Debates of May 10, 2007 (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, the Premier mentioned there was an AIP reached between the government, the Inuvialuit, Metis, Sahtu and Gwich’in on a devolution and resource revenue sharing position. I would like to commend these groups for doing what’s best for the Northwest Territories.

Hear! Hear!

I would like today, Mr. Speaker, to pay tribute to one of the main players of these groups.

I recently had the privilege of attending the Aboriginal Achievement Awards in Edmonton to honour a man of great vision and passion. Fred Carmichael, Mr. Speaker, has been on a quest to get, not only for the people he represents but the people of the Northwest Territories, what is rightfully ours. Fred has been a trapper, pilot, businessman and, more recently, he’s been the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council. He has been there, he’s done that. So when he speaks, we should listen and pay attention because he speaks from experience. He understands that while we can still live a traditional lifestyle, we have to be in a position to seize any opportunities that will come our way as a result of development and that it’s our land’s way of still providing for us.

Fred could be sitting on his deck out at Shell Lake. He could be relaxing and watching the ice melt, but he has a vision that the people of the NWT should be the primary beneficiaries of our resources and he’s doing what he can, Mr. Speaker, to make that happen. That’s the type of leadership I admire and we should also strive to provide that type of leadership and vision.

I was able, Mr. Speaker, thanks to Minister McLeod and his staff, to have university students from my riding and across the NWT as my guests. I felt it very important, Mr. Speaker, that these young people join me in honouring a true role model and a great northern leader. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause