Good afternoon, colleagues.
Members, before we begin today – in addition to wishing you all a happy Valentine’s Day…
…I am going to beat Norman to the punch this year. I would like to send a special Valentine’s Day wish to my wife, Jenny, mother of my children, my best friend, my life partner. Thank you for your love and care, your patience – she’s got a lot of patience with me doing my job – and also for being an amazing mother to our children. I am only able to do the work because I have my wife’s support, Mr. Speaker. I know she cares. Happy Valentine’s Day to my wife, Jenny.
Back home up in Tuk, John and Mabel Noksana, John and Mabel, it’s their anniversary today. So happy anniversary to John and Mabel, and happy Valentine’s Day.
---Applause
I would like to draw your attention to the Canadian flags that are on your desks. Tomorrow, February 15th, is National Flag of Canada Day.
It was on February 15, 1965, that the first red and white Canadian flag, with its distinctive maple leaf, flew proudly over Parliament Hill.
Our Canadian flag is recognized all over the world as the flag of a people who cherish the ideals of democracy, freedom and respect.
I know we don’t see any maple trees in this part of Canada, but we proudly fly our Canadian flag all across the Northwest Territories as a symbol of our unity with all Canadians.
Please join me, colleagues, celebrating Flag Day for the great country we live in.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has long been recognized as a land rich in resource potential. One of the priorities of this Assembly is to strengthen and diversify the economy, and as part of that priority, we identified the need to have a comprehensive, environmentally sustainable Mineral Development Strategy in place.
Mr. Speaker, as with the Economic Opportunities Strategy I spoke about yesterday, the Mineral Development Strategy is part of a bigger picture. It complements other initiatives the GNWT is undertaking, such as the Economic Opportunities Strategy, and other linked initiatives such as the Land Use and Sustainability Framework and a Northwest Territories Anti-Poverty Strategy.
It will also be closely integrated with the NWT Energy Plan. Both energy development and mineral development share the same key challenge: a lack of infrastructure across the territory. Affordable energy provision and mineral development needs infrastructure.
I am pleased to report that the Mineral Development Strategy is well underway and will play a key role in helping our communities to be sustainable, vibrant and free from poverty.
It was officially launched just a couple of weeks ago at the 2013 Mineral Exploration Roundup in Vancouver. This is the world’s leading technical mineral exploration conference and gave us the opportunity to signal to thousands of potential investors that we are ready to do business.
While the NWT has vast potential as an untapped source of diamonds, gold, rare earths and other minerals, attracting investment to the territory has sometimes been a challenge. We are aware that the complex regulatory process has often meant potential investors think twice before heading north.
But even so, mineral development is the backbone of the NWT economy.
Our four producing mines contribute $770 million in spending every year and employ more than 3,000 people. We want to ensure mineral development continues to play an important role in our economy and ensure the industry remains one of the largest employers of NWT residents. Our strategy will provide a framework to ensure our mineral resources continue to be developed in a sustainable way that benefits NWT residents and upholds our commitment to protect the environment.
By taking steps to develop a clear policy and direction for mineral development in the NWT, the GNWT is making a solid commitment to strengthening and diversifying our economy.
To advance the strategy, we produced a discussion paper to encourage a public conversation about our mineral development industry. This was distributed at the launch event and has already been sent to people and businesses throughout the territory that have a stake in the industry. It is also available on the ITI website and we are looking for responses from the public.
To encourage this conversation, I have appointed a three-person expert advisory panel to travel throughout the territory and to consult with other stakeholders around Canada. They are gathering feedback and will provide recommendations on drafting the final strategy. We expect to have the strategy completed by June.
Meetings took place in Yellowknife all last week, and Norman Wells and Inuvik this week. The panel is meeting with representatives and executives from diamond mining and mineral exploration companies, industry, training and educational institutions, Aboriginal organizations, local governments and local community organizations, as well as local chambers of commerce.
We have already received valuable input and recommendations about what a final Mineral Development Strategy should contain, and expect to receive even more as these meetings continue.
Our most important stakeholders are those that work in the mineral development sector on an everyday basis. They are the ones who make those initial investments that eventually benefit us all. We have entered into a partnership with the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines to make sure that the strategy is comprehensive and that all key stakeholders have the opportunity to provide their input. I look forward to continuing this discussion in the months ahead. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Abernethy.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the success of legal aid’s Aboriginal Court Work Program. This program has existed for over 30 years, and the court workers were brought into the public service over a decade ago. Our nine court workers are present in the visitors gallery today.
This program ensures that Aboriginal people charged with criminal offences receive timely and accurate information at the earliest possible stage of the criminal justice process. Our court workers also help residents with family law and other legal matters, and help residents navigate the legal aid system. They are also the point people for legal aid’s Community Outreach Program.
We are fortunate to have a group of dedicated and talented court workers, all of whom have made a long-term commitment to the people of the North. Our court workers are located in Behchoko, Fort Good Hope, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik and Yellowknife. They travel into all the communities regularly with the court circuit.
Mr. Speaker, I am not the only one to note the success of this program. Justice Canada recently released the result of the 2011 Northwest Territories Client Survey. This surveyed the program’s clients and found that all of them were either satisfied or very satisfied with the information they received from the court worker.
The survey also showed that 84 percent of the clients were referred to legal services, and that 95 percent of those clients in court had legal representation. These numbers reflect the breadth of coverage available through our Legal Aid Program, and that those in the criminal justice system are being represented.
Finally, I would note that our court workers play an important education role, with more than half of the clients reporting that the information they received from their court workers helped them understand the lawyers, judges and court personnel.
Mr. Speaker, our talented and dedicated court workers are making a difference for those residents who come into contact with the justice system. I will be pleased to officially welcome them to the House at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is committed to strategic communications, coordinated program planning and delivery, and strong working relationships with its partners.
Aurora College is a key part of our educational system and plays a critical role in building a strong, sustainable future for our territory. The college recently reorganized its operational structure and we are reviewing the improvements, analyzing the functional structure and identifying any gaps. We are working with the college to examine, inspect and report on current operations and clarify roles and responsibilities.
Our review includes working with staff to ensure an understanding of roles and responsibilities, operational processes, decision-making, and clear roles and protocols.
The department will use existing resources to fund this review, to cover the years 2009 to 2012, with the completed report and recommendations by March 31, 2013.
Mr. Speaker, as we work together to improve our processes and services, I would like to acknowledge that this is Aurora College Week. All three campuses and 23 community learning centres are hosting activities, including presentations, fundraisers, contests and games. This is an annual celebration of college spirit that brings together students and staff outside the classroom. The college is a strong advocate of community-based learning, and works to foster strong ties with communities. This celebratory week also encourages the public to learn about Aurora College’s many programs and opportunities for upgrading and training. The department proudly supports Aurora College and takes part in celebrating Aurora College Week.
Mr. Speaker, our people are our territory’s greatest resource. We must make sure they have tools and opportunities to realize their potential. Having effective and efficient operations in place will not only strengthen our partnership with Aurora College, it will contribute to this Assembly’s goal of a strong and independent North. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every morning in committee we discuss the previous day’s business, so I’d like to talk a little bit about yesterday’s business in this House. We’ll call it previous day’s business.
I’m disappointed that when the Members of this House passed a motion suggesting that we could possibly look at some money to put into the conversion of electric hot water heaters to diesel hot water heaters as a means of some energy efficiency on this side of the House, that it was met with such disdain by the Minister of ENR.
I carefully read over Hansard, and actually you cannot read in the actual words the tone of what we felt over here after we passed that motion. Of course, we know we’ve been through six months of business plans, of course we know this wasn’t brought up before, but as Members on this side of the House, we do have the right to bring forth what we consider to be, collectively, a good idea at any time that we want to.
The Minister was clearly… Well, I don’t know what the word is; I have to be careful here. It appeared that the Minister was annoyed by our suggestion, and I do not appreciate that. Yes, there is possibility of LNG in the future. Yes, there may be already many good initiatives going on, but this was a little idea that we came up with up on this side of the House and I felt like the response from the government, vis-a-vis the Minister of ENR, was very dismissive, I felt like the answer was condescending in the sense that we know we can’t pull out the power subsidy from our constituents right now, suggesting that that that’s the only place where we could get a little bit of money to change over electric hot water heaters to diesel hot water heaters.
Oh, well, let’s go back to the PUB then and let’s cut the subsidy for all the power rates in the Northwest Territories. That’s not an alternative. There’s lots of money being spent other places in this government other than with the power subsidy, where, if we wanted to find a little bit of money to do this, we could do so. But to throw that out there was almost like, oh, my gosh, no, we can’t do that, I mean, it struck fear in the heart of people to think that we as a group would possibly support such a pullback on that power subsidy. You couldn’t do that on short notice and in a rash kind of a way.
All I’m saying is we do have the odd idea over here, we like to put it forward. Thanks for the respect. If you could just give us the time of day. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to rise here today and wish my wife of 21 years, Cindy, a happy Valentine’s Day.
Today I want to let all NWT First Nation students know from grade school to high school about an exciting national video contest that is being hosted by the Assembly of First Nations. AFN wants students to talk about their school and education. What do they like about their school? How is their school making a difference in their life? How would they like to change it to make it even better? If they could change things, what change would they make and what would their education be if it was to be better? These are just some of the topics that students can choose from.
All students participating in this contest will have the opportunity to win a school visit by National Chief Shawn Atleo. A lottery will be held for all participants and a name will be chosen at random. The cool thing is that National Chief Atleo will visit the winner’s school before the end of the 2013 school year.
The students don’t have much time. This contest closes on February 28, 2013. So if you’re listening in, you can go to the Assembly of First Nations website at www.afn.com or e-mail to @email.
I strongly encourage all NWT First Nation students to pick up a video camera or, for most of them, just to use their trusty old smartphone and get creative. Let’s see if we can have a winner here from the Northwest Territories. Good luck. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is not only Valentine’s Day, as evidenced by my colleague Mr. Dolynny, but it is also the 15th anniversary of V-Day.
V-Day is an organized response against violence towards women. Today is also the launch of a new campaign, the One Billion Rising Campaign. One Billion Rising invites one billion people, representing the number of women on the planet who have been raped or beaten, to walk out of their jobs, schools, homes, and dance. I won’t be dancing today, but maybe next year we’ll all be dancing.
The One Billion Rising Campaign can be a catalyst. It can unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts, and it can lay the groundwork for new educational, protective and legislative endeavours throughout the world.
Here in the NWT, family violence is a huge issue and work is being done to address the issue of family violence in the NWT. The Coalition Against Family Violence, in existence for some time now, is a territorial interagency group that brings together individuals, non-government and government agencies to share information and put in place projects in keeping with their mandate. As a collaborative, they have a strong voice and bring a vast amount of expertise and experience to the table. Some of the initiatives that have developed include Family Violence Awareness Week, Take Back the Night, White Ribbon Campaign and the healing program for men who use violence, as mentioned by Minister Abernethy.
Over the years, the coalition has developed an action plan to combat family violence. We are now on phase 3 of that plan. The action plan phase 3, was released last year with 19 recommendations. Many of those recommendations need funding for the coalition to accomplish them and to keep the coalition’s momentum going. The coalition has accomplished a lot, but the work is far from finished.
A recent recommendation from the NWT chief coroner, following the death of Alice Black in 2009, calls for a long-term public education campaign similar to an anti-smoking campaign, to curb the culture of acceptance of domestic and family violence. These are the sorts of things the coalition is working towards. On this day, V-Day 2013, we as legislators and policymakers must remember our role in helping the coalition achieve their goal of reducing family violence in the NWT. We in the NWT can join the one billion rising. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to call Members’ attention to the new social movement called Idle No More. Idle No More started last November at a teach-in in Saskatoon which was held to protest Bill C-45. There the founders pledged to be idle no more in defending the environment and indigenous sovereignty. Thanks to social media, Idle No More spread like wildfire across Canada and around the world. In Denendeh, events took place in Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Hay River, Yellowknife, Behchoko and at the Deh Cho Bridge in my riding.
Idle No More supported the fast of Attawaspiskat Chief Theresa Spence which led to an important meeting between Aboriginal leaders and the Prime Minister on January 11th. Chief Spence helped broaden the movement’s purpose to include concerns about living conditions in First Nations communities and especially about the broken relationship between Canada and its Aboriginal peoples.
The end of Chief Spence’s fast was not the end of Idle No More. Idle No More is organizing national events on February 14th, today, in solidarity with the Women’s Memorial March, which is a national campaign for missing and murdered Aboriginal women, and Have a Heart Day, an initiative to support indigenous children. Creative acts of awareness, resistance and solidarity are being encouraged. Idle No More has done much in a very short time to educate both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians about indigenous rights and issues, and I commend them. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow your lead and acknowledge my wife, Sue, of almost 13 years. I want to say, when you add the wind chill to that some days…
---Laughter
… it’s still 13 years happily married, Mr. Speaker.
A great deal has been said in the House and in the media this week about disturbing news that the Mackenzie Valley Review Board has fired, not laid off, fired six members of their staff. I am sure that every Member of this House would agree it is detrimental to the protection of our environment in the NWT, and our federal government Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada has failed to provide supplementary funding that is much needed and, as we all know, is necessary for this review board to do their work. This is not a case of doing more with less. This is clearly a case of doing less with less. I only wonder when industry is all of a sudden going to catch up and realize what is happening, because this will affect their critical work that they need done.
I’m told that two of them were let go before their maternity leave even began. Another, a constituent of mine, is a single parent who does not have enough time in the review board to qualify for EI. This affects real lives.
Yesterday my colleague from Weledeh asked the Premier if the GNWT was consulted about the reduction of these six MVEIRB positions. I can advise this House that not even the affected employees were consulted about this in advance. So, in fact, there was no prior warning, and that’s a serious shame.
On Tuesday the Premier rightly observed that there was little the GNWT can do with respect to the MVEIRB board in ANSI’s funding position. However, like anything, there’s always an opportunity. So later today I will be asking the Premier about what he can do with my suggestion, which will be about putting these people who’ve just been let go on a GNWT priority list because we have to show that we care. This is an interagency that does great work in the North and it’s critical. Let’s not abandon these people the way they were abandoned last week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Love is in the House today.
---Laughter
I’ll continue mine with love for Highway No. 7. The government is sending clear messages that the Northwest Territories is open for development like never before. The mineral development, the Economic Opportunities Strategy, NWT Days in Ottawa and increased funding for tourism all show Canada and the world that the Northwest Territories is the place to invest. Yet, anyone driving north on Highway No. 7 from BC would wonder, do we really mean it.
Highway No. 7 is a gateway to the North. It enters the BC border to Fort Liard and to Fort Simpson and it also services the community of Nahanni Butte. I don’t need to remind government and the Department of Transportation on how the condition of that highway affects my constituents and travellers coming north. My constituents have always told me the highway makes our living and it brings work to us.
The community of Fort Liard is willing to partner with the GNWT this year to improve chipseal, but the millions of dollars budgeted for Highway No. 7 is like a band-aid on a broken leg.
The Deh Cho, one of the most spectacular regions of the Northwest Territories, and home to the Nahanni National Park Reserve, has seen less visitors every year. ITI recorded a total of 39 day-use visitors at the Deh Cho parks in 2011-12. Previous years saw 10 times that many.
The Prairie Creek Canadian Zinc Mine needs reliable transportation corridors to fulfill commitments in its socio-economic agreement and to its shareholders. Devolution is expected to bring new positions to our communities, and people relocating to the Deh Cho region will expect highway infrastructure that is reasonably comparable to other parts of Canada.
Already oil companies are travelling through my riding as they explore the central Mackenzie Valley shale play. We only need to look south to the boom in northeastern BC and north to the Sahtu to see oil and gas potential to the Deh Cho region.
We cannot afford a treacherous highway. The tourism and benefits alone would pay for its reconstruction. If we take our communities and economic development in the Northwest Territories seriously, we need infrastructure that supports it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just a heads-up, this possibly could be the best Member’s statement that I’ve given to date.
---Laughter
Now that I’ve got your attention on this day of love, I had the great opportunity of getting such great news today on the birth of Ms. Kali Ann Martha Wood, the healthy daughter of Bryan Wood and my beloved little sister, Heather Moses.
---Applause
Kali Ann Martha Wood was born at 11:00 p.m. last night with a healthy weight of 8 pounds 22 ounces. I want to wish both Bryan and Heather all the best in their journey together, and their journey and responsibility to be great parents and to ensure the healthy growth and development of little Kali Ann. They have made two families very proud and made one proud uncle in front of you today. They will be great parents.
I’d like to ask the Members to join me in welcoming Ms. Kali Ann Martha Wood into the world and to welcome our newest resident of the NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I follow your lead and also wish happy Valentine’s Day to my most lovely wife, Marianne.
Business administration students at Aurora College have appealed for the creation of a third-year degree-granting program. I support that request. The current two-year diploma-granting program is filled to capacity. Currently, diploma graduates seeking a baccalaureate degree must transfer to a southern institution to complete their studies, or take distance education. Students say 87 percent of them – Mr. Moses might take note – have children, and point out that the demands of moving away to continue in a degree, deal with SFA at a distance, raise their families and work multiple jobs is, “not a task for the faint at heart.”
Our students, obviously, have heart. But they say that a full degree program would encourage more current students to complete degrees and attract more students from NWT secondary schools to business administration programs, all of them ending up with higher credentials.
They’ve collected 36 signatures on a petition asking for the program expansion, which I will take later today. The petition says, “Courses and professional experiences found here are comparable to any other college in Canada,” and that they are very enthusiastic for the opportunity to learn and develop here in the North.
The college president is quoted in the media as saying that some third-year courses offered through Athabasca would be discontinued last year due to some bumps in the road. But she’s also quoted as saying the Athabasca courses could be reinstated as early as next year.
Our society and the economy need these graduates. As a provider of educational services, this government must respond to the students’ enthusiasm for northern education and higher learning. We need to promote their opportunities and make every effort to keep these graduates and their families in the North. We can’t risk losing their energy to southern employers.
This Assembly and our Minister of Education needs to make sure this happens. I will have questions for the Minister of Education about removing any bumps in the road and having this program ready to smoothly accept third-year enrolment in the fall. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to also send out my happy Valentine’s Day to the people. Somebody sent me a note here and it says, “I love you.” Whoever that is…(inaudible)…
---Laughter
…(inaudible)…also to my lovely wife, and I certainly send my love out to the people in the Sahtu, especially people from the Sahtu who are in the gallery and are friends. I want to say that.
I want to get on with my Member’s statement now after all these heartfelt sentiments I’ve said.
Keeping jobs in the North is my concern today. Industry and the Government of the Northwest Territories signs economic agreements before the production phase of any mining projects. Industry agrees to use their best efforts to define priorities and keeping employment targets. Sadly, these targets fail to be met. We hear many explanations: lack of skilled workers, people unwilling to relocate to the Northwest Territories, addictions limit workers’ employability. However, only two mines include the Sahtu in worker points of pickup. People in the Sahtu have to travel to Deline or Norman Wells, if not Inuvik or Yellowknife, in order to work at one of the diamond mines. Oil and gas exploration is taking place in the Sahtu, but in the meantime, people have to work and need to work. They need to develop skills and experience so they can benefit from future opportunities closer to home.
Engagement with industry is, so far, the way we have chosen to hold mines accountable to the socio-economic agreements. Government makes an effort to work with industry that, in turn, has some expectations from this government. There are many areas where we can work as government with industry, to increase the presence of northern hire. We need to invest in a skilled workforce. If someone can’t get hired because of addictions, that person needs assessable treatment options. We need to teach life skills and help people experience a better, cleaner way to live. We need to reduce the cost of living to make the Northwest Territories a more attractive place to live and work. We need good employment incentives. The Canol shale oil play can be an economic game changer.
How do we hold industry to account for the ways they work with people on our land? How do we ensure we get the most of the socio-economic agreements and negotiate in the future by making these agreements work today? We need to work for a common goal and find the best solution for people and industry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to wish everybody a happy Valentine’s Day here today, as well out in the Northwest Territories. I think we all need to appreciate our family and friends out there. One of the things that’s most difficult is when we have those families and friends who have passed away, and we’ve had a few people in Hay River the last while I’d like to mention.
Vern Tordoff, a long-term town councillor who passed away during Christmas. He will be missed.
Delphine McKay, a long-term resident of Hay River who helped out lots in the school. She will definitely be missed.
Mr. Bill Parker, who’s in a race car in the big racetrack in the sky right now hopefully tuning up his engines, helping the good Lord up there.
I think this is the best time when we need to thank our families and friends, and think of those people who have gone by. I think back of Ed Barnhart, a friend of mine who worked for me and this was his birthday.
As we open up our hearts, I’d like to challenge my colleagues here. February is Heart and Stroke Month and I’d like to challenge them. I have made a $100 donation and I’d like to challenge them to do the same.
I’d like to also give a big thanks to the Pages from Hay River North who were here this week: Grace Osted and Novie Bordey. I’d like to thank them for their hard work today and during this week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to wish everyone in the Mackenzie Delta a happy Valentine’s Day, and also to all my colleagues here, everybody who’s gathered.
The 2013-14 budget anticipates reduced staff in the Beaufort-Delta Education Council. Right now funding to our education council is based on the number of students expected to enroll in school, not on the needs of children or the hardworking teachers and administrators.
My constituents in Aklavik and Fort McPherson tell me that they need more teachers. In Tsiigehtchic there is only one teacher for up to three grades.
There are serious gaps in the student achievement between small communities and regional centres. There’s less structure for early childhood development that paves the way for learning at school. If anything, children in our communities need more one-on-one support with their teachers.
Even a child who grows up in a healthy, stimulating environment often needs extra help to succeed. School can be a positive, motivating experience for children when teachers have time and resources that they need. A manageable workload also helps attract talented professionals to our small communities, exactly where the 17th Assembly wants to increase a number of positions.
The funding formula for education councils fails to recognize the teacher in Tsiigehtchic who’s managing three grades. We really need to look at how we support the schools in our hamlets and villages. As a government, we may not be able to put state-of-the-art facilities in each of the 33 communities, but all the students in the Northwest Territories deserve an equal opportunity to succeed. We should staff our schools in a way that gives our future children a chance to succeed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I have a number of people I would like to recognize. First I would like to recognize Charlene Doolittle, who is the new executive director of legal aid. Charlene is the first Aboriginal woman to hold the position and lives here in Yellowknife.
I would also like to recognize our court workers who are really the heart and soul of the Aboriginal Court Worker Program. They are Val Watsyk from Yellowknife, Sally Card from Yellowknife, Daphne Lafferty from Fort Good Hope, Maureen Maurice from Hay River, Pat Waugh from Fort Simpson, Sheila Nasogaluak from Inuvik, Shari Olsen from Fort Smith and Rose Lamouelle from Behchoko. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank each of these individuals for all that they do for the people of the Northwest Territories. Their hard work, commitment and dedication are truly appreciated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Lafferty.
[English translation not provided.]
I would just like to recognize Rose Lamouelle, who is here with us as well, one of the greatest court workers.
---Laughter
Mr. Miltenberger.
I, as well, would like to recognize one of the hardworking court workers and that would be Shari Olsen from Fort Smith. I welcome her to the Assembly. Thank you.
