Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to start by thanking Mr. Evaloarjuk for nominating me for this position in Cabinet. Mr. Chairman, I find the proceedings here a lot different now than they were three years ago when we ran for the same positions. I find myself more knowledgable of issues and what is very important is I find myself very knowledgable of the other Members' abilities. I find that through working with them on committees, I have gained experience and knowledge from them as well as, hopefully, I have passed on to them some experience and knowledge that I have gained in my lifetime. Through that, we have developed amongst ourselves confidence in each other and we are in a better position now to know who should be representing us and the NWT residents on Cabinet. Who we think would be a good candidate and who would fill in the gaps in Cabinet. There is no doubt, Mr. Chairman, at this point in time, that Cabinet has a lot of experienced Members.
I am not suggesting at this point in time that this is not happening because we are not properly represented on Cabinet. It is just obviously the advantage of having representation on Cabinet that is important. In the past, we have had good representation, such as Nellie Cournoyea, from the Beaufort, Richard Nerysoo, and Tom Butters. There are a number of them. We need continued representation such as that in Cabinet.
Mr. Chairman, I have a fair amount, in my past experience, of practical experience to offer Cabinet, and I also have a lot of political experience to offer. I think that almost any portfolio, I could say that I have had some experience in life in dealing with that type of portfolio and the responsibilities of the portfolio. I do not know whether it is important at this point in time that I go into describing them all, but I did three years ago. I did identify to the Members that I have had experience as a hunter and trapper, I have had experience as a businessman, I have had experience in working in the construction and transportation fields. I have also had 13 years as a Justice of the Peace.
I do have experience dealing with the public and I think that over the years I have gained an honest reputation. I hope that the Members here as having worked with me for the past three years have seen that in fact, I am an honest person and a fair person. I am also very practical person. I think that those are maybe the strong points that are needed on Cabinet at this point in time. I am not suggesting that the Members that are there do not have it. But I am suggesting that those might be some strong points to add to Cabinet, to assure the public that there is going to be fairness, integrity and openness in Cabinet. I would assure the Members in this House that I will continue to press towards that. That would be very obvious that we can work very closely together and we can work in a friendly atmosphere rather than an aggressive atmosphere. I would really like to see that. That is what I have to offer, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am up against some good people here and I am sure that they are fair people, so I would offer to vote for one of them if they all will vote for me.
--Laughter
With that, Mr. Chairman, I thank the Members and I will thank you for your support in this. Thank you.
--Applause