Members, invited guests, members of the public, as Clerk of the Legislative Assembly it is my duty to inform the House that the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Honourable Margaret Thom, is not prepared to enter the Chamber until a Speaker has been elected. I will now open the floor for a motion to elect a Speaker. The Member for Monfwi.
Masi. [Translation] I move, seconded by the Member for Range Lake, that Frederick Blake, Jr., of the electoral district of Mackenzie Delta, do take the Chair of this House as Speaker. [Translation ends]
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
I would now request the mover of the motion and the seconder to please escort the Member for Mackenzie Delta to the Chair.
Thank you, Members, for the trust you have put in me as your Speaker. I will do my very best to uphold that trust.
Colleagues, we have elected the first gender-balanced legislature in Canada. We have elected the only sitting female Premier in Canada, and we have elected the only majority female Cabinet in
Canada. This is truly an Assembly that will go down in history, and I am grateful that you have given me the opportunity to serve as your Speaker.
I heard it said during the campaign that the role of Speaker is largely ceremonial. Those of you who have worked in the Legislative Assembly before know that it is not the case. The Speaker continues to be an MLA and to represent their constituents in this House. In order to maintain the neutrality and objectivity that is required of any presiding officer, they do this by working directly with Cabinet and all Members of the Assembly. As your Speaker, the needs and concerns of the communities I represent, Aklavik, Fort McPherson, and Tsiigehtchic, will always come first.
Colleagues, I would like to recognize the following people who are joining us in the Chamber today:
Grand Chief George Mackenzie;
Charles McNeely;
Chief Edward Sangris;
Chief Ernest Betsina;
Betty Villebrun;
The Honourable Justice Shannon Smallwood;
The Honourable Judge Christine Gagnon;
Brigadier-General Patrick Carpenter; and
Chief Warrant Officer Sherri Forward.
Thank you for being here with us today.
I believe strongly in consensus government. We have heard many times from our constituents, from Indigenous and community leaders, and from each other that we need to work together to make life in the Northwest Territories better. I believe consensus government is how we are best able to do this.
As your Speaker, I will champion our uniquely northern system of government. I will remain open to new ways of doing business because I believe improvements are always possible, but I will resist any changes that I believe will divide us as Members of this Assembly working for the people of this territory.
As your Speaker, I respect the right of all Members to speak their mind in this house. The rules of the Legislative Assembly should not be used to score political points or shut down open debate. That is not the way we solve problems here.
As Speaker, I will resist the use of procedural games to achieve political ends and will always err on the side of allowing more fulsome debate, even if it takes longer.
We need strong leadership in our territory, but every Member should be free to vote the way they choose and the way they feel best represents their people. As Speaker, I will fight to protect this and other rights that Members enjoy.
Colleagues, I promise to make you proud as your Speaker. I promise to do this by being open-minded, consistent, and fair with you, both inside and outside this Chamber. Most importantly, I plan to lead by example and to embody the high standard that we expect of all elected leaders.
Please be seated. Mahsi. [Translation] I am glad that you guys are here, that I am here. I am glad that I am here to open this for you and I am honoured; that would be good for all of us. That is why I feel this way. Thank you. [Translation ends]
Thank you to the drummers. I am happy to be in the House again. I believe strongly that, to open such important work with drum and singing, this is a sacred way to go into the work that you will be doing. Mahsi.
It is once again a pleasure and an honour for me to be in this great House, and I am pleased to welcome each and every one of you to the First Session of the 19th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.
I begin by extending my sincere congratulations to the returning Members, three of whom were acclaimed. By being acclaimed or re-elected, it shows that your constituencies have great confidence in you and they know you will continue to serve them to the best of your ability.
I also extend congratulations to the newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly, and welcome to our consensus form of government.
I need to express how impressed and proud I am with the number of women elected to our government. It is the very first time for our elected government officials to have such gender equality. Mahsi cho.
We must also take the time to thank and extend sincere thanks to the past Members who have served their constituents and our territory in this House. We thank them for their hard work and contributions to the government and to quality of life for all residents of the Northwest Territories. Hopefully, they are making plans to enjoy much-needed time with family and friends.
I would like to welcome all guests in the public gallery who are watching this, and those who are watching these proceedings on television. In the public gallery and in the communities are spouses, families, and friends who should be thanked for their continued love and support. You will all need their support to carry out the very important work that you will do for the people of our territory.
At this time, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to our new Premier, Ms. Caroline Cochrane, and her newly elected Cabinet, Ms. Paulie Chinna, Ms. Diane Thom, Mr. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Shane Thompson, Ms. Caroline Wawzonek, and Ms. Katrina Nokleby.
I would like to congratulate Mr. Fredrick Blake, Jr., on his acclamation as Speaker. The Members of this Assembly will be well served by the fair and good judgment and experience you bring to this vital position. I wish you the very best and have every confidence that you will be successful in your role as Speaker. Mahsi cho.
As Members of this Legislative Assembly and of this House, you will be faced with many challenges during the next four years. Therefore, it is very, very important that you have good balance in your life between work and family. You will need to juggle your time, family commitments, and the important work that you will be involved in. Take care of your physical health, your spiritual health, your emotional health, and mental health, so that you can carry out your duties as Members of the Legislative Assembly.
My good wishes are extended to each and every one of you, and I am confident that you will serve your constituents and the people of the Northwest Territories with fairness and to the very best of your abilities. As your elders would say: be respectful. Be attentive. Listen to each other. Listen to your constituents. Share your knowledge so you can make wise decisions.
Mr. Speaker, before declaring open this First Session of the 19th Legislative Assembly, I would like to invite all Members and visitors in the public gallery to a reception in the Great Hall after the swearing-in of the Executive Council, which will take place at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
As your Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I now declare open the First Session of the 19th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Thank you. Merci beaucoup. Mahsi cho. Quyanainni. Quana.
Thank you. Thank you, Members. We will continue after a 10-minute recess. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] We now have a new government in place. We are very thankful for that. We all have a huge job to do. The Cabinet, as well, has a huge job. The only way to go forward is to support each other. We all want to work well together.
We have the Tlicho leadership here in the gallery to support me, and I thank them. I also thank the Tlicho Nation. They advised me and sent me messages. I am thankful for that. I know that they are standing behind me in support.
Also, I would like to thank my family as well. I know that they love me and support me. My wife, Diane; my children, Jayde, Cheyenne, Sahara, and Denae. I have three children. They also support me. Some days, it is very difficult when you have family, and they really support my work.
Also, Ares Blue is my grandchild. He is two-and-a-half years old. Every time he comes to my house, he gives me a hug. As an MLA, I want to be able to spend more time with my grandchild, so that is why I am on this side. For my children and my family, we need to keep our family first. That is the decision I have made. I also say this to my relatives in the Tlicho Nation. [Translation ends] Masi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome to the House a few members of my home community of Fort Providence. I have Joachim Bonnetrouge and his lovely wife, Nancy Ann; and also, Jim Thom, husband of the Commissioner. Both of these are former Chiefs of our Deh Gah Gotie First Nations. Also, in the new term this Assembly, my colleagues, I have learned over the last little while that they are also knowledge keepers. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bonnetrouge. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to welcome Mr. Andrew Stewart from Tsiigehtchic, and I would like to welcome my wife, Jenny, and my son, Joseph, to the House today. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.
I would like to acknowledge my supporters, Chris Kellander, Maria -- I'm going to say your name wrong -- Wiesner, and Yvonne Quick, and my constituent Joyce Stewart. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Nokleby. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Semmler.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome my husband, Jozef Carnogursky, who is here today.
Thank you, Ms. Semmler. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Thom.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize my husband up in the gallery, Grant Coco Thom, if he is still here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Thom. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Cochrane.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize part of my family and my team. Ms. Coco Paulette; Mr. Dylan Dawe, my son; Bonita, my adopted sister; Karen Cassaway, another half-sister from any different mother; my partner, Rory Styan; my sister, Gladys Bilande; my mother, Shirley Cochrane; my sister, Margaret Cochrane; my brother, Stanley Cochrane; my team, Cathy; my team, incredible team for helping me, Tina and Tram and Moira, I see up there. David, I see, is my constituent. I can't see in back of me. I apologize if I have missed anyone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Cochrane. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Cleveland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome local Kam Lake business owners, Manuel and Marta Jorge, who are sitting up in the gallery today.
Thank you, Ms. Cleveland. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Chinna.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the Sahtu leadership, Chief Danny Erutsi; Grand Chief Wilbert Kochon; directors Roger Boniface and Anne Marie Jackson.
Thank you, Ms. Chinna. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Lafferty.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] If we didn't have interpreters, we wouldn't be able to communicate with each other. That's the way it is. I would like to thank my two interpreters. I would like to thank them. Mary Rose Sundberg is here and also Margaret Mackenzie. I am thankful that they are here to interpret for us. [Translation ends] Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Johnson.
I would like to recognize my constituent, Kelly McLaughlin, as well as Keith MacNeill, former constituent advisor for Yellowknife North. Thank you for all of our hard work. I would also like to recognize Sydney Cowen and her mother, visiting from Toronto, and I would also like to specifically thank Mr. David Wasylciw for all of the work that Open NWT did during our election.
Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Simpson, Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome a constituent who came up from Hay River today for this, Ms. Beatrice Lepine, and I want to thank her for all of her work that she has done for me over the years and all of the work that she does for the community, most recently helping with the families of the fishermen who came up to Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Simpson, Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Beatrice Lepine. She's Member Simpson next to me's constituent, but she helped me out in my campaign and supported me and always supports me. She does lots for the community, and I would like to thank her for that.
I would also like to recognize Ms. Joyce Stewart, as well, from Hay River. I think she's still from Hay River. Anyways, her dad, Mr. Don Stewart was a Speaker here as well in this House many years ago and a well-respected politician, as well.
One other person I would like to recognize is Mr. Jim Thom, as well. He's got an important job. He drives the Commissioner around, so we have to make sure that he is looked after, as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson, Hay River South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Martselos.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Betty Villebrun, who is a member of the Fort Smith Metis Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly. This document, we have all been working hard on. It is formed by all of our platforms. In true consensus government, we came together and we will work on these priorities for the next four years.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Today is October 25th. I would like to make a motion. I move this motion, and Hay River North will second. We have chosen Caroline Cochrane for our Premier. Once this motion is made, I will make a comment on it. [Translation ends]
Notices of motion. Mr. Bonnetrouge.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Assembly recommends to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories that the following Members be appointed to the Executive Council:
Ms. Katrina Nokleby, the Member for Great Slave;
Mr. R.J. Simpson, the Member for Hay River North;
Ms. Diane Thom, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake;
Mr. Shane Thompson, the Member for Nahendeh;
Ms. Paulie Chinna, the Member for Sahtu;
Ms. Caroline Cochrane, the Member for Range Lake; and
Ms. Caroline Wawzonek, Yellowknife South.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bonnetrouge. Notices of motion. Mr. Thompson.
