Mahsi, Mr. Chair. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Chair, I would like to begin by offering my sincere congratulations to you on your acclamation as our Speaker and also Bob McLeod for being elected Premier. Congratulations to both of you.
I’d like to thank my wife, Dianne, and my children, Jayde, Cheyenne, Sahara, Denae and Ty, for their constant support. I would also like to thank the Tlicho constituency to give me the strong mandate to serve as their MLA. I appreciate their trust and confidence in me. Mahsi cho.
As we look to select a new government for the Northwest Territories we need to look for a government that is accountable and transparent, also a government that’s responsible, a government that will consult with its people and work together to meet the needs of our northern communities.
I, Mr. Chairman, would like to be part of this government. I am here to express my interest in becoming a Cabinet member for the 17th Assembly
government. I am honoured to be among all of you and look forward to working with each and every one of you, focussing on making changes for the betterment of the Northwest Territories as a whole.
I see the government of the 17th Assembly as a
progressive and truly accountable public government. The people of the North deserve a government that will listen to them, to take their direction to the next level, a government that is not afraid of changes, but also a government that believes in consultation.
This government will find innovative ways to work with all potential partners for the betterment of all Northerners. This is a government with a true vision.
As an MLA in the 15th Assembly, I made Aboriginal
language, culture and education of our youth a priority and demanded the government, at that time, be accountable for education. I take great pride in my language and culture. I have always made a point of speaking my language in the House here in the Legislative Assembly and also in public. I promote and acknowledge those individuals in our communities who share their culture. I recognize elders as keepers of our way of life, professors of our traditional knowledge.
I had the privilege of service as Minister of Education, Culture and Employment during the 16th Assembly to make education, language and culture as that government’s top priority. Under my leadership, initiatives were implemented recognizing individuals who have contributed significantly to education in the North, including the Education Hall of Fame, the Culture Circle which recognizes elders and youth who have contributed their culture, language and experience to education.
In March 2010 was the first territorial-wide Aboriginal Language Symposium ever, which resulted in the NWT Aboriginal Languages Strategy. This came into being because of consultations and collaboration with language experts and elders from across the Northwest Territories. This strategy will be implemented during the 17th Assembly.
Under my leadership, the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative was launched. This was an historical achievement. Boards of education, Aboriginal leadership and GNWT, through community consultations, agreed and signed a commitment to ensure to implement this initiative to work together to better serve our Aboriginal youth to increase educational achievement.
It is time we start listening to the people of the North, Mr. Chair. This government needs to be more visible in the communities. We, all of us here today, need to see firsthand all the issues and concerns smaller communities are faced with on a daily basis. No more of these decision-making 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 valuable input from community members, community leaders; better understanding between public government and vice versa.
Community elders are asking how to know their government, to know who they are dealing with on a constant basis, to know who the decision-makers are that are affecting every aspect of their lives. They want to meet the Ministers and the deputy ministers from their 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 be visiting all 33 communities on a frequent basis, constantly, as they represent the departments that are responsible for the day-to-day operations.
We need a government that is proactive, as opposed to being reactive. The last government seemed to react 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 are one small step towards understanding better the community issues, better communication and, ultimately, better governance.
We need to commit to consulting and being accountable to the people of the Northwest Territories. We need to recognize and finalize all outstanding land claims and self-government issues in order to move forward as a united, one voice, one northern voice.
My vision as a representative of the Tlicho people and Member of this government, the 17th Assembly,
is a government that’s transparent, accountable, open to hearing the needs of the people of the Northwest Territories. 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.