Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to continue the theme. Mr. Speaker, I ask myself, where are we? Well, I start out by asking that question by reading a quote by Mr. Handley: "We’re close." Now that quote could have been said yesterday. That quote could have been said last week, last month, maybe even two years ago, Mr. Speaker. Because I have heard that the Premier’s office says we’re close. But I can tell you today, if this Premier is able to deliver on a resource revenue agreement I’ll be the first one to put a motion on the floor that we do a Wayne Gretzky statue like in the Rexall with Premier Handley holding a bag of money in front of this building because we need this deal. The problem is that we’ve been close.

So I ask myself again, where are we? Well, Mr. Speaker, the people of the NWT need the same rights that exist in any other province in Canada and it’s about time that the Government of Canada recognizes this, Mr. Speaker. Our Legislature, our government, its people deserve the full control over our resources. We need full control of our destiny, Mr. Speaker, and I think it’s only a fair and moral right that we should have. Why does Canada want to keep us in the dark ages? Well, I’ve come to learn in my three years here, and the rhetoric I’ve always heard before this is it’s possibly the jealousy, maybe it’s protectionism, maybe it’s fear, maybe it’s arrogance, maybe they’re just so used to historical control of the Northwest Territories they don’t know how to give it up. Some could say the NWT is the golden goose that lays the golden eggs. I don’t know. Maybe they don’t want to give it up because we’ve got such wealth in our territory.

Mr. Speaker, many people know that there hasn’t been significant, notable ground since Nellie was Economic Minister back in the ‘80s. Now we know many things have been done and I’ll give credit to the Premier’s office that they’ve been working very hard, but there never is a deal. We don’t have that deal that we’re finally saying thank you. We all know Canada wants us to take the Yukon deal, but I want the Newfoundland deal, I want the Nova Scotia deal on control of our resources, Mr. Speaker.

I think it’s only fair and only right. Mr. Speaker, at this time may I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement; without a nay?

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Members.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, what I’m saying is we need significant movement on this issue. Our citizens have been waiting for it in a timely way. I think the adolescence of the Northwest Territories has grown and we’ve matured and it’s gone. It’s time for Canada to recognize that we have come of age and we deserve the respect, Mr. Speaker. Respect is a two-way street. We offer Ottawa respect every single day. Regardless whether it’s a Conservative government or Liberal government, we give it to them, and it’s time that they recognize we deserve it.

So, Mr. Speaker, in closing I won’t be suggesting we pull the Danny Williams move, but we need to morally get our message across and say wait a minute. We’re in charge and we finally need to be shown respect from Ottawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause