Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest again this morning as our Finance Minister was on the radio talking about the blind ambition of particularly myself, political ambition to sit on this side of the House. Mr. Speaker, let me tell the people again of the Northwest Territories that I did sit on the other side of the House at one time. I believe it was two governments ago. In 2000 I sat in this House on the Cabinet side and as a result of some things that occurred, which were highly publicized at the time, this House decided to strike a committee of inquiry which determined that as a result of a tape recording of a statutory officer, that I should resign. I did not put it to a vote on the floor of the House. I did what I thought was the right thing after the findings of that inquiry and I voluntarily resigned. Mr. Speaker, might I suggest that I then returned to the Regular Members’ side of the House and I continued to do my work, honoured the work, as an honourable Member for my constituents. I was subsequently elected two more times to this Legislature.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity this morning to read an excerpt of a report that was signed off by Mr. Miltenberger and Mr. Roland at the time of the conclusion of that inquiry, because I think it’s very relevant to the situation we find ourselves in today and why, in my opinion, the Premier should have resigned and done the honourable thing a long time ago. I quote: “It is in the view of the committee, a poor measure of the moral standards of this government and it reflects on all those who are associated with it, be they as elected Members or staff. Mr. Speaker, the measure of moral conduct is not that which occurs when the world at large may be watching. The measure of moral conduct involves taking the right action even when only those directly involved are privy to the circumstances. Ethical behaviour is not behaviour that is undertaken for demonstration purposes, it is undertaken because it is right.”
Mr. Speaker, that statement was signed off on by this Premier on my lack of a moral compass for tape recording a statutory officer for which I took responsibility and resigned from Cabinet.
Mr. Speaker, this Premier was sleeping with the committee clerk of our committee for six months and did not find it necessary to disclose that to us while she sat through all of our confidential briefings, in camera meetings, and did not think it was necessary on his moral compass to disclose that to us. He is the one who should be resigning, Mr. Speaker, and he should quit trying to blame others for his immoral and unethical behaviour. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
