Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government can only be successful when elected politicians are available to the people we serve. This means we must be present in the community. It means we must listen to the concerns that our communities raise. This means we must act at all times with the best interests of our communities in mind. The people elected us and to the people we must be accountable.
Mr. Speaker, the same can be said for our senior government staff. Residents need appropriately staffed regional offices where issues can be brought forward and addressed. It is not enough to have willing politicians the staff must be present in the community.
Mr. Speaker, the regional director position in Inuvik has been vacant since the summer of 2020. This position was designed to ensure the government was accountable to the people, the businesses, and the communities of the Beaufort Delta. The regional director position served a key function. They were a liaison for all government departments and a crucial linchpin between the GNWT and Indigenous governments. The regional director was able to ensure that local Indigenous leadership and Indigenous senior staff had a community Member to go to in order to exchange ideas and take action to address important issues that affect us all.
Mr. Speaker, the Beaufort Delta, like other regions in the territory, has unique needs. The identification and expression of these needs can only be communicated by someone living and working in the region. The regional director position is even more vital when you consider that the Beaufort Delta is the furthest region from the capital. I often hear concerns from the people of Inuvik about the migration of senior positions removing positions from the region and instead placing them in Yellowknife. I think it is time we did something about this, Mr. Speaker. Just like elected officials must be present in our communities, so too must our senior staff. Collaboration, progress, and the integrity of government are only possible when representation in communities is real and is sincerely felt by the people we serve. If we are truly going to listen, if we are truly going to be accountable, and if we are truly going to be a successful government, then we must create new positions in communities and moving existing ones out of Yellowknife and back to the communities we serve. This starts with the regional director in Inuvik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
