne in Hay River. They continuously support me and without them it would be very hard to do this job. I also want to thank my official agent, Andy Taylor, and my campaign manager, Dawna O’Brien, and all the volunteers that were prepared to put up a hard fight this time around to get me elected again. Unfortunately, I guess in a way, we were not able to carry on a full campaign because I was acclaimed, but I want to thank all of my constituents for acclaiming me to this, the 15th Legislative Assembly. I want to assure my constituents that although they had a vision for me that may have been a little bit bigger and better things in this Assembly, I want to assure each and every one of them that I am here for them, that I will continue to address their issues with the same vigour and determination that I demonstrated over the last four years. I want to continue to do that over the next four years.

Mr. Speaker, while we are here planning our political agendas life goes on in our communities. I want to take a moment to recognize a few very special constituents of mine, a very dear friend of mine and a person who follows politics very closely. I was in the hospital in Yellowknife here visiting him; Mr. Red McBryan. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? No nays. You have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I’ve said, I was visiting a very dear friend of mine and a very well-known northerner, Mr. Red McBryan, who is recovering from a slight heart attack in the hospital here in Yellowknife. I want to wish him a speedy recovery and I look forward to seeing him back in Hay River.

I also want to pass my condolences on to another very dear friend of mine, Ms. Marianne Carriere, who passed away on November 29th in Hay River. I want to pass my sincere condolences to her husband John, and their entire family. I look forward to being back in Hay River on Saturday to spend some time with them.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to pass some good wishes to a couple of senior curling teams who are heading up to Whitehorse today to represent the Northwest Territories in the NWT/Yukon playdowns. I want to wish them all the best in Whitehorse and a safe journey and I want to wish everybody in Hay River and all the folks in the gallery a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Congratulations again on your election as Speaker. I’d like to first start off by congratulating all of my colleagues in this House on their respective elections. As Mrs. Groenewegen pointed out, indeed, the average age is getting younger in the House. I think it’s a good thing. I’m certainly impressed with the new Members. There’s a lot of talent and dedication in this room. It’s been a nice start in the last few days and I know the public will certainly be impressed with this new group. I think they’re going to do great things, we’re going to do great things and it’s going to be a good Assembly.

I’d like to thank the constituents of Yellowknife South for having the confidence to send me back here. The acclamation, as I’ve said before, was a surprise, but certainly an honour. I want to let you know that with my election to Cabinet, my constituency work will absolutely not diminish. I give you my assurance on that.

Let me also thank all the people who worked on my campaign, my campaign team. I can’t point everybody out, but I wanted to send a special thanks to MaryAnne Woytuik, Betty Anne Windsor, to all the staff at the Genesis Group, the Simpson family and let me also thank my family for their continued love and support: my wife Jill, my daughter Emily -- who can’t talk about support, but I’m sure it’s there -- my brother and sister, my parents, all of whom still live in the Northwest Territories. That’s something that I’m very proud of.

I’d also like to thank my colleagues for having the confidence to elect me to Cabinet. I assure you that I take very seriously this idea, this concept, this new era of consensus government and will be very proud to help you on behalf of your constituents in this regard.

Lastly, I don’t know if I’m letting the cat out of the bag, but to our two new Caucus Chairs, Mr. Menicoche and Mr. Yakeleya, I’m certainly very proud that you were elected. I know that you believe in partnerships and I know that means that this Caucus will certainly have a great future.

To all the residents of the Northwest Territories, Merry Christmas.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to express my sincere congratulations to you, the Premier and the new Cabinet on being elected to your offices. I look forward to working with you. I would also like to congratulate all the new and returning Members.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to use this, my very first statement of this Assembly, to also thank the constituents of Range Lake for sending me back here the second time around. I’m sure I speak for all Members, Mr. Speaker, in this House when I say what a singular honour and privilege it is to be elected by the public at large and to be given the mandate to serve them in this honourable place. As I walk through the halls of this great place of meeting, I continue to hear the voices of my constituents which have guided me before and I’m sure will guide me throughout the days and months to come.

Mr. Speaker, there are so many voices out there that we need to hear -- voices of small and large business owners, voices of women and men, elders and youth, aboriginal and non-aboriginal, the weak and the sick -- whose voices we must hear and act upon. I understand my mandate, Mr. Speaker, for the next four years is to bring life to these voices and to work with my colleagues in and out of this Chamber to develop solutions to their concerns. I also appreciate that behind you, Mr. Speaker, and the 18 Members of this House sit some 43,000 other voices of our territory which also must come to life and be acted upon.

As I begin this task once again in earnest today, it is with the firm belief that it is our collective task to set the course and path for our future toward unity and prosperity, not necessarily because we have a common interest in all issues, but because it is in our common interest to work together for solutions.

The last thing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to also acknowledge a lot of people who gave me support to bring me back here and I also would like to thank my family, including my mother, for their support always. Thank you very much.

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