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.

Speaker: Mr. Mercer

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

David Krutko

Mackenzie Delta

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?