Oh God, may Your spirit and guidance be in us as we work for the benefit of all our people for peace and justice in our land and for the constant recognition of the dignity and aspirations of those whom we serve. Amen.

Mr. Chairman, I wish to nominate Paul Delorey, the Member for Hay River North, for the position on Cabinet. Thank you.

I do accept.

Mr. Chairman, I wish to nominate Steven Nitah, the Member for Tu Nedhe, for a position on Cabinet.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wish to nominate Michael Miltenberger, the Member for Thebacha, for a position on Cabinet.

I do, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I do.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Honourable Ministers, fellow colleagues, thank you for the opportunity to address you this morning. I would like to thank Mr. Bill Braden for nominating me and for his confidence in my ability to fill the vacant Cabinet position. I would also like to thank my constituents from Hay River, many of whom I have heard from in the last several days to pledge their support for me. Most importantly, I want to thank my wife Davida and my children, whom I have consulted with at great length prior to my decision to seeking this position. I want to assure all Members of this House and all residents of the Northwest Territories that I have my family's complete support and blessing. They are fully aware of the commitment that I would be undertaking and the dedication that is necessary to serve the people of the Northwest Territories.

By way of my background, I have been a northern resident for 32 years. During this time, I have served the community of Hay River in a variety of capacities. I have been very involved with a number of volunteer organizations over the years. Our volunteers are the backbone of our communities.

I have very much enjoyed my work and involvement with the Knights of Columbus for the past 16 years. Through my involvement with the Knights of Columbus, I have witnessed many positive benefits to our church, our community and especially our youth. My faith is a constant source of strength for me as I continue my work as an elected Member of this Assembly.

People have told me many times that they appreciate me for my principles of honesty, integrity, hard work and commitment. I have always stood my ground for what I believe in. I have a very strong sense of right and wrong. I have never deviated from my inherent principles. I believe I posses a very good character. My credibility means everything to me. I speak from the heart because I honestly believe that is the only way to be truly honest to one's self.

If I am the successful candidate, I look forward to working with all the Members of this House. I believe that I have always been approachable on every issue with all of my colleagues. I consider myself a team player. I am a firm believer in consensus government because I believe in working together for the betterment of all our people. Together we can make a difference.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the other 18 Members of this House for the past two years. As we continue our mandate for the betterment of our territory, I believe it is absolutely essential that we continue the course that we have set. We have reached the mid-way point in our term in office, and we still have many things to accomplish. We must work together as one cohesive unit to achieve our common goals. Our goals that we have set for ourselves are attainable. I believe that it is only through team work and partnerships that we will be able to make the North a strong sustainable territory.

I believe it is vital that we continue the efforts of this government in lobbying the federal government for a new formula financing agreement. We have let be known to all that the Northwest Territories is open for business, and we have come a long way in making this a reality. However, we need to do more. We need to let the federal government know that while development in the North is vital for our economy, we have to set some perimeters in order to reap the benefits for our residents.

Our current fiscal arrangement with Ottawa does not provide for enough rate of return to our territory. Devolution and resource revenue sharing agreements will be vital to our economy to becoming a have territory. The federal coffers are growing and we are not seeing enough benefit for our people. If we are successful in our deliberations with the federal government, we will be able to provide a sustainable economy for our future generations.

We also need to deal, as a government, with our social issues. The demand on our social programs will only become greater with the advent of development in our territory. Increased focus on recruitment and retention of health care professionals is vital in order to fulfil our mandate in achieving comprehensive integrated patient care. Community wellness needs to be a key focus of this government. No one can ignore the issue of addiction and how this affects our family units. It is critical that we provide more resources for prevention initiatives. I believe that our current social ills are reaching epidemic proportions and we must do everything in our power to eradicate this.

Our government has been investing more badly needed resources into our education system in order to improve the success rates of students in our schools. I am encouraged by the recent announcement of more focus on early childhood development. We also need to focus more funding towards creating well trained Northerners in order to properly prepare our residents to take advantage of opportunities in our growing resource sectors. In this way, we would be able to work towards our goal of maximizing northern employment.

Another area that requires our utmost support and diligence is the area of sustainable resources. We must focus all our efforts on the successful creation of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline. We must support our Premier and our government in their efforts to make this a reality for our territory. We must also continue to support the Aboriginal Pipeline Working Group in their endeavours to see this project completed. Our territory has enormous potential in oil and gas, mining, hydro electric development and other resources. We need to be diligent in our protection of these resources for our future generations.

As a government, we need to ensure that our Northerners are prepared for a part of this development. There must be benefits accruing to all communities throughout the North, and in addition northern businesses must be equipped with the tools necessary to capitalize on contracts resulting from increased development.

One of the most negative effects of increased resource development is the enormous strain it places on our infrastructure such as our highway system. It is imperative that we work together to find new sources of revenue to address this problem. While recognizing that our highways are badly in need of repair, we must endeavour to find means to maintain our highway infrastructure while placing the least possible burden on our residents.

I am a fair believer in regional capacity building. I have always been a vocal supporter of this. I believe that we have to empower our people, and in order to do this we must provide them with the tools to do so. I believe that through hard work, dedication and commitment anything is attainable, and we have to strive to complete our land claim agreements and self-government initiatives in a timely manner. It will be through hard work, with all the partners involved, that these agreements can be reached at an early resolution. We must work in partnership with aboriginal governments to achieve a fair and equitable arrangement for all.

I want to assure the Members of this House, and the people of the Northwest Territories, that our Premier, Mr. Stephen Kakfwi, has my full support as our leader. I have full confidence in the entire Cabinet and would welcome the opportunity to work with them as we continue the work of the 14^th Legislative Assembly.

Premier Kakfwi in his Premier's address in January of this year made a very profound statement in light of recent events that have unfolded in this House. I quote: “We are all in this together, and we all have a stake in the outcome. Each and every one of us has the power and responsibility to bring about change and make a meaningful contribution. Working together we can achieve our dreams of a better tomorrow.”

I could not agree more, and it is for this reason that I am seeking your support today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, colleagues.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, colleagues. I would like to thank the honourable Member for North Slave for nominating me, and thank you to the other Members who put their names forward this morning.

Many of you will be wondering why, after stepping down from Cabinet last week, I would choose to run again for this vacant position. Mr. Chairman, I respected the report of the special committee and I resigned, and I believe that I have paid for my part in the unfortunate events that took place. Now today I would like to take this time allowed to attempt to share with you why this is something that I felt I had to do.

Mr. Chairman, when I was elected to Cabinet almost two years ago by the Members of this Legislature I had no preconceived notion of what portfolio I would be assigned. Premier Kakfwi met with each of us and informed us of the department we would be responsible for overseeing. When he said Health and Social Services I immediately knew it was right and this department encompassed many of the issues that I cared about very deeply.

Over the following months, along with many of you, I learned through briefings, question period, standing committees and through feedback and input from our constituents how important and vital these services were to the quality of life of Northerners. In the weeks and months that followed, a vision emerged of the enormous opportunity we had through program services and front line workers to effectively touch the lives and improve the well-being of northern residents.

I recognized that the challenges were immense. I gained an understanding of various components of the system, government and non-government, how they fit together and assisted in meeting the needs of our people. I realized the potential and opportunity we had to shape, define and direct the resources within the context of our fiscal capacity to most effectively serve our people.

This expanded to embrace the broader issue, the need for a social agenda, to be developed in concert with our economic agenda. This work was supported by the Cabinet and Members of this House, and it related to our vision of a better tomorrow. I was given the opportunity to chair, as Minister, the committee on the social agenda. We held our first conference and the work towards our social agenda in partnership with aboriginal governments continues as we speak.

The Department of Health and Social Services is complex and probably includes more initiatives, functions and services than any other department. I have invested two years in an intense learning curve. It is not a department which is sought after in any jurisdiction because of the stress which is on the system right across the country. When I attended the federal/provincial/territorial Health Ministers conference last year, I inadvertently left my identification tag in my hotel room. The meetings are heavily monitored by security. When I explained to the security guard that I was the Minister of Health and Social Services for the Northwest Territories, he agreed to let me in because he said "No one would admit to that if it were not true."

I admit that it has been challenging. I particularly enjoyed the Grandmothers Council, something new which had not been in place before and something that I thought of immediately upon taking this portfolio.

The grandmothers inspired me and helped me reaffirm certain philosophies which I believe we needed to incorporate. At our most recent meeting, one of the grandmothers shared a story that had been related to here by an elder. It was about a dream this elder had. In the dream, there was a river. Floating down the river were the bodies of people who had died. The efforts of the people on the shore were consumed with dealing with the bodies, removing them from the river and burying them. The people were so busy doing this that no one had time to go upstream and find out how the people were being swept into the river.

To me, this is a very powerful story because in our government, in the Department of Health and Social Services, we have traditionally expended most of our efforts in dealing with the tragic fallout of the lives being destroyed unnecessarily by preventable injuries and death. Lately, we focused more on trying to understand the root causes of high risk and destructive choices and early intervention.

I wanted to mention these things today because regardless of who is elected to Cabinet and who is assigned to Health and Social Services, it is extremely important to me that they understand and care very deeply for the pain that our people experience when there is no healing for their physical, emotional and spiritual sicknesses.

Being in Cabinet has taken me away from family, home and constituents and on balance, I have to admit that it has been a fairly high price to pay, but it is my family, constituents and other Northerners who have asked me today to put my name forward again.

If it were not for the people involved in this Ministry, and I mean Ministry in every sense of the word, from those who served to those who received the services, that sacrifice would not be worth it.

Someone told me a couple of weeks ago that politicians who get involved because they think they can make a difference must have a pretty large ego. In other words, why try? I think we try because we have to try. I want to take this opportunity to talk about a very key piece of government responsibility and a pillar of a compassionate society, ensuring adequate resources to help people when they are in a time of need and also to ensure that we have a Minister responsible who is passionate about that principle.

Everything in life does not always go the way we expect it to but as we get a little older and have a bit of history to look back at, we are able to put things in perspective. I am 45 years old next week, healthy with lots of energy and enthusiasm for whatever it is I choose to do. I have been blessed with a wonderful spouse for the past 25 years, three beautiful children -- and I know I am not objective about that -- a home that is filled with peace and sanctuary, and the financial means to live comfortably. In a country where the opportunity to do almost anything you want abounds, being blessed puts an onus on us to give something back. That is what I hope I have done through this rather unplanned foray into public service at this level.

I have also consistently experienced that when one door closes, another usually opens to something we might not have otherwise experienced. I sometimes have wondered after times of adversity why did we go through that experience but it is not usually too far down the road that we find it was for a significant purpose, to prepare us for something else. That is the wonderful thing about approaching life with open hands and an open heart and an open mind.

I believe that the prospects for the future of this territory and its people is bright. I have only been here 28 years and the more I learn about the land and the people the more amazed I am by them. I understand the aspirations of the people and that is important as we attempt to facilitate where we can as a government the realization of those dreams.

I support the agenda of our First Nations as we possess in the North, the unique opportunity in Canada to do things right and differently from anywhere it has been done in the past. It is our best efforts to that end that should guide us today as we choose a Member of Cabinet. We are a small group and I have purposely tried not to put people on the spot for support because it is a secret ballot. All of us can do what is best to our knowledge to choose a person who can lend their skills to achieving everything that we can for and on behalf of our people.

It is a privilege to serve in this Legislature and it will continue to be because every position is important. I want to thank the Regular Members for their warm reception that they have given me this past week. I have to admit with all due respect, that the Members on the other side of the House are just a little more fun than these. They are a little more outspoken, a little more direct.

But as in any elected position, we put our names forward to offer a choice, which is then democratically determined. I believe I have brought a valuable perspective as a woman, a mother, a former care-giver to this Cabinet and have managed my assignments well. I trust you have found me to be respectful and attentive to the issues of your constituents and so today, Mr. Chairman, I just wish to humbly offer my skills and services to this Assembly again and ask for your support and remind Members that it is a secret ballot, vote with your heart and conscience for the best interest of our people and the person that you feel can best do the job. I know that you will do that. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. First, I would like to thank my friend and colleague for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland, for nominating me. The decision to run for office, as we all know, is never an easy one. You have to be willing to put yourself on the line, stand up before your colleagues and take a chance that in fact, you may not get the support that you think is there for the job that you put yourself forward for.

For me, after careful consideration with my family, friends, colleagues and constituents, I stand here to offer myself as a candidate for this Legislature and this Cabinet. In order for me to do that, there were certain things that I felt I had to do so that I could, in fact, stand here and make that offer. As I indicated in the

House earlier this week, I have met with the Premier. I would like to restate, as I did Monday, that I have confidence in the Premier.

I am also confident, Mr. Chairman, that I can work effectively and in partnership with other Members of Cabinet, the Premier as well as the Members of this House.

The Premier and I go back almost 40 years. We have, outside of our political relationship, a personal relationship. This week, we also had a chance to briefly talk about that and the value that it has now and hopefully long after our time in political office is finished.

The election of Minister is the last act of a drama we are trying to bring closure to, to allow us to get back to the business of government and on with the work of the people. We are halfway through our term, Mr. Chairman. We have clear direction set with Towards a Better Tomorrow about where we want to go and how we want to get there.

Whoever is selected as a new Minister needs to be able to move on with that work. It is going to be critical, Mr. Chairman, that the person who is picked is able to become functional and effective very quickly. There is no time to waste. We are down to our last two years. I believe I have the background to allow me to do that.

Some of you know me well, some of you not as well. I would just like to quickly touch on a few things about myself.

I am a strong supporter of lifelong learning. I have a degree in sociology. I am a journeyman carpenter. I am also at work on my Masters in continuing education, which I would like to state at this point that if I am selected, I will put on hold so I can do the job at hand.

Prior to becoming an MLA, I was the mayor of Fort Smith and a town councilor. I sat on the NWTAM and was Chair of the South Slave regional council. I also have 20 years of government experience, 15 of those were at the superintendent and management level with Health and Social Services. I have spent six years in this Legislature, Mr. Chairman. Some of those years have been as a Regular Member. I have been Chair of Caucus, Chair of Western Caucus, on the Standing Committee on Social Program and was on the previous Assembly's Government Operations committee. I was also the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Workers' Compensation Board and the Public Utilities Board.

In addition to those qualifications, Mr. Chairman, I would just like to point out as well that I believe that I have the work ethic that is necessary for this job. In fact, when I am here in Yellowknife, I even tend to beat Minister Handley into the office in the morning, which takes some doing as he is already legendary for the time he spends at work.

I have also made very conscious lifestyle choices to be as effective a person as possible. When I talk about lifestyle choices, Mr. Speaker, I do not drink anymore, I do not smoke. I think these are important things that allow me to stay healthy and be able to do the job that is necessary.

If I were to become the new Minister, there are some things that I believe are very important.

It is critical for the Regular Members and Cabinet Ministers to stay connected outside of committee meetings on a day to day basis. It is important to have someone with a strong track record that demonstrates the ability to work and connect public government and aboriginal governments. There are many, many issues we share in common and we have to be able to deal with those productively.

I believe it is important for the Ministers to go into the communities and constituencies with the MLAs to hear first hand from the people of the communities what there issues are and to share their ideas. It is very important to work closely with committees on a day to day basis, not just when we have to, but in a way that will allow the Minister to get regular feedback, direction and advice from the committees in a very proactive and cooperative way as befits a consensus government.

It is very important to maintain that positive relationship, and as a Cabinet Minister I will commit to an open door policy. I will commit to being a regular visitor throughout the hallways of this building, not only the Cabinet end but the Regular Members' end. I have been down that end for five years and I know the critical nature of staying connected if we want to move the agenda ahead of this government.

I agree fully that it is important that Cabinet works together as a team to bring all our energies and abilities to bear. I tried to do that when I was on Cabinet last time, and I intend to bring that same kind of effort and enthusiasm to the table this time.

The issues and directions we need to continue moving on have been clearly established in this Assembly, so I will not repeat them. The key, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chairman, is we need a Minister with the qualifications and experience that can be effective quickly and be part of the team. I believe I have those qualifications and experience, and will be looking for your support.

Finally, I would like to speak just briefly on three things that are very important to me. Mr. Speaker, as I grew up I learned from my parents that there are some things that are important -- my word, honour and integrity. I bring that, I have brought that to the Assembly and in all the work that I have done in my life. I commit to this House that if put on Cabinet I will also bring those very critical values to the Cabinet table so that I can add to the benefit of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

-- Applause