Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to take the opportunity to thank two colleagues who are retiring. It’s been an honour to serve with Mr. Bromley and Ms. Bisaro during this term. I’ve learned a lot from them and it’s been a privilege.
In a statement to their constituencies, I know they’re not seeking re-election, but you’ve placed two very honourable people who have effectively done their work and represented their constituency to the best of their ability. They have been remarkable models, in terms of trying to model my work, and I really thank them. It’s been truly an honour to serve with them.
Also, with the colleagues here, mahsi, and the staff as well. It’s been a growing experience for the past four years.
I just wanted to take a moment to reflect upon the buzz words of the 17th Assembly, so with your indulgence, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to read my statement.
I have learned a great deal as a Member of the 17th Legislative Assembly. Our verbal jujitsu with Minister Miltenberger and other Members has expanded my vocabulary and given new meaning to words and concepts I thought I understood. I offer a quick piece of this not so brave new world.
I’ll begin with the words yes and no. Simple, eh? Not so fast. It is very common for yes to actually mean no. For example, when Cabinet said yes to Regular Members’ persuasive arguments to boost its health promotion budget ever so slightly, it actually meant okay, but no, we will not spend that money anyway. Was there money available? Yes. Was it put to good use? No. I now pin promises to my desk here with six inch nails from now on.
There’s a fancy term, “fiscal restraint.” That is a close relative of the word no. But the meaning of fiscal restraint has at least 150 shades of grey. In the rare air of the Cabinet room, fiscal restraint is good for a million dollar pop in a supplementary appropriation, normally called extra dollars. Good for, say, five new positions in communications for the Department of Executive right out of the magician’s hat.
Fiscal restraint of an entirely different shade is at work when Members try to get nurses, health workers, alcohol and addictions counsellors, social workers, wellness workers and policing to our small communities. The vacant jobs are the very stuff of fiscal restraint.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
There’s money in the budget for some of them, just no bodies in the jobs. So, big savings of a very perverse sort. Big savings that cost our people and our government.
As you can see, fiscal restraint can also mean shameful neglect. Having had some of the boundaries of my comprehension stretched so far, no wonder I came to believe, thanks to my colleague from Nahendeh, that the seven deadly sins were all related to the perpetually pot-holed and pot-marked Highway No. 7, along with many other sins of deadly fiscal omission. So I thank the Member for correcting me with his e-mail the other day. It seems that a handful of the seven deadly sins actually apply to the Inuvik-Tuk Highway.
I cannot leave this topic without a few words about the oft spouted, ever nebulous devolve and evolve. Seductive. Devolve and evolve. Oh yeah, it sounds great. Devolution is going be good because it really means evolution, almost like revolution. The kind it takes to truly recognize Aboriginal rights, including control of our land, and I’ve worked all my life for that.
I thought and thought about these words, devolve and evolve. I’ve dreamt about them at night. Finally, one day, walking down the boardwalk in Zhatie K’oe, it came to me. The meaning of devolve and evolve is just a spin-o-rama of hogwash. It comes out of the machine all neat and dry and sounding sweet. Devolve and evolve. It’s just the same old federal government bunk. It will be up to the Members of the 18th Assembly to recast these words. We have not lived up to the heady promise of devolve and evolve.
Just one more thing. I don’t mean to be harsh. As Members, some of us facing election and some not, we’re all about to devolve and evolve in a more meaningful way. Let us all do it right. Let us stand by our deeds and be measured by them.
I wish you well, colleagues. I’m glad all our judo has been verbal. To my constituents, mahsi, mahsi cho, thank you for helping me. Thank you for standing by me through thick and thin. That has been the real meaning.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement is going to be consistent with my Member’s statements in the last 12 years. I’m going to do a Member’s song following the song from the legend George “Awesome” Jones. The title is “I Don’t Need Your Rocking Chair.”
Mr. Speaker, I don’t need your rocking chair, but it would be nice to get medicare, such escorts for our seniors’ care. No questions asked, our health care. I’ve still got politics in my veins. So does Michael and Jane.
---Laughter
This grey hair doesn’t mean a thing. I do my rocking in the hills, mile 222 to Norman Wells. My body is old, but it’s not frail. I ain’t seen you on the Canol Trail. Retirement don’t fit my plans just yet. I’m getting on, but I don’t project. They make rules on how to frack. Sounds good to me, I might just come back.
I don’t need your rocking chair, but it would be nice to get medicare, such as escorts for our seniors’ care. Until we get a road to the Sahtu, I’ll see you and you’ll see me before someone releases it to CBC.
I ain’t ready for retirement yet, and I don’t need unanimous consent. It may take a little longer, but I’ll get there.
One more verse, Mr. Chair.
At the liquor store in Norman Wells, no restrictions on how much they can sell. We wrote a bill and got it through and it’s in the books. Hey, no more dirty looks.
Now, no, I don’t need your rocking chair. It would be nice to get medicare, such as escorts for our seniors’ care. My eyes are good, and so are my ears. I’m coming back for four more years.
---Applause
Mr. Speaker, an Inuit needs a Frigidaire like I need your rocking chair.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank some people, so I would seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
This being the last session of our Assembly, I want to thank the people in the Sahtu for the privilege of serving them for these number of years. I also want to thank the support and staff through my role as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, Ms. Lorraine Bezha, who has been there to support me through thick and thin. I also want to thank Mr. Andrew John Kenny, my confidant and elder who stood by me through some very hard times in my personal life.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank my two colleagues who are leaving us and taking on a different role in their lives. Although Mr. Bromley and I at times do not agree on points of issues, I respect the gentleman and I wish him well. After all, we all want the same thing, but we’re just coming from a different process of how to get it. So, I thank him for the opportunity of working with him.
I also want to wish well my colleague Ms. Bisaro for her work and her steady eyes that were not off task. When we’re off task, she gets us back. So, I ask Ms. Bisaro to take care of herself and look after herself. It’s been an honour to sit and work with you.
Also, with our staff that we have before us that guide us through this whole process through our office. Number one, number one people to work in the books. Number one to work with us.
Lastly, to my family, my wife and my son and my family members, I really appreciate what they have done for me so I could do this work here. They made sacrifices, whatever it took them, so I could stand here and work on behalf of my people.
I do want to say to my people in the Sahtu, they have allowed me to be their voice for the last 12 years and it’s a very sacred privilege I hold for them.
I want to wish, as my colleague Mr. Menicoche said, all the other Members around here well in your life. Look after yourself. I got a little tear coming down because when I first became elected – Mr. Speaker, I know I’m running out of time – my mom said, “I never thought in my dreams my little baby boy would become an MLA. Never in my wildest dreams,” she said, “I’ll see my son be in a situation like this.” That’s why I think about her and this is why I wear this coat. She made it along with my aunties, to honour her for the love that she’s given us. With strict discipline, she brought us up to live a good life and sometimes we don’t listen to our parents.
So, I just want to say that to my colleagues here across the table, it’s an honour. We had a lot of work and, you know, you’re like us. I want to say good luck to the people who are going to put their names into this row here. May God bless you. You are called and I wish you well. It’s an honour, Mr. Speaker, to stand here and to say that.
To my wife and to my son Chase, I love you. Like some of the Members said, in my heart you walk with me. I want to say to the elders in the Sahtu, thank you so much for allowing me to carry your voice in the last four years. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been an honour and a privilege to continue to serve the constituents of Kam Lake, this House, its Members and the residents of the Northwest Territories. I want to wish everybody good luck and best wishes as the end of the 17th Assembly comes to close, especially my colleagues Ms. Bromley…
---Laughter
Ms. Bisaro and Mr. Bromley.
A bit of a Freudian slip. There’s never been any jokes about that.
But all kidding aside, I wish both of my colleagues all the best in your retirement. It’s been a pleasure to work with you both. I know the constituents in both Weledeh and Frame Lake have been very well-served with both MLAs.
I also want to thank very much my support staff in my office upstairs: Ryan Strain, my executive assistant; Corinne Kruse, my executive secretary; and I want to thank Mrs. Groenewegen for allowing me to share the services of Ms. Wendy Morgan. Wendy’s been a great constituency assistant and I want to thank her very much for her work.
I also want to thank all the staff at the Department of Justice and the Department of ITI, especially deputy ministers Peter Vician and also Sylvia Haener for all the work that they put into supporting my position here as Minister.
Mr. Speaker, others have mentioned it and we wouldn’t be able to do our jobs if it wasn’t for the love and support of our families back home. For me, I just want to say a special thanks to my wife, Michelle, my kids, Malachi, Elijah, Adeline, and now Donavan, and for all the love and support that they give me. Really, I wouldn’t be able to do the job without the support of my wife, so thank you very much, Michelle.
Thank you very much, again, to the constituents of Kam Lake. They put their faith, their trust in me to do the job here at the Legislature on their behalf, and I’m certainly looking forward to getting back out on the election trail and talking to all the constituents in Kam Lake again during the election campaign.
So, with that, Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for your role here in heading up the Legislative Assembly. It’s been a pleasure to work with you. The Board of Management, my Cabinet colleagues and everyone, I wish everybody all the best and Godspeed. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This being the last day of session for the 17th Assembly, I thought it was a good opportunity to stand up and give some thank yous and some highlights of the last four years. I can’t believe how quickly, I think a couple Members mentioned, the last four years have gone. It seems like we were just getting sworn in and now we’re out the door.
Some highlights for myself personally in the 17th Assembly was being a witness on behalf of the Government of the NWT to the Gwich’in signing on to devolution. Speaking of the induction ceremony for Sharon and Shirley Firth’s induction into the NWT Sport Hall of Fame was also another highlight, and officially opening East Three School. I mean, that was a fantastic and exciting time for myself, for the people and students and Inuvik.
Finally, as a witness on behalf of the government to the Inuvialuit Self-Government Agreement-in-Principle was another fantastic highlight.
I, along with the rest of my colleagues, would like to wish Mr. Bromley and Ms. Bisaro well in their retirement. I’ve had fun working with you, and, Bob, I was just kidding about you being left out in the Delta somewhere.
---Laughter
You will have lots of time to explore the Delta now and I’ll come look for you. Our support staff, as Mr. Ramsay mentioned, make doing our job a lot easier, from the staff here at the Legislative Assembly, who have been mentioned a few times, to the two constituency assistants that I’ve had, Leah Ipana and Krysten Cardinal and executive secretary Daylyn Kakfwi. Mr. Rob Collinson is a great source of advice. I call Robert my Jiminy Cricket. He keeps me on the straight and narrow. Robert said, “We have to let committee know,” and I say, “I don’t want to let committee know.” He says, “No, we have to.” I say, “I know we do. I’m just playing with you.” It gets him going. He’s been a great help in my career as a Minister. I appreciate that.
It’s been said on a number of occasions about our constituents. It’s been an honour to represent the constituents of Inuvik Twin Lakes the last 11 years. We don’t always get the results we wanted, but we continue to work through the issues. I look forward to the opportunity, if they are willing, to represent them again for the next four years.
To my colleagues, again, it’s been…
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
To all my colleagues in the Assembly, we’ve brought issues forward to each other. Again, we haven’t always gotten the results we’ve wanted, but I respect the passion that you’ve brought to your issues. Your constituencies were well-represented.
Most importantly, we aren’t able to do this job, as many Members said, without the support of our families. When I started in 2004, I had my wife, Judy, three children and one future son-in-law. We’re up to 12 now. I’ve got five grandchildren who just wait for Grandpa to come home, especially if he stops by the store on the way home. I’ve appreciated their support. My wife, Judy, has been a huge support and it makes doing what we do a lot easier. We come down here and do what we do, but they’re at home looking after the household and making sure things continue to run along smoothly. So, I appreciate all the support.
I thank Members again for I wouldn’t call them vows, but I thank Members again for the relationship over the last four years and I wish you all well in all that you do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I first want to start off saying it’s been an incredible honour to be here for the last 12 years. The journey as being the MLA for Yellowknife Centre has always been an exciting one. Some days have been more fun than others, but I can tell you, all Members of this House can agree it’s a passionate challenge we all do.
Most of my colleagues – except for the two lucky ones here – we will all be putting their case to the constituents once again, hoping for another mandate, if their support thinks I’m worthy.
I have to stress wholeheartedly that I’m grateful for my supportive home. I couldn’t do this job, like my colleagues have said, without my wife and my two sons, McKinley and Hudson. When I was first elected 12 years ago, I had one wife. I didn’t get 12 family members like the Minister just said, but I had one wife and a two-year-old son. We used to come here every day and I’d be tripping over Thomas the Train and little cars and things. It evolved into two sons and we were playing trains on the weekends sometimes, as I’m supposed to be reading my briefing stuff, but we always found family time. That’s what we did and we evolved, not quite how Mr. Nadli described it, but we devolved and evolved our relationship here and I brought my kids into it from the start. It’s interesting, as they continue to be some of my most passionate and greatest supporters.
Like my two colleagues next to me, I do want to talk about some of the reflections and highlights over this last term. I think it’s important to talk about devolution. I will start with devolution. Devolution was certainly an incredible first step on the journey and the aspirations of the people of the Northwest Territories. It was a rough ride, but by all means, as I have described it before, Home Rule was an important step for this territory to take and I’m glad we took it. I’m glad we took it in this Assembly so we can look back and say we finally did it. How many successful Assemblies previous to us tried to get it done? This is the first one that we can actually say we have the key to the cars, the keys to our own destiny and we’re driving forward.
Over the last four years, we’ve continued to see challenges with addictions and it does bother me seriously. I wish our territory could do more. I know, no matter how much money we throw at the problem, it may be challenging. We need to address these problems. I have to admit that I was very glad to see, the other day, that the Mental Health Act has finally gotten through. It will make a difference in people’s lives and saving lives.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The last four years have seen the troubling brick of the high cost of living weighing down on our northern families, struggling with the power rates or even the cost of fuel. Within this great vice, there is also a huge opportunity. There are the renewable areas such as biomass and solar, which our government hopefully will be looking forward to in the near future. We must not forget, we must look towards population growth.
Everywhere I look around, I’ve seen people struggle trying to get jobs, whether they are summer students, people with disabilities or even seniors. Even the public service jobs that constantly get funded but sit empty is a struggle.
The last few years my favourite people to work with are certainly youth and seniors. To that, I have loved every opportunity to get out to the schools and talk to the kids or even at Avens and visiting. That has brought great enjoyment to my life and sometimes it reminds us how important the work we do here is.
Speaking of which, I was glad to be part of the missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls motion. I was very excited this House could support that. As a matter of fact, it still stands to the test that this is such an important issue that more work needs to get done. Interestingly enough, no other Legislature, to my knowledge, has passed a similar motion. I think that’s a statement of the type of Legislature we are and the issues we care about. It was an important message and it certainly is an important motion.
The days ahead will see many opportunities for us, and I’m always concerned about the working family. I’m always worried that our government can’t seem to find consumer protection on its agenda. But worrying about our citizens under the context of 911, we finally took the first step this year to say we’re going to do it. I guess, as my colleague said, we’ve devolved and now we will evolve on that issue.
One of the neat things about downtown is the Yellowknife Day Shelter will continue to strive forward. More importantly, I am so excited to see that this term, under Minister Abernethy, they finally heeded some of the goals and concerns of trying to provide proactive programming. I thank him for that. I’m glad. If you could do a little more on the Aurora College file, it would be greatly appreciated.
As I bring this to a close – I know time is running out – I just want to say thank you very much to my wife. If I’m allowed a second or two more, Mr. Speaker, I’m not allowed to hold up props, but in the 12 years I’ve been an MLA, I have always had a picture of my children here as a reminder of why we’re here.
May I leave this thought with each and every one of us: Of course, we are all excited to get on the campaign trail and, obviously, we all hope for the best. But always remind yourself about what’s important. Each day I come here as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, I’ve always had the picture of my two children sit in front of me to remind me about the values we are supposed to represent here. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect. It doesn’t mean we haven’t had troubled days, we’ve moved along, but we always have to ask ourselves what is the touchstone and it always has to have family and friends.
To my constituents, once again, I say thank you; and to my family, it’s always been an honour to have your help and support through this process. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been sitting here thinking about how everybody is thanking the people they have worked with over the last four years. I thought that perhaps I didn’t do that the first four years I was in here. I have had a lot of help. Lots of people helped me from my constituency. I have a lot of people in the communities of Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution to thank. I’ve worked for them. I’ve travelled often to the communities.
I have had several constituency assistants. I started a constituency assistant initially with Mr. Joe Bailey. We did a lot of good work together. Joe had some experience as a constituency assistant and taught me a lot about writing Member’s statements and getting the point onto the floor of the Assembly. It was interesting because a lot of the stuff that we got we kind of hit the ground running because of the experience he brought working for other veteran MLAs. After that, I had Edith Mack who worked as a constituency assistant. I’d like to thank Edith. She worked for me the longest, for about four years. Now, in the last couple of years I’ve worked with Beverley Catholique from Lutselk'e.
I have community reps, I like to call them, but they end up as constituency assistants anyway, and James Marlowe from Lutselk'e continues to work for me, and the same with Velma Delorme from Fort Resolution. These people work in the background. They don’t do anything other than organize things for me, take calls for me, tell me when I’m coming into the community, who I should go see, what I should be doing and so on while I’m in the community. A lot of the prep work that goes on as I enter the communities, I’d like to say thanks to those people who have been working for me. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I just want to highlight the importance of us being here as representative Members of the Legislative Assembly.
First and foremost, I just want to say thank to the Members. As Members, we serve the public. We have two Members who are leaving us, Mr. Bromley and Ms. Bisaro. I’d just like to say thank you for your time as being part of this Cabinet here for eight years, and I’ve also served two years as a Regular Member. Every time a Member approaches me, obviously, I put my MLA hat on as well to deal with those issues. At the same time, this is an opportunity for us to reach out to our constituencies.
Most of us have stated that, obviously, we want to return because there is a lot of unfinished business ahead of us. At the same time, we have to keep in mind, as I heard around the table, that there is a lot of support staff that we have to recognize. Even with myself, being a Regular Member, all the resource staff that we’ve had, and even sitting here as the executive. Just highlighting my executive assistant, Morven MacPherson has been with me since day one. I’d just like to thank her for all the hard work and keeping me in line, and through secretaries as well. Not only that, the CAs. I’ve gone through plenty of them over the years. I’ve been through eight of them. But at the same time, it’s given me an opportunity to work with different people.
I’ve been through approximately 14 different chiefs and grand chiefs since I became an MLA. I’ve worked with a lot of them with different experiences and different walks of life. I’m very appreciative of all the work experience. My constituents, I’d just like to say thank you to them for giving me the opportunity to serve them over the past 10 years.
Last but not least, obviously, my family. My wife, Diane, and my five beautiful kids. As I’ve been sitting in the House, when we first started, our kids were young. Now I have kids in university, kids working as well. Without them, this would not be possible to stand here to speak to you.
With yourself, Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to say thank you for your support, as well, over the years, and the support staff that we have.
Best of luck to all the Members who are running. Best wishes to Members who are retiring as well. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Well, I’m going to do one today. I’d like to start by saying hello to my son Joseph, who’s watching this back home in Tuk – he’s two and a half years old now – he can switch it back to cartoons. I can’t wait to see you, son.
I’d like to start off by thanking my Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Groenewegen, for all the hard work you’ve done with me in the last four years and supporting me and making some crucial decisions during our time and working together. Thank you so much.
To my board of management, thank you so much for all the hard work you’ve done for the benefit of all our Members. It’s been a good time. I really cherish all you guys, and my two friends. Before you, I was there in the middle between Wendy and Bob. Obviously, I was the rose between two thorns. But they taught me so much, just like you, and I respect them so much.
Bob, yesterday Ms. Spence brought up your mother. God rest her soul. She was always here and always giving us encouragement. She was an awesome lady, and I know you have that in you too. You have a good heart and you want the best for the people.
Wendy, I always called you Mother Superior, because you’re always so hard, making sure everything went down. But I really admired you for that and I really thank you because you’ve been helping me, too, along my way as a Member and as a Speaker too.
To all the Cabinet, thank you so much for all the hard work you guys did, and all my Regular Members, every one of you. I could go on for an hour or so if I was allowed to, but I’m not going to do that to you.
Our support, my support staff, I’d like to thank Nina Larsson, my executive assistant; and my CA back home, Donna Bernhardt, who does so much for us, for the people of Nunakput. People don’t see the hard work that you guys do and the hours you put in and I want to thank her.
I want to also thank Wendy Morgan. Wendy has been there for me too. So, I think there’s about four or five of us that share Wendy. Thank you so much for all your work that you’ve done for the people of Nunakput.
Where do I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?
---Laughter
And there are no nays. How about I keep going? To all my constituents back home, thank you for your support and being there for me when I go visit the communities. To my elders, who we cherish so much across our territory, thank you so much. To all the families that are hurting right now with the stuff that’s going on back home, thoughts and prayers are with all the people who are hurting across our great territory today. Thoughts and prayers are with you from this House.
I’d like to thank my clerks, which I have the best clerks in the Northwest Territories and in the Commonwealth of 170 countries.
---Applause
Thank you, Gail; thank you, Tim; and thank you, Doug; and thanks to all your support staff and our security. Like you guys said earlier today – you said it best, Bob – like you said, we have the best.
To my wife, Jenny, who has been the biggest supporter here, and to all my kids, Chelsey, Kristin, Matthew, Mitchell, Mikayla, and my son Joseph, and my grandson, Alexander. I know I’m a young grandfather too.
It’s been really an honour to work with every one of you. Bob, Wendy, I’ll never forget our times together and Sandy always trying to hit me.
But like I said, again, thank you guys so much, every one of you. God bless you and good luck in your future endeavors. We have 17 days left in this government. So I want all my Members to try to finish all of your constituency work in the last 17 days to try to get some help for the constituents and for the people that we serve. So thank you, Members.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to recognize my wife and to thank her for all her support, Melody McLeod, and her aunt Germaine Michel. I also would like to take this opportunity to recognize Jim Stanton, president of Stanton Associates, who was here earlier, and Paula Walsh, a senior associate with Stanton Associates. They’re both here as keynote speakers at the LGANT Professional Development Conference and they also spoke on how to communicate effectively to manage crisis and they also put on a one-day crisis management conference.
Jim is a former journalist, director of communications with Canada Post. He was an expert on communications and emergency preparedness. Paula has more than 32 years in the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize two people in the gallery today. First, Kieran Testart who is a resident of the Great Slave riding. Second, a long-time friend, more like family. He’s a source of wisdom; he’s a source of advice; he’s a creative conveyor of criticism when needed; he presided over my wedding to my amazing wife, Caroline; and he in fact introduced my parents, so you can kind of blame him for me. Mr. Speaker, in the gallery today, Dr. Ian Gilchrist. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use this opportunity to recognize my wife Judy and appreciate all the support that she’s given me in the last 36 years. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my constituent from Hay River South again today, Germaine Michel, and I’m so glad she came to see the Legislature and have a tour here. It’s her first time, and anybody who lives in our territory should come and enjoy this wonderful building. I’d also like to, again, recognize my constituency assistant of 17 years, Wendy Morgan, and thank her for all of her support and all of her help over these years. To my husband, Rick Groenewegen, he is a good man. Just think of how boring his life would have been without me.
---Laughter
To my beautiful daughter, Jillian, it’s so good to have her here in Yellowknife. As I said, she keeps me company when all of the rest of the family is not here. So I’d like to recognize them today. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I’d like to introduce a fine young man from the riding of Range Lake, a man who has joined us on many occasions here, who is a staunch advocate for transparency and accountability with his recent Open NWT website. That is Mr. David Wasylciw. Keep up the good work. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize constituent Rick Groenewegen and his daughter, Jillian, obviously, and I’d like to thank Wendy again, recognize Wendy Morgan and Hay River resident Germaine Michel as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s always special when we have family members in the gallery and I’d like to particularly start by recognizing my wife, Marianne. Perhaps you could stand up.
---Applause
Much to be said there. I appreciate your comments about my mother. She was here when we started and I’m missing her today. I’d also like to recognize Chief Edward Sangris from Detah. Great to see you here, Chief.
I had quite a number of people show up in the gallery today in support of the work I do. They all seem to be movers and shakers, whether it be in our economy, our social work or our environmental work or putting the dots together for all three; my CA of four years, Craig Yeo; Ian Gilchrist, who we just heard mentioned; Peggy Holroyd; Lloyd Thiessen; Dan Wong; John Stevenson; Tasha Stevenson; Julie Green; Sue Wahlner; Rose Marie Jackson; Christine Wenman. I see Kevin O’Reilly has lasted out our droning on here today, and his wife, Suzette Montreuil, was here earlier, too; and I’d particularly like to recognize my CA, Bob Wilson, whose phone number is… Well, ask me if you don’t know it.
---Laughter
With regard to families, Melody, Judy, Rick and Jillian in the audience, I’d like to recognize them too. It’s always a special moment when you have family members here. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a real pleasure to come into the House today and see so many people in the gallery, and as Mr. Bromley said, some of them have lasted through our droning, others have had to go, but it was great to see so many people. It was also great to see so many people sitting on that side, the far side of the Assembly so that we can actually see them from the Regular Members’ seats.
I have two constituents who I want to recognize, Suzette Montreuil has had to go, but Mr. Kevin O’Reilly, who both he and Suzette have been great supporters. So, thank you both of you for coming and for all the work that you do on behalf of residents of the NWT and particularly Yellowknife. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize Ms. Judy McLeod and thank her for supporting my colleague here, Mr. McLeod, over the eight years. You’re doing a great job, and also for all the work you do, again, for the region, in the health area.
It is Fire Prevention Week and I’d like to recognize Mr. John Moore from Inuvik, who is a volunteer firefighter for the community. I’d also like to recognize my constituency assistant, Ms. Weronika Murray. When my previous assistant decided to take a year off, there were some big shoes to fill and I was wondering how that was going to happen with all the work that our office does, and Weronica came in and jumped right into the position and she’s been doing a very great job and keeping the office in order and keeping it efficient for constituents back home and even residents throughout the Northwest Territories. So, thank you very much. I’d just like to welcome everybody here to our last day in the House. I think they’re just making sure we leave. So, thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to also recognize the family members that have come today to support the Members in this House here. It’s very nice to have them come. I know the sacrifice they have to do so that we can do our work with the fullest attention to our constituents.
I also want to recognize Chief Sangris, Mr. Bromley’s constituent, with the Akaitcho. The Yellowknives people here wanted their ancestors here so we can stand here and do this work.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize Geraldine with Mrs. McLeod here. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Geraldine. I had to ask the Premier, “Is that Geraldine?” I wanted to say that. Sometimes it’s good to see old friends come back still in good spirits.
I want to also recognize my constituency assistant, Ms. Lorraine Bezha, and the other constituency assistants who have been with me. For Ms. Bezha’s hard work and commitment and dedication to the people of the Sahtu, I’d like to say thank you so much to her and all the other constituency assistants that our Members here have to make sure that we do our job effectively and efficiently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think I have any constituents left in the gallery. They came and then they went, as previously mentioned by colleagues. But I do want to take a second to mention and certainly pass on my kindest regards to Melody McLeod. She’s the Premier’s wife. Every time I see her I’m reminded of an anecdote that Ms. Barbara Bush once said when they asked her what’s it like being her, and she said, “Well, I’ve been married to the President of the United States and my son’s the President of the United States and another son is the Governor of Florida,” and she goes, “I’m the most powerful person in the world.” Every man knows there’s some truth to that story, if your wife knows that. But I first met Melody back in 1987 when I was stolen from the clutches of the warm embrace of Fort Simpson to go to Akaitcho Hall, and I’ll say I’m a better man for it, knowing her there. She had been there for me many times, and I hope sometimes in the future too. Even though I pick on her husband from time to time as the McLeod government, hopefully she’ll still have a warm spot for me in her heart. Thank you very much.
Mr. Ramsay.
