I want to thank my past staff in being able to provide to me the work that they were able to do, particularly Glen McLean, my past executive assistant and an extreme thanks to Dawna O'Brien who was a very dedicated and efficient secretary and I am sure that Mr. Morin will agree with me.
Appointments To Boards
Mr. Speaker, I did want to speak on a couple of minor issues, and particularly to appointments. I really feel that it is necessary before making new appointments to any boards and agencies, even though the agencies, boards and commissions have indicated this, that I would like the Ministers to take our advice seriously and that they do not do any other appointments, particularly when they are going to appoint members from our constituency, to certain boards until they get some input from the MLA, because there are many people and particularly the Arctic College Board of Governors.
I take for example, Don Jaque, whose appointment is coming up. I will tell you now politically I do not support him one bit and I probably never will. He does not tell the community anything going on in Arctic College; the community does not know anything; although he probably does tell the mayor because that is his brother-in-law. But he does not tell the band and I am sure that he does not tell the Metis and you know, when you put these people on those boards to represent your community, you would hope that there be some mechanism for communication so they could tell you what is going on with these different boards.
I would like to close my reply to the Commissioner's Opening Address and thank the Members for bearing with me. I told them that I would take at least an hour, but I do not think that I did, because I know that we want to get business of the House done.
I would like to close and commend once again our Government Leader for the decision that she made in respect to assisting band councils. I know that once she makes a commitment, she lives up to her word and I cannot thank her enough for the assistance that she has given to band councils, and I thank her very much for all the assistance that she has given me in the last Assembly. I want her to know that, as I said earlier, you are showing good leadership, Nellie. Keep up your team work and I know that you will do well. Thank you.
---Applause