I will ask all Members from the northern ridings that wish to allow their names to stand for a position on Executive Council to please rise. Mr. Krutko, Mr. Lafferty, Mr. Yakeleya.

I will now ask all Members from the Yellowknife constituencies that wish to allow their names to stand for the position of the Executive Council to please rise. Mr. Ramsay, Ms. Lee, Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Bob McLeod.

To bring this portion of our proceedings to an end, I will now ask all Members, all those Members from the southern constituencies who wish to allow their names to stand for a position on the Executive Council to please rise. Mr. Mike McLeod, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Miltenberger.

Therefore, nominees for the Executive Council positions are as follows: northern constituencies: Mr. Krutko, Mr. Yakeleya and Mr. Lafferty; for the Yellowknife constituencies: Mr. Ramsay, Ms. Lee, Mr. Hawkins and Mr. McLeod, Yellowknife South; southern constituencies: Mrs. Groenewegen; Mr. Mike McLeod, Deh Cho; Mr. Menicoche; Mr. Miltenberger.

Each candidate is permitted to make a 10-minute speech. These speeches will be made in alphabetic order, by surname, regardless of the area where you represent. So I will call upon Mrs. Groenewegen for her 10-minute speech. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, congratulations to you as our Speaker-elect and congratulations to Mr. Roland, as well, as our new Premier- elect.

With only 10 minutes, I don't want to spend too much time talking about myself. Most of you know me and this is the

fourth time that I've been re-elected to this Assembly, a role which I truly consider to be a great honour and privilege.

My experience as an MLA and in my previous life is very diverse and allows me to relate to many issues that are important to you and to the people that we serve. I have a strong work ethic and a certain irrepressible passion for the things that I care about. Whether being a surrogate parent to troubled teens as a live-in manager of a group home, building a family business or making sure that I instil sound values in my children, my experiences have afforded me the opportunity to appreciate the many challenges that we face, but also the satisfaction and reward that we can realize as we collectively advance the agenda of the North and its people.

The events of the past few weeks in Hay River particularly have brought some of the challenges facing northerners into sharp focus. We have much work ahead in addressing our social conditions in the area of addictions, substance abuse, suicide, premature death related to preventable injuries and diseases, and the list goes on. Prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation are all parts of our solution, but for too long our efforts have been expended at the end after much damage has occurred. We need the investment through education, awareness and early intervention to focus on prevention. The dividends would be measurable and significant, I believe.

We want healthy, self-reliant families in prosperous and safe, secure communities. I want us to think about taking the $1 million that was earmarked for the safer communities and neighbourhoods legislation and perhaps devoting it to our current policing contract with the RCMP. To supplement that, we need to empower communities with the tools that they need to develop grassroots solutions to the issues that we face. Our communities are diverse and require creative home-grown initiatives.

We want jobs and development with northerners as the primary beneficiaries, realizing their potential through educational options, training and the life skills that lead to healthy, productive choices.

We should get radical with our approach to Ottawa, as has been mentioned here, making them see our vision and our potential as a have-territory, contributing to Canada through a fair resource revenue sharing agreement. We need leadership that will demonstrate and communicate the value of a united northern voice on the national stage. We will all win if we can find agreement amongst ourselves about what is a good and acceptable deal. As a territorial government, we must strive for a progressive agenda that recognizes the role and importance of our aboriginal community and federal partners.

We could, and should, do more to engage the ideas and experience of our public service who see the challenges and opportunities at the front lines on a daily basis. This would increase their morale and assist us in ensuring that they have a rewarding work experience, because we need the human resources to adequately deliver our programs and services in this current environment of labour market recruitment and retention challenges.

My constituents, as many of you, are concerned about the cost of living. We need a higher northern tax deduction for our residents and this is just one effort that could be realized to diminish the size of the migrant and itinerant labour force that is opting right now to live in southern Canada and work in the North.

We need community energy plans that reduce the cost of living across the board. We need more and expanded programs such as the energy efficiency rebate incentive that would also lower or stabilize our cost of living in the North. Many things which would address the cost of living would also make us better stewards of our natural environment. We can all do more to reduce our personal environmental footprint and as a government, we can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by considering such things for example as the benefits of investing in the expansion of our hydro bridge south of the lake to the communities of Kakisa, Dory Point and Fort Providence, displacing two diesel power generating plants in the process.

Our federal government has made much of their focus on the North, even as recently as yesterday's Throne speech. We should take full advantage of this focus to draw their attention to the ways that we, within the Canadian context, can support Arctic sovereignty through our presence in the North, living in sustainable, viable communities that will develop socially and economically with the support of such things as adequate transportation infrastructure.

We should have northern control of lands, resources, water and wildlife. It is way past the time when we should be relying on our federal government to make appointments to our regional boards and panels to manage our northern resources. We must distribute jobs as a government, services, programs and wealth in a fair and equitable manner, not neglecting the potential and aspirations of our smaller communities.

While non-renewable resource development will bring benefits, we can't forget about the renewable sector such as commercial fishing, forestry, agriculture, eco and cultural tourism, and traditional harvesting. These activities not only create wealth, but they do so in a way that advances the replacement of imported goods with the added benefit of mitigated environmental impacts.

We can build on the good work of our predecessors and bring the energy and ideas of a 16th Assembly to bear on every

matter of importance to the people that we serve. I'm not interested in a maintenance government. The experience and calibre of the Members elected to this Assembly should allow us to get right down to work without delay.

It has been six years since Hay River, as the second largest community, has had a Member on the Executive Council. I want to tell you that I'm a team player, fully recognizing the absolute necessity of involving all 19 of us to the greatest degree possible, which I see as the cornerstone of consensus government. If elected, my door will always be open. But just as importantly, my mind will also be open to the input, ideas and aspirations of our elders, our communities, our regions, our counterparts in northern leadership and, most importantly, to you, my colleagues in this Assembly.

I very much enjoyed the questions this morning and it gave me insight into the issues that are important to these Members, and I wish I had more time to go into my thoughts on many of them in more detail, but time will not allow.

In closing, we have unique and boundless potential in the North. This government, the 19 of us gathered here, have the opportunity to shape that future through the decisions, initiatives, programs, services and legislation that it is within our control to influence, and that is an inspiring prospect, one which I can say I look forward to with great optimism.

It's an honour to serve the constituents of Hay River South in this Assembly. I know they support me in putting myself forward to have you consider putting my experience and energy to work on behalf of this government as a member of the Cabinet. As the diversity of our territory is what makes it strong, our representative and diverse backgrounds as Members, our different perspectives will also join together to make this government strong. I very much look forward to working with you. I would appreciate your support. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Chair will now recognize the Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my friends and colleagues, before I begin I want to thank my wife, who understands the commitment required before us and her belief in the cause as to why we are all here. Without her support and blessing at home, this job potential would never be the same.

I'm standing here today because of the passion I have for this job and my belief and my relentless commitment that I have for the people of the North. When people go to work and their children are healthy and they can pay their bills, government doesn't usually matter. I'm here today because even with the hottest economy in Canada, it isn't always a storybook ending for everyone. Our social problems are colossal. There is much work to be done. The evidence becomes fact when you look at 70 percent of our budget is committed to social programs and social issues. This is a very serious fact. Of course, the health of our people should always be put first, but the continued demands of our NGOs are proof that challenges are rising. Again, much work needs to be done.

I believe in supporting First Nations government and respecting their agreement. I believe that the outstanding negotiations needs to be accelerated on our part and brought to a close for everyone's benefit, and this will be the cornerstone of us finally getting a devolution agreement, by all of us collectively working together.

I've always supported the arts and tourism sector, Mr. Chairman. And long before the last mining company pulls out of the North, diversification of our northern economy in all regions needs to take place.

Going to work to pay for day care fees isn't what most people dream of a family, Mr. Chairman. It certainly isn't what I dreamt of when I had my family. Childcare costs continue to rise for everyone. The recognition of early child education demands are not letting up and certainly they need to be the touchstone of our future, because we need to get working on that investment. That will be our future. That is where we will get real dividends back.

Environmental sustainability needs to become the cornerstone of every policy we write in our territorial government. Hard questions need to be asked. How is it helping everyone? Will it help us all in the long term? Will it be the benefit of the northerners? Those are the types of questions I'm going to put to that department to make sure we are producing a product that is good and healthy for everyone.

Mr. Chairman, whether knocking on doors in the election or travelling extensively throughout the North community by community, I've come to learn that each region has its own specific and unique economic and social problems, and wherever they are and whatever they are, I'll certainly make sure I am there for them. Regardless of how big or small that community is, I'll make sure it gets its fair share of attention and commitment from me, because challenges in those regions sometimes that's all that matters, is so they can be heard and they need a Cabinet that will listen to them.

Mr. Chairman, I've seen graduation rates finally climb to 50 percent. I've called this a crisis. What legacy are we leaving the North, Mr. Chairman? I say it's time to call to arms on this problem and we start dealing with it head on. Again, our children are our future, they are our legacy. But without a healthy educated workforce, a healthy educated North, no region will succeed. We need to succeed together.

I want to see a North to grow; to grow with good investment, road infrastructure through the North. We need to finally see the closing of the final chapter that goes from sea to sea and to sea. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to see this Assembly finally commit to following through on a policy to ensure that Tuktoyaktuk has infrastructure, that we can build a Mackenzie Valley highway from the south straight to the north, Mr. Chairman. By the way, we should make sure we travel by source 177.

Speaking of road infrastructure, not only just the Mackenzie Valley highway, but we also have the roads that link the Tlicho communities and that is important infrastructure. When we talk about wanting to lower the cost of living, we need to make sure that we have community access. This can only happen by good partnership, working with our communities, finally getting industry to commit and getting the federal government to help us move on these projects. These are the types of projects and infrastructure that will make the difference in every one of our lives. When we do these things, Mr. Chairman, climate change always needs to be on our mind. Are we doing projects and investments in our territory that are sound?

I want to see things like a hydro infrastructure strategy in place. I will be supporting that. I will be pushing for something like that, because we need to take environmentally sound projects and push them forward, that are hearty and good for all northerners. It's time we worry about the bottom line and the fact is environment needs to make sure it's there every single time. Speaking of hydro, power rates continue to rise.

Yellowknife is off the charts but, my goodness, it's three to four times at least in the communities. That is unacceptable. It's a shame when families have to decide whether they're putting food on the table or certainly turning on those lights. Mr. Chairman, that is a shame.

But of course it's not all doom and gloom. There are economic opportunities throughout the North and people are ready to take on these challenges. I believe in northern investment, all types of investment in all regions of our North, Mr. Chairman. Our backyard is our opportunity, but it's also our legacy. Let us make sure we take a balanced approach on that advantage.

I've always believed that when we look at program ideas, investment in our public service, investment in economics, we should make sure we look throughout the North. Mr. Chairman, my experience tells me that 10 jobs in Fort Good Hope, 10 jobs in Lutselk'e, 10 jobs outside of Inuvik, Yellowknife and Hay River I'll tell you does a lot more for those communities than we'll ever realize in our bigger communities. It has an impact on their community. As much as I love

Yellowknife, good investment throughout the North helps the whole territory.

The bigger picture, Mr. Chairman. I've chaired a number of meetings and I've always treated everyone with respect. I've always been willing to help people on their problems.

Regardless if the MLA is working on something that doesn't necessarily benefit Yellowknife, I see it if it benefits the Member and the territory as a whole it certainly has my complete backing. Again, regardless of if I agree with the issue, the important thing is MLAs have to bring forward issues and they will always have my trust and respect for that. I will work as hard as I can to make sure that their issues get heard and certainly dealt with in the most fair and reasonable way. From start to finish, I've always believed in this Assembly as opportunities before us, not just opposition. I've always believed there are very few nuts this Assembly cannot crack if we put our minds together and we work collectively. Mr. Chairman, however, the opportunities look good, we must make sure that we work together. I will bring an exciting Member to Cabinet if I'm elected, if my colleagues feel that I am worthy. I certainly believe every day, from start to finish, that family values always need to be before us. Community experience I have and the passion I bring will be useful for this government in the next four years.

As I have said earlier, I have travelled through the North. I have experienced and I feel that it will be very important through our northern destiny. My experience of growing up with the different cultures, learning things in Fort Simpson, even my joint experience at Akaitcho Hall have made me the man I am. I have always respected other Members. I think they will continue to provide me good advice and guidance. I certainly look forward to that.

In closing, as I have said in the past, I am always willing to work with anyone who wants to bring issues forward. Again, it does not matter what the issue is, it is about what is good for us as a whole.

Mr. Chair, in my opinion, one of the biggest matters that is before us is making sure that we have good and frequent discussion. So I will encourage Members to select me for Cabinet not just because of my awareness of the issues, but my willingness and my passion to work with each and every one of you to make sure that our collective goals are achieved together. I would like to thank the Assembly. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Chair will now recognize the Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. It is an honour and a privilege to put my name forward as Cabinet Minister and to serve the people of the Northwest Territories. I believe my four terms and 12 years of service as a Member, Cabinet Minister and former Speaker of the Assembly provides me with the experience, work ethic and understanding to be an effective Minister. I have listened to the northern people and their vision and prosperity of a healthy NWT, recognizing the participation of all our unique cultures and people. Developing a renewable and non-renewable resource development in a sustainable manner, providing quality housing, health care, elders' care, healing, and providing important development of the youth and adults in

becoming the stewards of our communities and regions to become a vibrant NWT, I am a strong candidate.

I am determined to work hard to achieve results. However, to achieve results, we need to continue to advance the NWT in the interest of all of our people. The aboriginal people of the North have shared our lands and resources among aboriginal people for years. For this, I am grateful and so are many other people who have come to the Northwest Territories looking for a better life. Many have benefited and continue to benefit thanks to the spirit of the northern cooperation.

Some of the important priorities that I see our Legislative Assembly working towards is the settlement of aboriginal land claims and self-governments. This must continue to be a priority of this government. With land claims that have been settled, we must ensure the implementation is done effectively through the honouring of these modern trainings. I continue to support the settlement of outstanding land claims, self- government agreements and also ensuring that, as Minister, we push hard to get Canada to have a more large, active role in the negotiation process in the Northwest Territories and also make sure that the implementation takes place in the Northwest Territories. I support the government taking advantage of devolution such as the management of lands and resources. The federal government has a large influence over resource development in the Northwest Territories because of the control over the different mechanisms that we have by way of licensing, regulatory systems, and, more importantly, the control of our resources and resource development by way of royalties which flow to Ottawa.

I believe that we have to take a giant leap forward and establish a development trust that the dollars that flow to Ottawa goes into this trust so that we, as northerners, will see the resources being expended on our infrastructure by way of our highways, our bridges, our ports, the critical transportation systems throughout the Northwest Territories to advance the economy of the Northwest Territories and also ensure that self- determination of our citizens and the economy have benefits through this decision.

I also recognize that, through development, we also have to have responsible development. Again, I believe it is important as a society that we have a final say on any decision that is made on development in the Northwest Territories and not leave it to a Minister in Ottawa. The critical aspect of development is truly health, respect and the well-being of our people. We have to take a close look at our social agenda to determine that we must fight for programs and services that would really mean a difference in our communities.

Investing in our communities in the areas of housing, health care, education care, healing, education, again, we must address the root cause of our society and the disorder of some of our people in our society. It is hard to see a relative, a friend, a classmate that you may have gone to school with having to live on the streets because of alcohol and drugs. We, as people of the North, are carrying people. We must take the time to find solutions to our problems. We know what our core critical problems are. In regards to alcohol and drugs, we know what the effects are which are leading to homelessness and it is having a detrimental effect on our institutions from justice to policing to health care. We must do something now.

Again, in regards to another aspect that I feel is critically important that we must ensure that the resources are there for communities and NGOs in institutions that can help us solve

these problems by coming forward and be full participants in solving problems in the Northwest Territories.

As for housing, the increased amount of budget that we have put in place by the 500 units that we are putting on the ground is not enough. We must do more to ensure that programs and services that are being delivered are accessible, affordable and achievable in the Northwest Territories by all of our residents.

Mr. Speaker, we must continue to strive for a high standard of education so that our students can take full advantage of development opportunities throughout the Northwest Territories and elsewhere in Canada. We know that across Canada there is a large demand in regards to health care providers in regards to doctors and nurses. But again, we, as communities and as a territory, must do everything that we can to ensure that those communities that aren’t able to access nurses and other health care professions that we find a unique way to address these crucial problems that originate in a lot of our small isolated communities.

Relating to the development of our natural resources, the priority that we have heard from our people across the Northwest Territories, it is development but not at no cost. We must ensure that we are responsible by way of how our developments take place and responsible by way of ensuring that sustainable development is done in regards to our environment, our lands, our fish, our animals and, more importantly, our plant species.

Again, we, as leaders, can work to ensure that the principle of sustainable development is enhanced in everything that we do. Again, by working together with the Government of the Northwest Territories and aboriginal governments in developing these resources together, we can go a long way. With that, I would like to say mahsi cho and thank you very much for the support of the colleagues and Members that I have worked with over the years and more importantly knowing that I have the experience and know what it takes. I will cooperate and work fully with all Members of this House in regards to ensuring that the goals and objectives that we establish will be achieved and accomplished.

The government is committed by way of the federal government to devolution and to devolution policy. We have to look in the confines of how land claims can be settled in the Northwest Territories and ensure that the benefits that we have seen have flown through land claim agreements will also flow through the devolution policy by using the comprehensive claims policy to achieve this result and not be dragged on through a process that has lasted 20 years and with no results.

Again, I will ask for your support for having my name stand forward. With that, mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The Chair will now recognize the honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank my family, my wife, Dianne, and my kids, the Tlicho constituents, the Tlicho leadership and the four communities for allowing me to represent them for another term as their MLA. You have made the right choice.

Today marks a special day for the 16th Assembly. We are here

to select not only the new Government of the Northwest Territories, but also an accountable and a responsible government that will seek and make changes according to northern communities' needs as it should be. I, for one, Mr. Speaker, would like to be part of that change. I am here today to express my interest in becoming a Cabinet member for the 16th Assembly. It is truly an honour to be among you, this

distinctive dynamic group of MLAs here that is focussing on making changes for the betterment of the Northwest Territories as a whole.

During the 15th Assembly, I witnessed how the previous

government operated. I had opportunity also to serve as Accountability and Oversight committee chairperson; the leader of the opposition, you might say. I witnessed the previous government operating in a manner that could only keep the status quo. This do-not-rock-the-boat kind of attitude in dealing with government operations squelches any new initiative and potential opportunities. Creative thinking should not feel like walking on glass. We need to start thinking outside the box to best meet the needs of all of our constituents and all of the Northwest Territories. I see changes coming with this new government. I see a government that is a progressive and truly accountable public government. The people of the North deserve a government that will listen to them, take their directions to the next level, a government that is not afraid of changes. This government will find innovative ways to partner with industry to provide training and resources such as all- weather roads that will benefit both the business sector and the communities impacted.

I see this government taking new strides in education. I see it revitalizing the Literacy Strategy. I see it promoting languages and cultures that make the NWT rich. I see this government tackling our social issues head on, dedicating itself to resolving problems with housing and finding new ways to engage in our youth through programming and recreation. I see this government working closely with community governments, industries, ensuring true partnerships and meeting our goals.

It is time we start listening to the people of the North. This new government needs to be more visible in the communities. We, all of us here, need to see firsthand all of the issues and concerns smaller communities are faced with on a daily basis. No more of this making decisions directly from headquarters without the understanding and witnessing the root causes of the problems at hand. We need to be out there talking to the people that we are accountable to. Talking to our people is a necessary part of effective governance throughout the year. This also allows for valuable input from community members and better understanding between public and government and vice versa.

Community elders are asking to know their government, to know who they are dealing with and to know who is making the decisions that are affecting the every aspect of their lives. They want to meet the Ministers and deputy ministers of the departments. Our elders are leaders in their own right, having ensured the survival of their people, their land and their culture. They deserve to be treated with respect. The newly elected Cabinet should also be visiting the 33 communities on a frequent basis as they represent the departments that are responsible for day to day operations.

Last year I had the opportunity of having the Premier, three Ministers, deputy ministers and a few government staff to go on a skidoo journey throughout the Tlicho region. We want them to understand how our ancestors travelled the area, survived

on the land at the same time and the same land that we journeyed on. That same summer, Mr. Speaker, we did a canoe journey to the community of Behchoko for the Tlicho Annual Dene Nation Assembly. The parties involved were the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, Ministers, Member of Parliament and MLAs. I see this as a beginning of building on positive working relations with the communities and local governments.

We need a government that will be proactive as opposed to being reactive. The last government seemed to act to issues or problems that arose. We need to set standards according to the communities’ needs. We need to be involved with them at all levels. Community visits is one small step forward towards this bigger understanding, better communication and, ultimately, better governance. We need to recognize and finalize all outstanding land claims and self-government issues in order to move forward as a united one northern voice.

We have successfully completed several claims to date and can utilize their expertise and services which has been offered by parties. The Tlicho Government, for example, is currently working collaboratively with the Akaitcho Nation on supporting them, offering their expertise and experiences for them to finalize their claim. Once we complete all claims here in the North, we will be united as one and more powerful than our current status in terms of negotiation with Ottawa. We have currently signed off four out of seven aboriginal governments to complete the resource revenue sharing and devolution talks with Ottawa. This leaves out the three biggest aboriginal governments, the Tlicho, Akaitcho and Dehcho. By ignoring these nations, we must re-evaluate the current agreement with all parties and develop a plan of action to involve all parties so our voice will be stronger. Ottawa promised only late last night their commitments to settling land claims. This government will hold them to their words and will not back down. Once this is done, Ottawa must listen to the people of the North and finalize the negotiation once and for all.

Mr. Speaker, my vision as a representative of Tlicho people, a Member of this government, the 16th Assembly, is a

government that is transparent, accountable and open to the hearing of the needs of the people of the North. It is a government that will not stand simply for the status quo, a government that is creative, innovative, a government that is committed to following through with its promises, a government that shows results. It is a government that will show Ottawa the importance of the Northwest Territories to this country as a whole. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Chair will now recognize the Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I’d like to begin by offering my sincere congratulations to you on your acclamation as our Speaker, and to Mr. Roland on being elected as Premier.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the constituents of Range Lake for giving me such a strong mandate for the third term. I continue to be in awe of the privilege of serving them as a Member of this House. I want them to know that I’ll continue to work hard to be their voice and to do my utmost to honour the trust they have placed upon me.

Mr. Chairman, the people of the North have sent us to get the job done, and I know we're all raring to go because we sincerely want to make a difference for our people. I believe it is important to remember that no matter where we sit after today, each Member of this House has much power and influence to shape the agenda and the outcomes as we move forward in the 16th Assembly.

It is well known, since I’ve made it quite public, that if re-elected I wish to put my name forward for a seat on Cabinet. Seeing as you are the only 18 people in the Northwest Territories who have a say in whether I can get to do that or not, this seems like a good place and time to tell you why I want to do this and why you should consider voting for me. Quite simply, I want to be a strong champion for action on social agenda for the North over the next four years. Not because I’m interested in a championship medal, but because there is an urgency and importance to this work.

Eight years of working here to address the issues people bring to me made me realize that in this House there’s no pink departments or blue departments or men’s issues or women’s issues. There is just a lot of work to be done on social agenda that are as important and essential as any economic development or environmental protection projects, and in order to advance our social agenda, it is important to have a champion with the best experience and skills, along with a Cabinet that is as strong as possible.

So what would I bring to this job? I will bring to it eight years of experience as the most senior Yellowknife MLA and four years as the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Programs. My years as an MLA taught me how to be a strong advocate and fight for issues that are important to the constituents of Range Lake, but I believe it is in the last four years that really made me realize how much easier and how much more you can get done when you can get a group of people working together and heading towards the same direction.

I enjoyed the dynamics of managing and often conflicting views and political interests of the six members of the committee. I’ve learned what it really means to be a leader by doing and the importance of appreciating the strength and skill of all 19 Members bring to this Assembly. It is on this foundation that I stand before you asking for your support to serve you and the people of the North as a Member of the new Cabinet.

In our discussions in the Caucus and the question and answer session this morning, we have already seen the emergence of a common theme and pressing social issues that we need to tackle head on in this Assembly. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be working collectively to define and refine our social agenda priorities. So I’m not going to list all those action items, but instead I want to talk to you about the basic approach and attitude I’m going to bring to this job.

You’ll see me being a Minister who will be in constant touch with all Members of this House as I have done through the work of my committee. Furthermore, through the course of eight years of working here, I have met and worked with countless aboriginal leaders, community leaders, and leaders of our NGO community. Our communities and our peoples and our aboriginal leaders and our NGOs are the most important foundation for resource and wisdom and they are the ones who are in the front lines. They will be an important part of my team as a Minister, because I have learned firsthand that I cannot get half of the job done as an MLA without the full input and participation of this entire community in the North.

You’ll also see me working hard to boost the morale of the public service, working in departments and on front lines. We have hundreds of people working hard day in and day out to implement the priorities set by this House and to serve the needs of the people. I believe that the role of the Minister is not simply about allocating budget items or making laws and setting policy priorities. There’s something a political leader can do that no one else can, and that is to bring full attention and focus to bear on the important public issues of the day by her words, her actions, and her energy. I see my role as a Minister to be this kind of political leader, an important facilitator between different players, a cheerleader if need be on some really hard issues, and a hard working, positive, public face of this government in order that we can achieve all that is possible under our common social agenda. I want to give the next four years of my life bringing this positive and inspiring energy.

Needless to say, as a Cabinet Minister and Yellowknife Minister, I’ll be asked to contribute on many other important issues of the day. You will find me to be a hard working and positive team player in everything we do as a government and Legislature.

For the remaining minutes, I would like to tell you a little bit about myself for the benefit of those of you who don’t know me as well. I’m a 30-year resident of Yellowknife. I’m a lawyer by profession and also have two years of business administration and a B.A. in Political Science from Carlton University. There is one important thing that I would like to tell you about my education that has nothing to do with the papers I’ve received from these schools, but has all to do with the life experiences that got me there.

Until I was 14 years old, I was born and raised in South Korea, which is a fairly affluent country now, but it was one of the poorest countries in the world in the ‘60s and ‘70s. By the time I was 10 I knew in no uncertain terms that no matter how hard I worked or how intellectually capable I might be, I could not get schooling beyond Grade 9 because my mother couldn’t afford to send both my sister and me to school, and there was no publicly funded school beyond Grade 6. I also watched my family members going without health care or going into abject lifelong poverty because of the lack of public funded health care. I knew enough to know back then, even at a very tender age, that this was inherently unfair and unjust, but there was nothing I could do, really, about that.

Having the privilege of immigrating to Canada, to Yellowknife in 1978, changed all of that and my life completely and from day one I have considered the educational opportunities I was able to receive as a pure gift from Canada or from Heaven above. And for immigrants, sometimes it’s about the same thing. This is a gift that I have always been grateful for and something I’ve been trying to pay back ever since. This is what motivated me to run for public office and it is my desire to maintain and enhance the government programs available to all people in all communities and regions of this great territory that drives me to work every day.

I tell you this because Cabinet Ministers don’t just make decisions from the information in their briefing books. We are all governed very much from what is in our heads and in our hearts. And in our hearts and in our heads we are governed by our collective education from life, whether we get it from formal schooling or in the school of life.

On the election night, one of the CBC panellists commented that while he thought I was certainly ready to be on Cabinet, he didn’t know how my work as an advocate for an underdog and

speaking for the little guy would translate in Cabinet. I want to offer the answer to that. No matter what portfolio one holds in Cabinet, a very important part of a Minister’s work has to do with advancing the NWT interest at the national stage or going up against Ottawa. And I want to tell you, in this mix the NWT will always be my little guy and I’ll be fighting as hard for this little guy, and many of you know that I do not give up until I get the results for every little guy I’m fighting for.

So in conclusion, I believe I’m the best man for the job who happens to be a woman and I respectfully ask you for your vote and support to be a Member of Cabinet. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The Chair will now recognize the Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, offer my congratulations to you on your selection as Speaker-elect and to Mr. Roland as our new Premier-elect.

On a personal note, I would like to give special thanks to my wife and my family for all their unconditional support and love. I also want to thank my supporters and the constituents of Yellowknife South for extending me the privilege of serving as their MLA. It is on their behalf that I am here and I will raise their concerns and speak on their behalf at every opportunity.

I am seeking your support to serve as Cabinet Minister. Let me tell you about myself. I am a Metis born and raised in Fort Providence. I have an honours diploma in Administrative Management from NAIT and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Alberta. In addition, I successfully completed the program of National and International Studies at National Defence College in Kingston, Ontario.

My wife and I moved to Yellowknife from Norman Wells in 1979. I have an extensive public service background with both the federal and territorial governments. Prior to that, I worked in the oil and gas industry. I have served at the deputy minister level for the past nine years with MACA, RWED, Aboriginal Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Executive. Most recently I’ve served as Secretary to Cabinet for three-plus years.

I am a proven senior manager who can work to achieve consensus among diverse stakeholder groups to move forward on important issues. My proven experience, extensive knowledge on northern issues and ability to get things done have prepared me well to take on responsibilities as a Cabinet Minister.

At the heart of my agenda lies this simple question: What can we do today to secure the future for our children and our grandchildren? There is only one answer: a strong North through a strong people. This is our time; time for the North to carve out a safe, sustainable, and prosperous future for our children and our grandchildren in our communities. This is a time for partnership, for boldness, and for action.

There is important work to do over the next four years. It requires strong leaders who see and will seize the opportunities, address the opportunities, address the issues, and get the job done. There are powerful currents sweeping across our lives today. We need to form a collective vision and work together to make that vision a reality.

As a government, I believe our highest priorities must be first to build the capacity of our people to address the skills shortage in our economy; to increase affordable housing, reduce homelessness, and help those who cannot help themselves; to improve quality and accountability in our two most important public services -- education and health care; to be leaders in partnership with First Nations; to finalize devolution and sharing of resource revenues; to take new steps to minimize the effects of climate change.

Consensus is the key to the success of the Assembly. When we act with resolve and with common purpose, we succeed on behalf of our people. A strong people starts with family and the family is the foundation of our communities. As territorial leaders, we must recognize that times have changed, that economic growth comes with a price, and set our course accordingly. Despite the strength of our economy, there are a significant number of people who require either short or long- term supports to meet their needs. We must commit to shared economic success and not leave anyone behind.

This means that we need to increase affordable housing, reduce homelessness, and help those who cannot help themselves. These challenges require us to rethink the actions of a generation. The cornerstone of strong social policy is housing.

Homelessness is a plague that weakens our communities and erodes our social fabric. It is unacceptable. New approaches are needed before the issue turns into a crisis for our communities and our people. It will be important to integrate the efforts of territorial health and social service providers with a good work of non-government organizations that provide emergency and transitional housing in each community.

As you’ve heard several times today, when you combine health care and education authorities, these two portfolios represent more than 60 percent of the territorial budget. That is consistent with other jurisdictions, but that is an amount of taxpayer money that should be managed as effectively as possible. We don’t need to ask if we are doing things right in health care and education. What we need to ask is are we doing the right things? We need to examine early childhood education, reducing class sizes, and improving high school proficiencies. We need to ensure safe, affordable, and accessible child care, and enhance services for children with disabilities. Overall, student graduation rates have gone up over the past five years. However, despite this success, one in five students do not complete secondary studies. Further, over half of our aboriginal students do not complete their studies. As good as our education system has become -- and we have made huge strides -- it can and must be even better.

Despite efficiency gains, new funding, and increased service levels obtained in the last five years, challenges in health delivery remain. Left unchecked, demands for more funding will see our public health care system reach a breaking point, not in decades, but in a matter of years. We need to review our plan for health care in the Northwest Territories. We should abandon those things that just aren’t working very well and be bold enough to deliver our health services differently where it makes sense to do so. As a government, we can control health care capacity; we cannot control patient demands on our health care system.

As a government, we must be innovative in exploring new ways to delivering health services. This will not be easy, but we must be determined to put our public health care system on a footing

that ensures sustainability and ensure that people have access to the high quality care they need when they need it.

The people of the Northwest Territories are forging a new chapter in our history. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the new relationships that have been forged with First Nations. Their legacy is a testament to positive leadership and a lasting contribution to the NWT.

The interests of the Territories are best served by a negotiated resolution of aboriginal rights, including land, resources, and self-government agreements, and the political and constitutional development of the Northwest Territories. A strong economy and sustainable environmental principles are two sides of the same coin. We can develop our resources, but only if we do so in a manner that respects the environment. We must develop a balanced, diversified, and sustainable economic plan that safeguards the environment and addresses climate change.

We must relentlessly pursue two priorities around resources development. The first is a 10-year plan for allocation of royalties based on sustainable economic principles. That would normalize the boom-bust cycles that have plagued us over the years. The second priority is to finalize and implement devolution and resource revenue sharing. Northerners feel that they lack control over the economic development of our territory and that those responsible are not accountable or do not exercise their mandate. The federal government receives the royalty revenues and we are left paying for the negative impacts of development. That must change. We need a good deal on devolution and resource revenue sharing. It is important that we speak as one voice when we approach Ottawa so that we can deal from a position of strength.

At the end of November, Tuktoyaktuk will host the country’s first remote community wind energy conference. Wind and hydro-electric energy can help us achieve our climate change priorities.

The NWT is blessed with an abundance of natural resources that gives me confidence that the future is bright for our children in our communities. We need to work to lower the cost of living. This is one of our biggest challenges. We need to convince the federal government to increase the northern residents tax deduction. Planning for strategic investments in infrastructure, such as the Mackenzie Valley highway to the Arctic Ocean should be undertaken.

While campaigning, many people told me they feel unsafe walking on our streets. We need to develop innovative programs and partnerships to stop drugs to keep our streets safe, and to protect our citizens and our properties in our communities.

There is important work to do over the next four years; work that requires a clear understanding of how governments operate at the federal, territorial, and regional level; work that requires consensus building and negotiating skills; work that must be done today because it should start tomorrow. We need to work together to solve the difficult issues of land claims and resource revenues so we can seize control of our future and address the common goals that we all face.

I offer you my skills, my strong work ethic, and a commitment to work diligently and to do my best for the people of the NWT and for the people in my constituency. I’m seeking your support for the privilege of holding a Cabinet position. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Chair will now recognize the Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, visitors in the gallery, and to all the people across the Northwest Territories who are tuned in today. First of all I’d like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, in your role as the Speaker of the House for the 16th Legislative Assembly. I’m sure the Members of this House

have once again chosen the right person for the job.

Also congratulations to the MLA for Boot Lake, the Honourable Floyd Roland. I’ve had the privilege of working and dealing with Mr. Roland for the last two governments now and I certainly can vouch for his abilities and his dedication.

Mr. Chairman, political life can be very demanding and all of us know that family life is very important, so I want to just take a few seconds to thank my wife, Joyce, who tells me she’s going to have her ear glued to the radio today. As well, my son, Kevin, my daughter Shawna, and also my daughter Robyn, who’s in Red Deer College cheering me on. So I’ve been very blessed and very fortunate to have a family that offers me support and understanding throughout my career.

I want to say a big thank you to the people of Deh Cho who have given me such a strong showing of support. I especially want to thank those people who worked on my short-lived campaign.

I’d like to start by giving a little bit of a history about myself. I was born here in the Northwest Territories in the community of Fort Providence. I have seen the problems and the challenges that face all our communities across the North. I’ve also had the opportunity to travel and meet a very good deal of interesting people throughout my life. My education and my background have all been in the field of politics, management and business. I’ve been an MLA for the Deh Cho now for eight years. During my first term in the 14th Assembly, I was a

Regular Member and I was also the chair of the Non-Tax- Based Community Affairs committee. In the 15th Assembly,

I’ve had the pleasure of serving in a number of roles as Minister. Towards the end of the government, I was the Minister of Municipal of Community Affairs, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, the Minister responsible for Youth, the Minister of Transportation, the Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board.

Mr. Chairman, my reasons for running for Cabinet haven’t changed a lot over the last few years. I continue to have a genuine interest in creating a better quality of life for the people in the North. Eight years ago I put my name forward for the position of MLA because I wanted to improve the standard of living for our children; I wanted to see our economic, our political and cultural way of life assured for all the residents in the Northwest Territories. I also wanted to create new and better relationships with our communities, with our aboriginal governments and with the federal government. These are the views that I will continue to bring to the Cabinet table and to Cabinet discussions.

There are a number of key areas that this government has to focus on over the next four years, in my opinion. The first is to

deal effectively with aboriginal governments in the North to settle land claims and other outstanding issues. Signing off on the land use plans and supporting the development of protected areas will certainly go a long way in helping us move forward in other areas such as devolution and resource revenue sharing. The aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories have been at the negotiating tables addressing self- government issues and land issues for a very long time and we need to bring these matters to a conclusion. That will require trust and cooperation.

An issue that has jumped front and centre during the life of this last Assembly, Mr. Chairman, is the challenges facing our environment. We live in a part of the world where the environment is of the utmost importance and it is also very fragile. Unlike other jurisdictions, the management and the responsibility for mining, oil and gas, land, water and environment still rests with the federal government. We’ve heard from aboriginal leaders, we’ve heard from community leaders and people from across the North that we have to do everything in our power to protect our water, our land, our wildlife and our resources. Mr. Chairman, although our last government came very close to settling an agreement with the federal government, the issue of transferring jurisdiction over northern lands and resources from Ottawa to the North continues to plague us. It’s so important that decisions that affect our lives are made here and not made elsewhere. We also need to negotiate an agreement that will give us our rightful share of our royalties and our resource revenues. There have been some encouraging comments made in the Throne speech yesterday that may indicate renewed interest to some of these northern issues. My position is that we have to move forward with all the aboriginal governments as partners. We need to speak with a unified voice on this issue to conclude these discussions and to begin to collect what’s rightfully ours.

Mr. Chairman, the North has the fastest growing economy in Canada. The development of our diamonds and our oil and gas has created many jobs and business opportunities and while there’s a high level of employment across the North, there are still considerable differences between some of our larger centres and the smaller communities. There is certainly more demand for labour and economy than the North is able to supply. More work has to be done to ensure that the residents have the skills and the abilities to take advantage of the opportunities available. We must also ensure that we have adequate programs to help companies and small businesses get started and to continue to operate. Many of today’s business support programs seem to be falling short of our actual need.

Mr. Chairman, I’m sure everyone here will agree that our most important investment that we, as a government, can make is for our youth. We have a large population of our youth that are under 20. Youth centres, organized recreation programs, trapping programs and better sports facilities will contribute to improve graduation rates and lower the high levels of youth crime many of our communities are facing. Without investment and training in educational programs, we will see many of the jobs in the North continue to head south.

Our government has to look at ways, also, to bring life into our non-renewable sector. I believe long-term economic future lies in the tourism and non-traditional economies that includes trapping and furs. The whole sector has a great deal of untapped potential and we have to give it higher priority.

Mr. Chairman, we also need Ministers that will include MLAs in planning and setting priorities and developing guiding

principles. During my time as an MLA and as a Minister, I’ve learned a lot about communicating and working with people from all walks of life. I practice an open door policy that works well for me and being able to speak openly to people is certainly central to an effective consensus government.

Mr. Chairman, in closing, there are many issues out there and many other issues that have been raised to me that we should have opportunity to deal with. The cost of living will continue to rise and there’s most concern with people in the North. We need to find solutions to reduce the cost of basic necessities and heating fuel. We still have a situation of overcrowding and shortage of housing in the Northwest Territories and playing catch-up with our infrastructure will be a challenge. Reviewing the policies and our programs that our seniors and our disabled residents are concerned about will need to be a priority. We have many other issues that affect our social well-being that I don’t have time to raise here today; however, these issues are very important to me and whether or not I’m elected to a Cabinet position, I will continue to raise these matters and put them to the forefront of this government’s agenda.

Finally, I want to say that I’m not a person that shies away from making tough decisions. I think I’ve proven that. I pride myself on bringing new ideas to the table. We’re living in very exciting times and we have opportunities opening up right across the Territories. It’s important at this time that we have strong leadership at the Cabinet level and I commit to you that I will work with integrity and perseverance to get things done. We have a lot of work to do in the life of this government and I’m ready to go to work. So when it’s time to decide where to place your X today, I ask you to consider what I have to offer and vote Michael McLeod. Also, best of luck to all of the candidates who are running for Cabinet positions today. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Chair will now recognize the Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Chair…(English not provided)

I am very happy to be here today as an MLA and to be putting my name forward for consideration as a Cabinet Minister in the 16th Assembly. I would like to take a moment to thank the

voters of Nahendeh for their confidence and to express my gratitude for the honour and privilege to represent them once again.

There are three important facets in support of me submitting my name: one, my beliefs and background; two, the issues that I believe deserve a higher profile in the 16th Assembly and,

three, my personal attributes and capabilities. I do want to say, Mr. Chair, that in essence what I bring is experience, reliability and my approachability to this Assembly as a Minister.

But firstly, my beliefs and background. I was born in Fort Simpson. My childhood years were with my traditional parents, Phillip and Lucy Bonnetrouge, with whom I spent much time on the land hunting, trapping and living. I continue that appreciation today; the importance of our land and environment on our lives. My education includes schooling in Fort Simpson and attending Grandin College in Fort Smith as well as the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in B.C. My work experience includes being a researcher at the Dene Nation and

the LKFN First Nations before I settled into a career as a safety and maintenance technician with Enbridge Pipelines with whom I spent 17 years. Then I was elected as an MLA for Nahendeh in 2003.

I am in support of consensus government. I believe that it can and has produced the desired results for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Good government should be open, transparent, consultation on issues is fundamental and a willingness to acknowledge mistakes and correct them when they are made. Continuous improvement is an important attribute of an effective and efficient government.

As an aboriginal person born and raised in the North, I have a keen sense of aspirations of all our northerners. I would like to list several concerns and priorities that I have:

1. Modern, inclusive, prosperous economy with the

resources and authorities that will protect the environment as well as our non-renewable resources for the long term.

2.

A strong northern sustainable economy which will provide balanced sustainable development to improve standards of education, health care and housing for all residents.

3. A government, Mr. Chair, that strives to balance its

resources so that all regions get their fair share of government resources and programming. Some regions have their special projects, but I assure you, colleagues, that in time I see others getting theirs.

4.

Attention and leadership to the important environmental issues that affect us: climate change, emerging water and air issues.

5.

A northern society where seniors' needs are recognized and where our youth are given necessary tools to succeed in life and an opportunity for not just jobs, Mr. Chair, but careers.

As a Minister I will keep these values, goals and objectives in the forefront of my platform as I carry out my duties.

Secondly, I would like to highlight what I believe to be the three most pressing issues over the life of this coming Assembly. Environmental issues need to receive a much higher profile with our 16th Assembly. The oil sands development in Alberta

is resulting in pressures on the quality of water supply. Climate change is also impacting the way we do business in the North. Increased industrialization in places such as China is bringing ever-increasing quantities of airborne pollutants to our fragile environment. Although many of the causes of environment change originate outside the NWT, this does not mean that we cannot be proactive. The GNWT needs to be a leader and continue to stand up and bring higher profile to these issues in terms of provincial, national and international policy. At the same time, we need to walk the walk here in the NWT. Let’s not point fingers at others when we still produce our energy with diesel generators powered by imported fuel. Let’s not be quick to blame when we continue to stuff garbage into our landfills. We need to ensure that we, too, are an environmentally responsible jurisdiction.

Devolution and resource revenue sharing needs to conclude with the federal government in order to gain access to a greater level of resources. Issues such as housing, the environment, health care, education, economic development and our infrastructure deficit, to name just a few, require more resources than we have. As a Minister, I will be strongly in

favour of concluding a northern accord with Ottawa. I believe that with innovative mechanisms such as the establishment of a northern heritage fund, the inclusion of aboriginal governments in our discussions can be addressed in the way that allows us to move forward together.

Housing program accessibility is a close to home item that I would like to concentrate on. Housing programs and programming is no longer accessible to the people most in need. Currently we have created an administratively complicated Housing Corporation that must be reviewed. Here is a situation where we made a change in programming that is not benefiting our people. We must take another look at government’s approach and develop sensible solutions that work for the benefit of our people.

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to draw the attention of our own Members to some of the personal capabilities and attributes that I believe provide the basis for my selection as a Cabinet Minister:

1.

Experience. As an MLA in the last Assembly I gained increasing roles and responsibilities beginning with experience and knowledge of our committee system; firstly as chair of our Caucus and as chair of our Accountability and Oversight committee, as well as being a Member of the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development and the Board of Management. Finally, I was also honoured with the trust and competence of the last Assembly to be selected as Minister. I gained valuable experience with those responsibilities of Minister of Transportation and the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board. Let me use this experience going forward in the 16th Assembly.

2.

Reliability. I took my responsibility for public office as an MLA and a Minister seriously. I had one of the best attendance records in the last Assembly in both the House and the committee systems. My view on this is simple: efficient and effective government is the result of efficient and effective representation.

3.

Approachability. I’m always approachable on any issue. I’m always willing to take time to discuss issues in an open, friendly and forthright manner. I will take the time to understand your issues, our issues, and provide timely answers.

To summarize, Mr. Speaker, I believe that my beliefs and political philosophy, my life experiences and my experiences as MLA and a Minister in the 15th Assembly are valuable assets

for this Assembly. I will continue to work just as hard in this Assembly as I did in the past. I can make one promise and that is to continue to be a reliable, approachable Minister who will work diligently using my experience to expose territorial and nationally our goals that we develop as a 16th Assembly. Mahsi

cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Chair will now recognize the honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I stand here as a fourth term MLA from what is generally acknowledged as one of the politically toughest

constituencies in the Northwest Territories and I’m very familiar with the give and take of that type of politics, but I stand here today as one of the senior Members of this Legislature with nearly six years' experience on Cabinet and I offer that and a proven record of hard work and success in every portfolio that I’ve handled.

I recognize that we’ve been here for some time already today so I just want to confirm for the record that the comments that I made this morning and the answers that I gave this morning, I still stand by. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Chair will now recognize the honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen and visitors in the gallery with us this afternoon. I want to begin this afternoon by congratulating you, Mr. Delorey, on your election yesterday as Speaker of the House. Mr. Delorey, I had the opportunity during the last government to work with you for a short time on committee and later on with the Board of Management and with your role as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and I must say I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the role that you have provided to the House in the past and I do look forward to working with you in the future. I also want to congratulate today our Premier-elect, Mr. Roland. It is indeed a very proud day for Mr. Roland, his family and the residents in the Beaufort-Delta area and the town of Inuvik.

Congratulations. I wish him every success as we move forward in governing this great territory of ours.

Members, six weeks ago today, I had to take my wife, Amanda, to the hospital in Edmonton with complications with the pregnancy. This has taken her away from me during the past six weeks. As many of you know, we had an election campaign that just concluded on October 1st . It has been a

tough time for me personally and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you very much to everybody who has offered their thoughts and prayers to me and my wife through our difficulty. I just want everybody to know here today, she is still in the hospital in Edmonton. She is doing fine. Again, thank you for all of your support. It means a great deal to me.

Colleagues, I stand before you today seeking your support to become a Member of the Executive Council of the 16th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. In the time I have here this afternoon, I would like to outline for you what my plans and strategies are for serving you, the Members of this Assembly and all the residents of this territory, as a member of the Executive Council of the Northwest Territories.

I would like to begin by telling you briefly about some of my experience. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Brunswick in political science where I specialized in aboriginal self-government. I also have a background in business. In 1996, I was awarded the Business Development Bank of Canada’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. I have almost 10 years of elected political experience in the Northwest Territories, first being elected to Yellowknife City Council in 1997 and again in 2000. In 2003, I was first elected as a Member of the 15th Legislative Assembly

for the riding of Kam Lake. During the life of the last government, I served as deputy chair of Caucus, also deputy

chair of Committee of the Whole, a member of the Board of Management and a member of the Governance and Economic Development committee.

Mr. Chair, I am very excited at our prospects as a territory and I am looking forward to being a part of this team that we have assembled here today to steer the direction, vision and goals of the people we serve.

Since my election in 2003, I have been committed to work and speak on behalf of the constituents of Kam Lake. Mr. Chair, judging by the 81 percent of the vote I received on October 1st ,

I have delivered effectively representing the riding. I understand that being a Cabinet Minister would not only mean representing the constituents in my riding and the city of Yellowknife, but I would also represent the entire territory and certainly you, my colleagues. Having spent the last four years on the Regular Members’ side, I have seen how this building operates and how decisions are arrived at. I can tell you today that I feel I will be an effective Minister because of my understanding of the role and responsibility that Regular Members and Cabinet Ministers play in our system of government.

As a Regular Member, I remember how difficult it was to wait weeks for a response from a department. Sometimes that response didn’t even come. If you are to select me for a position on Cabinet, I can assure you that I will be responsive, accessible and professional in everything that I do for you, the Regular Members. I have spent four years on the Regular Members’ side and I fully understand what challenges and demands mean for a Regular Member of this House. If you select me as part of your Cabinet team, I can assure you that I will be down the hall talking to Members, not hunkered down in my office. If I am in my office, the door will always be open.

I spent the past four years answering my own phone. I would never put it on call forward. If I am in my office, I answer my phone when it rings. I don’t even have caller ID. So you can expect, Members, that same level of service should I become a Cabinet Minister. I will be honest with you and give you the straight-up answers to your questions. I understand and appreciate what politics is and what being a politician is all about. You can count on me being there when you need me to be.

Mr. Chair, I would like to speak about relationships. I know that being an effective Cabinet Minister will require a person to build trust and credibility amongst other groups. Having been a city councillor here in the city of Yellowknife for five years, I can relate to municipal issues and concerns. I have a very good working relationship with the mayor and the councillors here in Yellowknife. I have demonstrated my ability to up-build relationships in our regions and communities with aboriginal and community leaders.

As a Cabinet Minister, I would be prepared to hit the ground running in Ottawa, where it is essential that the Government of the Northwest Territories needs to make progress on key files. I have built up numerous contacts and personal relationships with the government in Ottawa. We need action on increasing the northern tax deduction. We need to secure funding for much needed transportation infrastructure. We need to keep moving devolution and resource revenue sharing forward. We need to discuss the establishment and setup of a permanent resource trust fund that eventually could help fund government operations and pay each resident of our territory a dividend annually. I will work hard on maintaining and expanding intergovernmental relationships, maintaining your confidence

and trust in me as a Cabinet Minister, and the relationships I have with you, my colleagues, will always be a top priority for me.

There are some key areas of concern for me as we begin to govern the Northwest Territories over the next four years. The disparity or the gap between small communities and larger centres must be addressed. Our government must ensure every available opportunity gets to those who require them. In order to get the opportunities into our smaller communities and regions, we are going to need resource development. The development of our resources can, and should, be sustainable as I believe we all have a strong determination to protect our environment. As a government, we must strike a balance between the preservation of our environment and opportunities for our people. Mr. Chair, I am a firm believer that we can accomplish this balance.

The government should immediately entertain a zero-based budgeting exercise that would look at government spending from top to bottom. We owe it to the residents of our territory who are looking to us to manage the delivery of essential services. We need more money for housing, health care and education. We need to make certain that each and every dollar we spend is spent in an area that is most needed. We have to address the fact that we have over 3,000 migrant workers here in the Northwest Territories. They take with them over $300 million annually to the South. That money does not contribute one iota to the prosperity of our territory. We must find creative ways to encourage people to live and remain in our territory.

We must begin a campaign that will look to denormalize alcohol consumption in our territory. The root cause of many of our social ills rest with alcohol and drugs and the damage they are having on our families, friends and communities.

Education, especially, amongst youth, is key to help stopping the negative impacts of alcohol and drugs. We need to focus on youth and healthy pursuits for our people. Every dime this government spends on helping youth participate in sport and recreational activity is money well spent. We need more programming at the community level to help give our youth alternatives to drugs and alcohol.

Addictions are another area where I believe the government can make a difference. We need more programming. We need more frontline workers. We have to support those agencies that are delivering these much needed programs.

We must continue to support our tourism industry. It has a potential to add some realistic economic diversification for our territory. We need to be investing in solid product development. We must continue to support existing operators in the areas of aurora viewing, sport fishing, sport hunting and eco-adventures. The tourism industry will be faced with many challenges ahead, especially now that our dollar is now worth more than the American dollar.

I would also like to see the Government of the Northwest Territories put more resources into our arts community. We have a very talented and dedicated artistic community across our territory. We lag far behind the funding that our neighbour to the west, the Yukon territory, provides to its arts community. We need to look at ways to close that gap.

We must make certain that all outstanding obligations to aboriginal governments are addressed. The Dehcho and Akaitcho process must be concluded. We must continue to foster relations with our two sister territories, the Yukon and Nunavut. We have a great deal in common with them both,

especially in the areas of global warming, climate change and Arctic sovereignty issues. A pan-territorial approach should be pursued when it benefits residents across the three northern territories. Having been a Member of the last government, I have had an opportunity on many different occasions to meet many of our counterparts from both the Yukon and Nunavut governments. I would certainly continue to advance our pan- territorial agenda.

In closing, colleagues, I would like to say that it would be an absolute honour and a privilege to serve on your Executive Council during the 16th Legislative Assembly. As many of you

know, I take the work of our people very seriously and from day one as a Cabinet Minister, I would never forget who put me there nor why I am there. That is to serve you, the Members of this House, and all of the residents across the Northwest Territories. Once again, I want to thank you for your attention this afternoon and good luck and best wishes to all those other candidates seeking a position on our Executive Council.

Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Chair will now recognize the honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all I want to say to my constituents and to my family, especially to my wife and to our little boy who I am wholly heartful and very thankful to for them believing in me and supporting me.

Mr. Chair, I want to also congratulate you on your selection, Mr. Speaker, and to Mr. Roland of Premier-elect. I would like to say that I have thought very long and hard about seeking the Cabinet position. My acclamation demonstrates I have the support and backing of the people of my region. I do not take this for granted. I spent the day leading up to the territorial election travelling to the Sahtu communities listening to the people. I worked hard as an MLA for my constituents in the Sahtu. I will continue to work hard as Cabinet Minister for all citizens of the Northwest Territories.

In the past Caucus chair, I believe in consensus government. We, in the North, have demonstrated that we can work together. Where else except in northern Canada do Regular Members have the input to government plans and budgets? Consensus government allows for this to happen. Everyone has a say. In meeting many of you over the last couple of weeks, I know many of you share a vision that we as leaders of this government give our people hope for a better future for their children and their grandchildren. We are from big communities and we are from small communities. We are truly a government of the people. I believe that we have to build a culture of well-being, a culture of identity, a culture of economy and a culture of healing. For example, we have to continue to support the many official languages in the Northwest Territories. Recently, an elder told me our land is our life. As we become aware of the issues of climate change, we in the North have an opportunity to work from the starting point. Our land is our life.

Two days ago, Statistics Canada announced that fresh water quality was rated marginal or poor in 22 percent of the 356 monitored sites in southern Canada and 14 percent of the 36 sites tested in northern Canada. Five sites in northern Canada have marginal or poor water. It is time to get serious about the

environment. It is time to put our energy and attention and our traditional knowledge to work. We know it. We have the ability here in the Northwest Territories to do something now. I want to work with all of you in this Assembly to get moving on this. We have to act now. We have to show our people we mean business. I learned the value of teamwork as a young man from fighting fires to be part of the team to when I was a chief negotiator of the Sahtu Dene and Metis land claims. As a chief negotiator of the Tulita Memorial Self-Government Secretariat and as an MLA, I saw how important teamwork can be done when Cabinet Ministers work with Regular Members to accomplish their goals. By working together, things will get done. I am a team player.

In the last Assembly, we considered many proposed bills and passed many of them. However, a proposed bill that did not make it to the finish line was the SCAN legislation. This legislation was meant to deal with chronic alcohol and drug problems and issues facing our communities. I thought the principles of the SCAN legislation was sound. However, what was brought forward was based on other parts of Canada. It did not reflect the realities of the Northwest Territories. The idea of the SCAN proposal must be brought back to the fore of this House so we can come up with a northern SCAN legislation. Good legislation must stand scrutiny. You have my solid commitment as a Cabinet Minister I will ensure broad consultation at the appropriate time.

We know in the Northwest Territories that we need better transportation infrastructures, whether that is accomplished by extending the Mackenzie Valley highway, by building bridges or enhancing or expanding airports. These are all issues of this House that need to have input by all Members. Let’s consider for a moment two recent announcements from the federal government. Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Harper announced $40 million to upgrade the railroad to Churchill, Manitoba, and last week, almost $700 million for VIA rail. Is there now federal money for us to enhance our transportation system? I know Cabinet has to make it a high priority to find out. The time is to act.

I envision devolution and resource revenue sharing with the federal government soon. There has been much work done on this already. We must take immediate action to capitalize on that work. I was happy to hear the Prime Minister mention devolution regarding northerners in last night’s Throne speech. I intend to work with him to make that happen.

The Northwest Territories is blessed with resources; oil, gas, diamonds and other minerals. We must extract some of these resources to have a strong economy. However, the land, water and our wildlife are also resources and these have to be protected above all. They are our people’s most precious resources. Making this reality requires courage and determination. With the devolution and resource sharing, we have the ability to determine how best to have a strong economy at the same time as we preserve and protect the environment well beyond our lifetime. We have the ability to get this right.

When I think of our people and our human resources, I know that education plays a huge role in their lives. My late mother was an advocate for education. She was passionate about our youth continuing the education. This is what we want for the people of the Northwest Territories. I know that our people in the North are resilient. The people in the North have strong connections to family and to the land. We cannot hide the fact that we have economic and social challenges. Being a Cabinet Minister will allow me the opportunity to formulate solutions to

these challenges that require a well balanced approach.

Again, it is time for action.

Negotiations on land claims and self-government agreements continue and will likely be more important in the coming years. Agreements to date have led a number of causal benefits including aboriginal people taking greater control in their lives and the future of the Northwest Territories. We need to do the same at the territorial level in partnership with other governments. What is our future? I would prefer to think in terms of political evolution; evolving into the future where residents of the Northwest Territories are in control of their resources to take care of themselves. As deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Social Programs, what we say I believe that people want a good life. People want the best for themselves and their families. I believe government can make a difference and government can get things done just as our people expect us to do.

We have unlimited opportunities in front of us and challenges on many fronts. We have ever increasing economic and social challenges in housing, education, transportation, renewable resources and health care. Collectively, it is possible if we set our minds to it to get all that is required to help our people with these challenges. We must look how to better control and bring down the cost of living for all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Following up on the progress to date of the residential school settlement agreements must continue and perhaps take a sense of urgency. We have to ask ourselves, what would be the impact of a healthier society where the youth who we often say, you are our future. The future lies in the elders. Let’s get them connected. We must build trustworthy relationships with aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories to know that this is the right thing to do. Remember, we are all in this together and, most importantly, protecting our environment. I know that we have the people and the intelligence to get this right. We need to get on with it and put into our minds and to do it now.

In closing, our people want an accountable and transparent government and answers for northern issues must be found. I am prepared to work as a Minister in this Cabinet and to get the job done. I ask for your support in my quest as a Cabinet Minister. Mr. Speaker, we need to know, and everyone here needs to know, that I believe in the people of the Northwest Territories. The people in the North have the ability to build this North, a North where they can proudly stand without question and say this is our North and we built it. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. That concludes the candidate speeches. Members, I would now ask you to proceed to the Clerk’s table to receive three ballots; one for the northern candidates, one for the Yellowknife candidates and one for the southern candidates. Please proceed to the voting booths to mark your ballots and then place them in the ballot box located in front of the first table.

---Voting Commences

Are there any more Members wishing to vote who have not yet voted? There being no one else wishing to vote, I will proceed to vote myself.

I now declare the voting process closed. The ballot box will now be taken to the Clerk’s office where the ballots will be

counted. The bells will be rung for five minutes to bring the Members in once the results are determined.

---SHORT RECESS

---Ringing of Bells