Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are now six months into the term of the 15th Legislative Assembly and much has been accomplished. In January, I told this House that I looked to the future of the Northwest Territories with enthusiasm. Since then, I have travelled to many communities and talked with many leaders and residents of the Northwest Territories. My optimism for the future has increased even more.

Today, I want to discuss how we have approached our work in the first six months of our mandate. I would also like to provide an overview of the strategic plan of the Government of the Northwest Territories, which I intend to table later today, and provide an update on a number of the specific actions that we are taking in response to what we have heard to date from Members and northern leaders.

Mr. Speaker, some have argued the first step in the life of this government should have been to develop an agenda for the next four years. I disagree.

When the 15th Legislative Assembly took office in December, Members signalled that we were looking for new ways of doing business. We agreed to work together to make consensus government stronger, to ensure

transparency and openness and be more responsive to the people of the Northwest Territories. We agreed to work in partnership with other governments to build an agenda that has a broad base of support throughout the territory.

In six short, busy months, significant progress has been made towards these objectives.

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply committed to running government in a more open, transparent and cooperative manner. I believe the Members of this House share the desire to demonstrate to the rest of Canada consensus government at its best in spirit and in its actions.

Does this mean we will always agree? Of course not, nor should we. To be successful, consensus government needs a vigorous and full debate on the issues, one that ensures all viewpoints are on the table. We have already seen some differences of opinion in this legislature, on issues of policy and direction. We should, and will, see many more over the life of this assembly.

Members have met often during the past six months to discuss how to move forward. These discussions have been very productive and we thank the other Members of Caucus for their input, for their support and for their constructive criticism. We have looked for ways to ensure input from all Members of the 15th Assembly into the decision-making process.

In March, Cabinet and AOC agreed to establish a joint planning committee to oversee pipeline planning for this government, chaired by the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Brendan Bell. I am pleased to note this committee is up and running with the initial meeting of the joint committee held yesterday. This project, perhaps the most important we will deal with during our term of office, is of integral importance to all people in the Northwest Territories and requires input from all regions.

We are also looking for other ways to bring regular Members into the decision-making process. The Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, has been tasked with the long overdue job of reviewing boards and agencies.

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Over the coming days, we will be discussing with the Chair and Members of AOC ways to ensure regular Members are involved. This review will look at the role and mandate of the many boards and agencies we have in the NWT and make recommendations on how to make them more effective.

Mr. Speaker, these are small but important steps. Will we always get it right? No. Will we always agree? Of course not. What we must do is ensure a full debate of the issues and see that all viewpoints are taken into account during the decision-making process.

Mr. Speaker, one of the guiding principles all Members of Cabinet and I believe all Members of Caucus felt strongly about when we took office was the need to ensure our decisions are made based on the public interest and in a forthright and open manner.

The people of the Northwest Territories, through this Legislative Assembly, have placed their trust in us to lead the government through the next four years. As a Cabinet, we strongly believe it is critical we act with honesty, integrity and impartiality and we uphold the highest ethical standards in carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to us.

We have made an important commitment to be inclusive, transparent and accountable in our decision-making. To ensure inclusiveness, we will continue to work hard as a Cabinet to earn the support and respect of our Caucus colleagues, our partner aboriginal and municipal governments and all residents of the Northwest Territories. To ensure transparent and accountable government, our decisions will be made, and be seen to be made, on the merits of the issue and in the public interest.

We have taken steps to ensure this openness, inclusiveness and transparency. One example of this is our commitment to ensure information about travel by Ministers is made public on a regular basis. I will be tabling the first ministerial travel report later this session and this information will also be available on the government Web site.

Trust is the foundation upon which good relationships are built, both at home and in the workplace. It takes time to build trust. It has to be earned; with consistent actions, respect for input received, and a demonstrated commitment to live up to promises made.

At the outset of our term, the Members of the 15th Assembly agreed a new approach was needed to develop an agenda for this assembly. Caucus rejected the old method of developing an agenda based solely on the views of the 19 Members of the Legislative Assembly and in isolation of other governments in the Northwest Territories. Members felt it was important we embark on a new way of doing business that emphasized partnership and collaboration.

Partnership requires meaningful dialogue and consultation. Members of this Assembly have spent a great deal of time meeting with leaders, organizations and residents across our territory. These discussions have confirmed there is a great deal of support for the direction taken by Caucus to build an agenda based on the priorities of all people in the Northwest Territories. As a Caucus, we are determined to open up the lines of communication with all northern residents.

We agreed we must start by finding new ways to talk with other northern leaders, discussion that allows for a frank exchange of views and creates a foundation for understanding and working together.

Mr. Speaker, this foundation has begun to be established with the Circle of Northern Leaders meeting, held on the Hay River Reserve from April 6th to 8th. This historic meeting, which brought together over 50 leaders from all regions of the Northwest Territories, was an important first step in redefining how northern governments will communicate with each other. Northern leaders agreed northern governments must work together to establish an overall agenda for the NWT.

At that meeting, the Aboriginal Summit tabled a proposal to establish an intergovernmental assembly that would provide an ongoing forum for such discussions. We strongly support such a forum and will be working with our partner government to make it a reality.

Partnership also means working with other governments in the Northwest Territories on matters of priority to them. In January I spoke about this government’s commitment to the negotiation and implementation of aboriginal rights agreements in the Northwest Territories, agreements that will bring further clarity and certainty to governance in our territory.

Mr. Speaker, we are working hard with the Tlicho to finalize the drafting of the Tlicho Community Services Agency Act for introduction in this Legislative Assembly. This legislation represents another important step in the implementation of aboriginal rights in the Northwest Territories. It is the third and final piece of legislation required of this Legislative Assembly to ratify the Tlicho Land Claim and Self-Government Agreement, the first combined land claims and self-government agreement in our history.

Mr. Speaker, this government also recognizes the importance of building a foundation for strong, self-reliant community governments. In collaboration with community governments, we will move to provide the tools for community governments to achieve greater autonomy with the legislative and financial ability to govern effectively, manage their priorities and be accountable to their constituents.

We have been working towards this goal for many years, the goal of providing community governments, in a supportive and collaborative manner, with the full authority and responsibility they have been asking for. The Honourable Henry Zoe, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, will be outlining our plans in this regard to municipal leaders at the annual general meeting of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities next month in Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, strong political partnerships must be complemented by equally strong economic partnerships with other governments and the private sector. These partnerships are required to build desperately needed infrastructure to further economic projects or to fund critically needed training programs. We have seen many examples of such partnerships unfold over the past few months. The Deh Cho Bridge project and hydro development in the Akaitcho and Sahtu regions are examples of the government and aboriginal groups working together in a productive manner on key projects.

We have worked with other levels of government to match funding on critical infrastructure programming. The Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Michael McLeod, has worked with his federal colleagues to obtain funding from the strategic infrastructure program to fund important infrastructure projects. Last week, Minister McLeod joined with the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, the Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic, to mark the beginning of work to reconstruct and pave the final 30 kilometres between Yellowknife and Rae.

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Earlier this month, the GNWT joined the federal government, aboriginal governments and industry in announcing a new mine training partnership funded by the GNWT, Canada and industry. Such programs will help train more of our people to take advantage of the opportunities created through the development of northern resources.

Mr. Speaker, by negotiating aboriginal rights agreements, by taking partnership approaches to economic and infrastructure projects and by ensuring a greater role for all governments in the NWT, we are building on our work during the first six months to create strong and lasting partnerships that are, in the long-term, a benefit to all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, over the past six months we have listened to leaders and residents of the Northwest Territories about the issues and priorities they believe are important.

We have been guided by input from Members of the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight. I would like to thank the chairman of AOC, Mr. Kevin Menicoche, and all Members of the Legislative Assembly for providing timely and important advice. This has contributed significantly to the development of the Government of the Northwest Territories’ strategic plan, which I am pleased to table today.

Mr. Speaker, this government is fully committed to sound fiscal management. The first budget presented by the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Floyd Roland, signalled our intent to balance both the expenditure and revenue side of our budget. We will continue to move forward in a manner that ensures the long-term fiscal sustainability of this government. This will require us to make difficult choices in the short term in order to protect those programs and services essential to all people and communities in the Northwest Territories.

It also means we must continue to press the federal government on concluding a fair agreement on formula financing negotiations. It means that we must continue to work with our partner aboriginal governments on reaching a devolution and resource revenue sharing agreement that ensures a fair sharing of resource revenues with northern governments.

While we intend to run a tight ship, we will also make strategic investments that make sense in light of the priorities we collectively establish, as a government, as a Caucus and as northern leaders.

In December, I said that I saw my role as Premier to “…lead a government with a vision developed and supported by all MLAs, a vision that we need to be prepared to modify as time progresses and as we are advised by our partners.” I believe this government and this legislature are on course to realize this objective.

The strategic plan of the Government of the Northwest Territories represents a starting point in our ongoing discussions with the people of the Northwest Territories. We have looked at the opportunities and challenges that define where we are today and have built on the vision and goals of the 15th Legislative Assembly to identify actions that get us where we want to be in the future.

The strategic plan is a 10-year plan. However, this does not mean it is carved in stone. It is important that this strategic plan is seen as a living document. It is a planning tool to help us identify our course of action. These actions will be reviewed and modified over time as we receive guidance from Members of Caucus and northern leaders.

The strategic plan sets our broad direction to the Government of the Northwest Territories by listing priorities and actions supporting the vision and goals of the Legislative Assembly. These priorities and actions represent a snapshot in time, not an exhaustive listing of all areas we will concentrate on over the next four years. They will be changed, modified and added to as we continue to work with our partners. The broad direction established in the strategic plan will provide direction to departments on the development of detailed departmental business plans for review by the Legislative Assembly.

The spirit of the strategic plan is captured in the title “Self-Reliant People, Communities and Northwest Territories -- A Shared Responsibility.” It emphasizes that we must each do our part, individually and collectively, to better our own lives and those of the people around us. Working together towards shared objectives, we can all reap the benefits and rewards of a vibrant Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, while the strategic plan is a 10-year plan, we have already begun to take concrete actions based on priority issues identified by Members and northern leaders. I would like to briefly speak about a number of these actions today.

As the development of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline approaches, we must be prepared, as a legislature and as a government, for this historic development. I have already spoken about the joint Cabinet/AOC planning committee that will allow for a more collaborative approach to the planning for this project.

The pipeline project and associated gas development will be a complex undertaking using state of the art science and engineering practices. Our response to this project will be timely and relevant. To accomplish this we intend to establish a Mackenzie Valley pipeline office within the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development to coordinate our approach to this project.

Earlier this year, Members passed a motion confirming their view of the importance of early childhood programming and calling on government to restore funding for programming that ended on March 31st. Members talked about the need to support language and culture in early childhood programs to improve literacy results.

Mr. Speaker, this government agrees that early childhood programming is essential to long-term success. For this reason, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Charles Dent, joined the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Social Programs, Ms. Sandy Lee, on May 4th to announce our intention to seek additional funding authority from this assembly to build on early literacy by restoring the language nest program. This program will help support families and communities in ensuring our youngest residents are able to learn their respective language and culture.

Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the 15th Legislative Assembly, we have heard from Members about the need to reduce the extended waiting period necessary for people to access legal aid. We agree many wait too long to see a legal aid family law lawyer. To address this issue, the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Charles Dent, has been working hard with the Legal Services Board to address this issue.

I am pleased to announce we will be seeking supplementary funding during the current session to open a separate legal aid clinic dedicated to family law.

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It is proposed that this clinic employ two full-time family law lawyers and will be open in September. We believe this approach will assist in providing timely and effective family law services to those most in need.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the first six months of the mandate of the 15th Legislative Assembly have been a success by any objective measure. We have found new, cooperative ways to do business. We have passed a budget and set a prudent fiscal course for the net four years and beyond.

Today we are publicly releasing our goals and vision for the Northwest Territories. As Premier, I am proud to release the strategic plan of the government, a document that builds upon the work all Members have done in our short time in office. I look forward to discussing the strategic plan with the Members of this legislature and other northern leaders in the coming weeks and months. Through such discussion, we can make sure we stay on course to achieve our long-term vision for a productive and self-reliant Northwest Territories in the years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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