Thank you, Mr. Chair, and congratulations on your position as Speaker-elect, and also congratulations to Bob McLeod for Premier-elect.
It's really exciting, actually, to be part of the new Legislative Assembly. This Assembly speaks of proactive change. Transparency and accountability have been themes throughout. It's also an honour to put my name forward for Cabinet, and I congratulate all the others who have put their name forward, as well, with the purpose of ensuring that the priorities defined by this 18th Legislative Assembly are completed within the next four years.
I can't talk about what I've done in government previously, as this is my first turn at it, so I'm going to talk about who I am. I'm going to give you a small summary of what I see as my strengths, because I realize it's really difficult to choose a Cabinet when we've only had a few weeks to get to know each other.
I'll start by saying that I'm Metis, which for me represents a blending of cultures, and it truly represents it of the NWT because we are a blending of cultures here. This also assists in my always being conscious that I need to consider the needs of the people, all the people, with any decisions that I make.
Another of my assets is my 30-year history in business and financial management. As well, I hold a degree in social work for almost 20 years, and I brought two non-profit agencies out of serious debt into financially stable positions while, at the same time, improving service delivery.
This brings me to the topic of change. In thinking about what change really means to me, I think about a new way of working. I think about a way of working based on best practices and guided by principles of incorporating the opinions of all stakeholders, consideration of current research, and commitment to staying focused and working hard to meet the priorities identified.
I also have seven years' experience with implementing and maintaining accreditation standards. In order to maintain accreditation, an agency must constantly review best practices and regularly consult with stakeholders both for the program design and for evaluations. Transparency and accountability are a large part of accreditation as long-term plans with clearly defined actions to meet each priority must be developed, approved and evaluated on a regular basis. The actions accomplished are constantly reported to the governing board, who then define if the actions are appropriate or if they need to be revised. As well, I was responsible for developing two sets of policy manuals based on accreditation standards, legislative requirements and agency and stakeholder needs.
If elected to represent you on Cabinet, I will bring this knowledge and skill with me. As a Cabinet Minister, I will work closely with the committees established by the Legislative Assembly to assist in guiding my work and ensuring I am progressing towards the priorities. I will also commit to keeping Regular Members as informed as possible within my decision-making and my progress. As well, I will seek the expertise of each individual MLA, as we all bring a host of skills and knowledge to the table and it would be unwise for me not to utilize the knowledge that each individual has.
Although I say I will work hard, I must also state that it will be a pleasure working towards the defined priorities as each priority has not only addressed my concern and the wishes of the people within my riding, but they also represent all the people within the North, and it will be an honour to bring these wishes into actualization.
One of the benefits of being 55 years old is that I hold a wealth of experience and not only am I a strong leader and have the ability to actualize priorities, my education and my career choices have also provided me with extensive knowledge in the areas of human development from preconception to the aging population, child care provision and early childhood development asset building, parenting skill development and supports, literacy and language retention strategies, homelessness, poverty, marginalization, the necessity of food security, mental health, trauma, addictions, the reliance on the mineral exploration field, the struggles of small businesses, the effects of colonization and residential school, the need for indigenous self-governance, and working with community people throughout the North. This knowledge will assist me in addressing many of the issues that face the people of the North.
As well, I believe that for Cabinet members to truly represent the whole NWT, we need to not only meet in Yellowknife but to conduct business in all communities on a regular basis. Visiting each community is critical so that we can get a better glimpse into the strengths and the challenges of each region and recognize the diversity and similarity of each of us as northern people.
The duty of a Cabinet Minister is to work as a team and to take into consideration the needs of each individual riding and work towards the collective betterment of us all. It is therefore imperative that we learn as much as we can about the people we represent.
My vision for the 18th Legislative Assembly is to address many of the issues long talked about but not acted on. My vision is to think outside of the box and consider the needs and ideas of each Member and stakeholder in deciding the actions I take.
It would be an honour to represent you on Cabinet, and I promise to work hard towards being as inclusive of each riding as possible and truly representing your wishes in the leadership position. I am committed to the North. My family moved to Yellowknife in 1963 and my partner and I will retire here. All of our children live here, and I will soon have grandchildren who I hope will make the North their permanent home.
The future of the North is important to me and I promise to do my best to make the North strong, vibrant and sustainable for many generations to come.
In conclusion, I again thank you for allowing me to put my name forward for Cabinet. In this short time I've had getting to know each of you, I have come to trust your judgment and I know that whoever you vote for will be the best person to represent the Northwest Territories as a whole. In whatever capacity I serve in, I look forward to working with you all in meeting the defined priorities and making sound decisions for the North.
---Applause