Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all I would like to congratulate Don on the election as Premier yesterday. I will be speaking in Inuktitut and English. I would also like to thank my nominator, Tommy Enuaraq, from Baffin Central.
(translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am also seeking a seat in the Cabinet. My name is Edward Picco and I came to the Baffin region in 1983. I worked in Hall Beach, and in 1987 I was an adult educator. I went to Iqaluit in 1992 and I worked at BBDC. I am married to an Inuit woman from Clyde River. We have three children: Wally, age seven; Dora, age five; and, Pakkak who is two months old. (translation ends)
Before putting my name forward for Cabinet, I did a lot of soul searching. I asked myself, as a rooky MLA, am I prepared to handle the pressure of a Cabinet posting. Will I have the support of my young family for the amount of work and travel which I know is involved? After carefully discussing these and other issues with my family and people in my constituency, I received the strong support that I needed to put my name forward.
(Translation) I would like to thank everybody in Iqaluit. (Translation ends)
I also come from a large family, like Mr. O'Brien; three sisters and two brothers. I'm from a small town called Portugal Cove in Newfoundland. I put myself through college and university. I hold a diploma in adult education. I like hunting and fishing. I'm a student of history, especially the American Civil War.
As a Newfoundlander I saw the devastation that the anti-sealing groups did in Newfoundland. In 1985, while working for the Bay in Clyde River, I saw the effect of the anti-fur lobbying groups like Green Peace. A hunter was able to sell his pelts and then use the income to support the family, as well as the traditional way of life. This is not possible today and here at the Assembly we have to address that.
I have held many offices in various organizations from the Nunavut Arbitration Board to the director of the Northwest Territories Junior Achievement Council. I have been president, vice-chair, director and a member of over 20 municipal., regional, union and territorial committees, boards and agencies. I am a hard worker and a team player. My first job was to shovel manure in a hen farm for $1.75 an hour. I've worked as a labourer, as a garbage man, I worked in a fish plant. I've never had it easy and I know what it means to work hard. I will work hard to be a successful Cabinet Minister.
I've lived in several. communities in the Baffin and I've always been a community activist. In Hall Beach where I was an adult educator, I helped talented local artists develop a good business for themselves, silkscreening their drawings on T- shirts. This was the first type of project of this kind in the Baffin. I'm proud that it was a success. I've worked for the Baffin Business Development Centre. Its strong mandate was to create small business and new opportunities for people in the Baffin region. We created many jobs in this organization. If I am elected to Cabinet I would work on this throughout the Northwest Territories.
I'm a strong believer of the zero tolerance policy. I support family violence programs. And I attend church because...! go there because I believe in what happens in church, I don't go there so someone is going to see me sitting there.
I believe in Nunavut and will work toward its successful implementation. I also believe that the successful implementation of Nunavut requires goodwill and cooperation between eastern and western Members of the Assembly. Although there will be many difficult decisions, especially financial decisions which we must tackle, we must solve these problems by working together here in the North. I believe that those of us from Nunavut must strongly support the development of a new constitution for the Western Territory. We must also realize that there will be incremental costs for both Nunavut and the new western territory. And we must present a strong and united voice when we go to the federal government to negotiate the financial arrangements for two new territories.
I believe that one of the ways we can achieve strength and unity amongst ourselves is for the new Cabinet to hold a strategic planning session early on in the mandate, to get together and develop a common plan, and agree to pursue that plan as a united team, working together for the best interests of all people of the Territories, both East and West.
Finally, I want to assure you that if I am successful for Cabinet Iwill be available and accessible to work directly with all MLAs. I know that successful consensus government requires that Ministers work closely with all MLAs and committees and the Assembly. If the Cabinet selection is based on experience, desire and the willingness to work as a team player, I think I have the necessary qualifications. I've tried to learn the Inuktitut language, and I think this shows my desire and work ethic. I wasn't born in the North but I consider myself a northerner. A vote for Edward Picco is a vote for honest and fairness. I may not always say the politically correct thing, but I will always say the honest thing. Qujannamiik, nakurmiik, mahsi, thank you and merci.
---Applause