Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to first congratulate the Premier-elect, Mr. Morin, and also Mrs. Groenewegen for letting her name stand for Premier. I would like to thank my constituents who gave me such a decisive mandate to represent them. I would also like to thank and recognize my family, particularly my wife Susie for her support and understanding over the past two and a half years for all the times I've been away from home. I would also like to stress that we all recognize the running of a campaign how stressful it is to us, but a lot of people don't recognize that it's just as stressful to our family members or even more so, so I think it was important for me to point that out. I would also like to thank my colleague, Mr. Ningark, for nominating me today.
I've known him for a number of years and have worked with him in the past.
Today, honourable Members, I'm seeking your support to represent you as one of the Members on the Executive Council. I want to outline some of my background and experience which I think I can bring to the Cabinet table.
In 1978, I graduated from Vancouver Community College with an accounting diploma. Shortly after that, I was shipped north to Cambridge Bay to begin my career. Between that time and 1986, I held various positions as settlement secretary for the municipal council and on separate occasions as office manager and also as executive director for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association. I also served for two and a half years as the executive officer for the Kitikmeot Regional Council. From 1986 up until my election as MLA in 1993, I was in private business primarily involved in real estate and construction.
Some of my political experience before coming to this Legislature includes serving numerous terms on the Cambridge Bay municipal council. I also served as mayor of the council in 1988 and 1989. At that same time, I also served as president of the NWT Association of Municipalities. Finally, I did serve a term as deputy speaker of the Kitikmeot Regional Council as well.
I have also been involved as both director and chairman of the Cambridge Bay Housing Association. I served terms as vice- president and president of the Cambridge Bay Chamber of Commerce and a term as vice-president of the NWT Chamber of Commerce.
In May, 1993, as I said earlier, I was elected in a by-election as the Member for Kitikmeot. During that time, shortly after my election, I served as a Member and I was also fortunate to serve as the deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Finance. I also served as a Member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Special Joint Committee on Division. I found that these committees gave me valuable insight into the financial workings of our government.
In February of 1995, I was fortunate to be elected as a Member of Cabinet and given the responsibility for Municipal and Community Affairs by the Premier. During my relatively short tenure as Minister of MACA, I have been fortunate to be able to finish off some of the major initiatives of the department, such as establishing the settlement operating and capital assistance policies that helped out a lot of the smaller communities in the Northwest Territories.
We also were able to establish new funding for a by-law officer, firefighter, SAO and elected officials' training programs. We finalized the new block funding agreement with the city of Yellowknife and was very fortunate to pass new MEBA legislation through this House.
Two major issues facing us are the worsening fiscal situation resulting from our diminishing revenues and our escalating program demands placed upon us. I think we must deal with these issues in a constructive, creative manner to streamline the costs of delivering government, but we also have to recognize, while doing that, that we have to respect that any
changes must be carried out in a fair and equitable manner for the whole of the Northwest Territories and to the civil service.
The second major issue that we have to deal with is the creation of two new territories in 1999. We must all work hard to ensure that the process leading up to division is done in an orderly fashion. We have to ensure that the adequate financial resources are there for both new territories. In dealing with these issues, I think that they will dominate much of the territorial agenda of this Assembly. But having said that, I don't think we can disregard the other important issues which must be addressed; issues such as creating additional income- generating opportunities for our residents; the need for improving our social programs, including housing; and, the need to increase the educational and training levels of all our residents. To deal with these issues, I think we need a Cabinet that is hard working and experienced, and able to work together as a group. But just as importantly, I think the Cabinet has to be able to work effectively with all Members of this House. I believe I can do that.
Having served as an ordinary Member for almost two years, I quickly recognized the most effective and respected Cabinet Members were the ones with the open-door policies and the ones who respected the views of all Members of this House. When I ran for Cabinet earlier this year, I committed to operating that same way, as I was already doing that outside of this Assembly before I came here.
If I am chosen to represent you as one of the Cabinet Members, I will commit to continue being fully accessible and accountable while carrying out my duties. In addition to that, I will commit to continue fair and equitable treatment of all communities and constituencies, regardless of whether they are from the East or West, whether they are small or large or one region versus another.
I am asking for your consideration to support me as one of your Cabinet Members. I believe I have the experience, management skills, the work ethics and the honesty and integrity to contribute to the Cabinet team. Whether I am chosen or not, I would like to say that I will commit to continuing working hard and cooperatively with all Members of this Assembly towards improving the life of all residents of the NWT. After all, that is what we are here for. Thank you.
---Applause