Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would also like to extend my congratulations to Premier-elect Bob McLeod. I would like to say thank you. It has been a wonderful couple of weeks here getting to know my colleagues here. I think we have a contingent of really well-qualified people to serve the people of the Northwest Territories. It is an honour to be sitting around the table with them. I look forward to the next four years of this Legislature.

[Translation] Thank you. I would like to say my name is Michael Nadli and I would like to say thanks to my relatives, my wife and my mom and all the people that worked on my behalf. That is what got me here. These are the people that supported me. For the next four years I will be working hard along with all the Members. There will be a lot of difficult items to work on [Translation ends]

…for giving me this opportunity to rise up to the occasion in putting my name forward as Cabinet Minister because I believe I have the experience and the background. To think what I bring forward to the Cabinet would be, of course, a political understanding in terms of the lay of the land. I have a background in working in a leadership role in terms of bringing the Dehcho First Nations to the forefront of some cutting-edge accomplishments in terms of environmental preservation, environmental conservation. We have done some tremendous work in one region. I would like to ensure that that work flows into the well-being of the Northwest Territories to ensure that we have balance developed, ensuring that we don’t sacrifice the environment for the economy but ensure that we have a balance.

I speak my language. I am fluent in Slavey and also at the same time, of course, I have an understanding of my culture. I have had an

opportunity to be educated in the western thought, so having these skills, I think I can work well with Dene and non-Dene. I can also be a link to ensure that there is a balance in terms of bringing mutual interests forward. At the same time, in my background I have had some skills in mediation in terms of ensuring that we focus on issues, but also at the same time we work together, we try to identify some commonalities. Sometimes, too often, we get entrenched in positions. Sometimes we need to step away from our positions to ensure that we build upon our strengths, which is our common interest for the well-being of our Northwest Territories.

My campaign theme was for the next generation. Perhaps looking into this future, we could say in a decade, in a century, what kind of North will we have? I would like to ensure that we have a very good North ensuring that we have healthy individuals, healthy families, healthy communities and a vibrant economy and a vibrant people that enjoy this part of Canada but take pride in the beauty of the land, ensuring that there is a legacy that will ensure that future generations inherit.

This also reminds me of a legend of Yamoria and Yamozhah. They came into this land to bring balance and harmony between the Dene and the animals. Today I think what we have before us is to carry on forward the people, the Dene, but more likely take on the role of almost being a giant in terms of ensuring that we protect the environment. Giants ensure that there is a balance, giants so that we ensure that there is a balance between and harmony between man and the environment. I also stand in terms of one-house concept. I think we all live in the North. We want to make this North our home. We want to ensure that we have jobs. We want to ensure that we have a viable government that ensures we have and receive a quality of programs and services. We want to ensure that we have a future ahead of us that we can look forward to. Of course, most importantly, we want to ensure that, at the end of the day, we have a home to go to.

At the same time, I think people want change. What do we want in terms of change? Do we want changes in terms of being individuals? Do we want change in terms of our family? Do we want change in terms of being in the community? Do we want change as a government? I think those things we have to consider to ensure we are cognizant of the people out there in the North that have spoken out in the recent election. We need to ensure that we consider their views.

Being at this point in my life, I have a background in terms of ensuring that I have worked with people and organizations. Most recently I worked as chair and chief executive officer of the Dehcho Land Use Planning Committee. I have held that position for

the past four years. We have worked hard to ensure that we strike a balance including conservation and development to set up a management regime for the Deh Cho region. Also, at the same time, I have also worked at the community level in Fort Providence as sub-chief. In that role I ensured that our band and our First Nations was accountable to our membership to the bottom level of transparency. We also brought a principle of engagement to our membership so they realize how it is that we make decisions and preparing them for the eventual reality that we do indeed make big decisions down the road.

Also, at the same time, I also worked as an intergovernmental advisor with Indian Affairs. I have had an opportunity to meet and work with people that I still maintain today. At the same time I have also worked as band chief of the Dehcho First Nations. In 1997 I was 32 years old. I was elected to serve as grand chief. I was honoured to represent the people. I think I held a common principle of working with everyone, at the same time I wanted to ensure that we worked united, and that’s one of the strengths that I have. I want to ensure that here in this Legislative Assembly there is a level of unity between Cabinet and Regular MLAs, that we work well together, that we share ideas and we also have a constructive dialogue in terms of making the opinions and the policy initiatives that we bring forward stronger and better reflective of the people that we represent.

In closing, I think I have the background. I want to ensure that we uphold the principle of consensus. People have commented that we are builders of consensus, but I think we need to take it a step further. We need to ensure that consensus indeed works. We need to ensure that the principle of this unique style of government is upheld, that we ensure we’re reflective of the people of the Northwest Territories. At the same time, my goal on Cabinet is to ensure that you have a balance between small communities and larger centres, we have a balance between the rich and the poor, we have a balance in terms of the people that are fortunate, we have a balance in terms of ensuring that we consider the people that are destitute, the people that are sick, the elderly, and we ensure that we consider the future of the future generations, the youth.

At the same time, I look forward to these four years. I think it’s a humbling experience to be here and an honour and privilege to serve with my colleagues. I really look forward to working with them. I also want to thank the people that served in this Legislature before me. I’d like to acknowledge Michael McLeod who served as a Minister in his capacity. Also, at the same time, the people that have walked in these corridors before me, the leaders that have

blazed a trail for us, I’d like to say mahsi cho and thank you very much.