Thank you, Ms. Martselos. Next on our list, we have Ms. Chinna.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. My question is in regards to mental health and addiction. Right now, the Northwest Territories does not have a facility for our clients to be attending these facilities in the Northwest Territories. They have to go south. I'm talking about the mental health patients or the incarceration inmates, that, once they are in these facilities, they have a proper diagnosis South, but, when they come back North and they return back to their communities, there's no support for them to integrate them back into a regular lifestyle. I think that it's an ongoing process. They either end up back in their addiction situation or else they are repeat offenders. As a Premier and as a government, what will you do to support our people returning back to our home communities, to deal with their mental health and addiction? Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Thank you, Ms. Chinna. First on our list, we have Ms. Martselos.

Mental health and addiction is an issue that affects each and every family, no matter what gender. Anyone and every family in the Northwest Territories are affected by some form of addiction, and it's a very important issue. The mental health issue is usually a trauma that happened with the residential school system, it could have been with trauma in early life. There are so many aspects to this whole question. As an advocate for it, I want to tell you that, in my former role, we had several on-the-land programs of six-week duration. We had a full team from Poundmaker's that did it, and it included the whole community, no matter from which background you came.

The one thing we always said was the six weeks, and then we also developed the full programs with the meetings, and then after that, it's the after-care. Families were all involved in this whole situation, and I'm very, very favourable to make sure that the mental health and addictions issues is one of the priorities that I ran on in my mandate at the local level. It's one of my mandates at this level, and I'm sure it's the mandate of everyone around this room. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ms. Martselos. Next, we have Mr. Lafferty.

Masi, Mr. Speaker-elect. Obviously, mental health is very complex when we're dealing with the community members. We talk about the lack of facilities in the Northwest Territories. We have to ship them out down south, and no support upon their return. One of the areas we need to increase that we talked about on the round table, even we heard from Indigenous leaders across the Northwest Territories, is having our culturally respected, community-based, on-the-land program with the target of mental health and addiction, utilizing our elders -- our elders are like teachers; they're like doctors in the community -- and community members. Those individuals are highly qualified, in our view, from the community's perspective, and we need to utilize their services. They're not going anywhere. They'll be in the community. They're there to offer support and help.

After-care program, we seem to be lacking. Every time we have people shipped down South, there's not much support upon their return. Let's focus on programs that they're offering down South, wherever they happen to be, part of their addiction or mental health and what's been offered over there. Could we expand even further in the Northwest Territories? On-the-land programming is a must. We have so many talented people in the community that we need to utilize their services. This is one area that our community can get involved. It takes a whole community. We've always heard that it takes a whole community to raise a child for beautification of our community and the wellness of our community. We have to start from the community grassroots level, and that's where I want to push forward on this particular important piece of work on mental health and addiction, Mr. Speaker-elect. Masi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Next, we have Ms. Cochrane.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. Mental health and addictions is huge across the Northwest Territories, and I think we have to start within Cabinet. Last Assembly, and I'm thinking it was a good idea and we need to move forward with it, is we had what was called a social issues committee. Part of the members was justice, health, housing. I would like to see human resources as part of that, as well.

We need to sit down as Members because we always talked about programs, so we talked about, debated about, programs, but we never started with developing a philosophy of care. I think that's what we need to do first as Ministers. We need to develop within the social programs: What is our philosophy around caring for people? That's the start. Then, I think we need to move. I'd like to be able to promise treatment centres in every community. That's not going to happen. We don't have the resources. We're all aware of that. Even if we had the resources, it would take many years.

Way back in the day when I was in university, there was a community called Delcauli Lake, and it was a dry community, and so I have to say that was some of it, but the chief and the community put their resources into their people, so, when people went out for treatment, they worked with the whole family, and they developed it with the family. They went in, and they painted their houses. They took care of them, so, when the people came back from the addictions, they had a new life. It wasn't the same environment that they had gone from. It was bright and fresh, and they had worked with their family. I followed it for years, and, sadly, the community had a change in leadership, and they opened up the community. It was no longer dry. The chief didn't believe in the philosophy. The supports weren't there.

What I'm saying, Mr. Speaker-elect, is we can't do this alone. We need the communities to help us with this, and we need everyone. It does take a community to raise a child. It takes a community to have a healthy community. We need to work together in addressing this after-care. The supports when they come home are critical, and, if we can't get a community there, then the least we can do, the very least, is to at least make sure they have a home when they come back. It's not okay. If we send them out and we haven't changed things when they come back, we're setting them up to fail, and that is not the answer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Thank you, Ms. Cochrane. Next, we have Mr. Simpson.

Thank you. You know, when the Assembly puts together its list of priorities, this may be on there or this may not be on there, regardless, this is something that the government should be doing. It's one of the most basic services the government should provide, is ensuring that the people have a basic level of health. When you're suffering from mental health or addictions, you don't have that basic level of health.

This issue is cyclical. It will keep repeating itself unless we put an end to it, and it has ripple effects across the community and across generations. The government often focuses a lot on symptoms; we need to start focusing on causes. We talked a lot about investing. Well, if we invest in people, we can save money later on. If you want to look at it from a strictly financial point of view, this issue engages multiple departments; Housing, ECE through income assistance, Health and Social Services, Justice sometimes, and so what we need, and what I propose, is like a policy unit that is responsive to Cabinet and accountable to Cabinet that can put together a broad approach to fixing this.

Right now, we have Health with solutions, Housing does some things, but we need to have a program, a policy, a way of doing things that ignores the fact that we have all these different government departments. We need to say: how do we fix the problem? Not how can this department fix the problem, what can this department do to fix the problem, what can this department do. Then we need to implement that, and we need to make sure that it's actually working; and, if it's not, then we change it.

Those are the kinds of changes I'd like to make as Premier, so that there is more accountability and we don't just stand up in this House and say, yes, this is a problem. Obviously, it's a problem. We all know what a dire problem it is, but how are we going to change it? You know, we say we are concerned about it, but what changes are you going to make to how we do business? Because everyone has been concerned about it for a long time, so we need to change the way we do business.

Like we've all been saying, now, for days, partnerships; partnerships with Indigenous governments, partnerships with communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Next on our list we have Mr. Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. I would also like to thank the four candidates running for Premier. We all just came off a long-fought election, and trying now to lead this House of politicians takes courage. I also think this competition, no matter who wins today, will come out better because of it. It means you all have to listen, you all have to compete with each other.

The Premier, more than any of us, makes a sacrifice in that, when they become Premier, they must put aside their own personal priorities, sometimes the priorities of their constituencies, sometimes their own political priorities, as we as 19 Members will table our priorities that we have set for the next four years. So my question to you is simple: if you become Premier, are you willing to put aside your own personal priorities and, at times, the priorities of your constituents in order to be Premier? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Johnson. First on our list, we have Mr. Simpson.

Thank you. Putting aside your own personal priorities, it goes without saying. That is the role and, if you don't do that, you have no credibility, you have no legitimacy, and the Assembly should rightly remove you from that office, if it's clear that you are putting your personal priorities above those of the Assembly.

The second part of the question, about your constituents' priorities, is another thing altogether. Regardless of who is Premier, they are still the only MLA for their constituency, and I would expect them to fight just as hard as they would if they were a Regular Member for their constituency, but there has to be that divide. You have to take a holistic view, but your constituents can't be left without a representative.

So it is a balancing act, and I can see our concerns with that. You know, unless we want to elect a Premier at large, we want something like the United States, where you are elected by everyone, we have that system, and that's the same system in Canada; but, like I said, the premier needs to be accountable. The buck has to stop somewhere and, failing that, the Assembly has to keep them accountable, and I would fully expect that, if a Premier is putting their personal preferences above their role and their duties as Premier, that the Assembly would remove them, as they should, and I would support that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Next, we have Ms. Martselos.

I think an objective person, and making decisions on our priorities that we set as a group, is extremely important. Non-biased opinions are extremely important. Ethical values and honesty to what all of us have decided are the priorities is of utmost importance, and I will ensure that those are kept. Any decision that I make will be good for all of the Northwest Territories. I will not put an issue forward on a personal basis at any time. I think that we still have to serve our constituents. I will do that also in an objective manner to ensure that everybody on the Northwest Territories is served equally. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Martselos. Next, we have Mr. Lafferty.

Masi, Mr. Speaker-elect. This is a good question to not only the Premier, but the Cabinet and the government leaders. Putting aside personal priorities, I believe it's a must. Obviously there are code of conducts we have to follow, as well, within the Legislative Assembly. To put aside the priorities of constituents, it is a balancing act. We were elected as MLAs; we will continue to serve as MLAs for the next four years, but there are ways of working around that. When you become the Premier, you have a different role. I have stated in the past, when you become a Cabinet Minister, you put your MLA hat on the side and you focus on implementing your department's goals and objectives, but at the same time you have your staff who can deal with constituencies issues; but you cannot let go of that. It's always going to be there. You need to work with it. So it is a balancing act, but like I said, there are ways of working around it as a Premier. We've done that in the past, and I've had a Cabinet and also the Speaker's role. As Speaker, obviously you didn't have questions in the House, but there are other areas where I had the opportunity to access, obviously, the Premier and Cabinet.

Those are some of the areas that we can improve on as working relations. Mr. Speaker-elect, constituencies, we are still their MLAs and we will continue to do so, but there are ways of working around it. Masi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Next, we have Ms. Cochrane.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. When I did my speech a couple of days ago, it feels like weeks ago, I talked about not deciding which priority was the key, because we would all take part in that, but I also talked about which were priorities to me, and that was about showing who I was. Showing my heart, showing where my concerns are. I recognize that we are developing our priorities. We all had input in that. I also had a chance to speak in that process, and we decided, each of us, we will finish up the defining of the priorities, and that's the Premier's job, is to move those forward. However, recognizing that departments and work still goes on above and beyond our priorities, I think that was a stress for many Members. If it wasn't on the list, it's not going to get done.

So opening up my heart and showing who I was kind of showed the direction that I would be going as a person; take it or not, that's who I am. The priorities of constituents, they have to come first. They have to come first, but that's why we have constituent assistants. It's tough, being a Premier. It's tough, being a Cabinet Minister. Your time is very limited, and you are pulled in all directions. So the priorities of my constituents should be, as Premier, your job is to take the responsibility for all residents, but if a constituent comes to me and says, I can't get in my house, income support has cut me off, I'm struggling as a small business, how is that not the needs of all residents? Because my gut is telling me, if one person says it, there are many people in many communities saying it, as well.

One thing I can promise, though, in my riding of Range Lake, if I'm the Premier, you will not see a huge skyrise in my riding. You will not see a major infrastructure project in my riding unless all Members say it is the best thing for the Northwest Territories. So dealing with constituents' issues, they should be able to relate to issues throughout. Doing special privileges because I want your vote, that will not happen. I would rather be defeated and knowing I can hold my head high and say I was ethical, as I have done throughout the last four years, and that will be how I guide myself. I have shown that in the last four years, and I would rather lose an election by being ethical than win an election because I have done some kind of special favours for people in my riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Thank you, Ms. Cochrane. Colleagues, it appears that there are no further questions for the Premier-candidates. Before we vote, I want to thank all candidates who agreed to put their names forward for Premier. This was a long morning, but you have given us all confidence that whoever is chosen to be our Premier will be up for the job. I think this experience indicates that the process we use to select the Premier is an open and transparent one.

Members are now asked to proceed to the Clerk's Table where they will receive their ballot. If Members could then please proceed to the voting booths to mark their ballot and then place it in the ballot box located in front of the Clerk's Table. Members, when you come to get your ballots at the table, please come to the clerk on the side of the Chamber where you are seated. In other words, Members on my right should get their ballots from the Clerk on my right, and vice versa. Please proceed.

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There being no one else wishing to vote, I will now proceed to vote, myself. Thank you.

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Ladies and gentlemen, I declare the voting process closed. The ballot box will be now taken to the Clerk's office where the ballots will be counted. The bells will be rung for five minutes to bring the Members back in once the results are determined. Thank you.

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Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. It is my duty to announce that there is a need for a second ballot for the position of Premier. The nominees for the second ballot are, in alphabetical order, Ms. Cochrane, Mr. Lafferty, and Mr. Simpson.

Before we proceed to the vote, are there any nominees wishing to withdraw at this time? There being no such withdrawals, the ballots are available as before. Please proceed to vote.

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

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I 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 back in once the results are determined. Thank you.

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Thank you, everyone. It is my duty to announce that there is a need for a third ballot for the position of Premier. The nominees for the third ballot are Ms. Cochrane and Mr. Lafferty. If Members could please proceed to the Clerk's Table, the ballots are available before you.

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

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I 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 back in once the results are determined. Thank you.

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