Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I mentioned that May 26th was the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation, and this government has been the only government on record to recognize May 26th as this day for the residential school survivors. I would ask the Premier of the Northwest Territories, in terms of his leadership of this government here if any type of gesture is going to be made in this Assembly to recognize May 26th as a day that we made a formal motion to recognize this day across the Northwest Territories for all survivors of the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member has pointed out, the Assembly of the Northwest Territories has in the past endorsed this, recognized that. We stand by that. Looking at the date and the time, we feel that is a commitment that still stands today. If Members would like to do something, we would be willing to sit down and have a discussion.
I’m not too sure if we’ll have enough time for how quickly we can engage the Members to see if we want to do something. I want to ask the Premier in terms of his leadership, in terms of the leader of this government here, in terms of taking a leadership role to say something on behalf of this government in terms of May 26 being the day that we recognize, in this government here, as the national reconciliation healing day for residential school survivors. Will the Premier do something?
Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to engage Members to see where they’d like to see something done. Being that the day has passed, in the past we’ve recognized the day when we were in session. Again, the fact that previous Assemblies stood by this and, as the Member has pointed out, we’re the only Assembly who has done that, we stand by that. With the short days we do have, as the Member has highlighted, there are quite a number of messages that we have to get out, but I’d be prepared to engage Members to see if we make any adjustments to what we’re prepared to make statements on. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Premier, if he would give that some serious consideration in engaging the Members of the House here. I understand, also, Mr. Speaker, that other days of territorial significance or national recognition of different events or activities, that this government here does make a statement here. This being one that affects all the people in the Northwest Territories, would the Premier take on the consideration if he would come forward with a statement from the Premier’s office in terms of this specific day? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, if the Member had approached me sooner, we probably could have started a discussion to see if we could make some adjustments to our planning scheduled around the sitting days. As I have committed, I am prepared to sit down and engage Members to see if there’s a willingness to do that. I believe, again, the motion was an Assembly one. If we could, even myself, as a statement, or through that, we could look at doing something of that nature. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, these significant days in our people’s lives, sometimes I think it would be a wonderful consideration if the government could take it on its onus to advance these types of issues forward in terms of a motion like this in the House here. So I would appreciate if the Premier could take it on in his leadership to engage the Members to see if something can be done within this short life of this Assembly here, to recognize this important day for the survivors of the residential schools.
As I had said earlier, yes, I am prepared to sit down with Members. If it’s a polling, one on one, to sit down and find out where we can move on this area. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
