Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, December 3, 1992 I shall move that Bill 3, an Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 14, Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills. Item 15, Motions. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to proceed with my motion on Tabled Document 21-12(3), Draft Payroll Tax Act.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues.

WHEREAS, the draft Payroll Tax Act has been tabled;

AND WHEREAS, it is desirable to examine this document;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik, that Tabled Document 21-12(3) be referred to the Standing Committee on Finance for examination and reporting thereon.

Your motion is in order, Mr. Nerysoo. To the motion, Mr. Nerysoo. The seconder of the motion has the opportunity to speak. Mr. Koe.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Tabled Document 21-12(3), Draft Payroll Tax Act, is sent to the Standing Committee on Finance. Item 15, Motions. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to proceed with my motion on appreciation for the Honourable Jim Bourque, P.C.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Your motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, over the past several days a number of articles have been in the papers indicating that Mr. Bourque had intended to resign and retire. Mr. Speaker, that is unfortunate, because there are few men or women in the Northwest Territories who can meet the kind of compassion and understanding that Mr. Bourque has shown throughout his service to the people of the Northwest Territories. Whether he served in Broughton Island, Fort McPherson, Fort Smith or in this government either as an official or as a deputy minister, he has been caring and always willing to listen, even though those things that we have said we are not always the things that he believed in. The other things that make him an honourable person are his honesty and his willingness to sacrifice his own beliefs to ensure that some of the political direction that we gave was implemented. He did it with dedication, at times suggesting to us that there were alternatives.

I had the opportunity to be the individual who appointed Mr. Bourque to our government as a deputy minister. I brought him out of the community of Broughton Island, with the opposition I might add, of some of my colleagues and some of the people of the public service. To this day I do not regret that decision. I think we all can say that there has been no other deputy minister that has walked into this House with as much credibility as Mr. Bourque. Whether he has travelled throughout the valley or the eastern Arctic, whether he sat in the meetings of federal officials or travelled internationally, he was always recognized for his ability to work with people and care for the issues, while showing understanding for the feelings of others, whether it was the anti-fur groups, or people trying to fight to ensure the survival of a way of life for the traditional and indigenous people around this world. I think we have much to be proud of in this man. We have much to say about his family and their support to his commitment to serve the people in the Northwest Territories. In that context, Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on this side of the House, all of them, asked me to show our appreciation on behalf of all the Members of this Assembly. We place great value on people, in this particular case Mr. Jim Bourque, for his dedication, service and work on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Seconder to the motion, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My comments will be brief, as my honourable colleague has eloquently brought forth our views on the retirement of Mr. Bourque. There is no doubt that he is a man of honesty and integrity. There is no doubt that he will be missed by the people of the Northwest Territories. We all appreciate the work that he has done. We appreciate all of the sacrifices that his family has made for him to be able to do this work. We also appreciate the renowned recognition that he has brought to many issues that are of importance to the people of the north, to the appropriate individuals, whether they be in the south of Canada or international. I believe it is only appropriate, Mr. Speaker, that this House commend Mr. Bourque for the number of years that he has served the people of the north. I know that he will continue to serve the people of the north, but in a different capacity. I certainly want to express my appreciation, not only on my behalf, but on behalf of many of the constituents who I represent, who I know Mr. Bourque knows very well. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. To the motion, Mr. Koe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too, would like to show my appreciation in a few words to Mr. Jim Bourque. I have had the honour of knowing Mr. Bourque for many years and have been in meetings and observed him on many occasions. Mr. Bourque always had a kind word and words of advice for anyone he dealt with. He was always willing to share a joke, whether it was in the high towers of this government, in Ottawa, in an Igloo or in a tent. I just wanted to say those few words to show my appreciation to Mr. Bourque. Mahsi.

---Applause

To the motion. Mr. Pudluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to make a brief statement to the motion. I have known Mr. Bourque for quite some time. He is a very nice person, and he has worked very hard for the people. Since I became a Member of the Legislative Assembly about 17 years ago, I have seen him numerous times working very hard for the people. He treated everybody equally. He has helped me out many times in my work at the Assembly and outside the Assembly. Even though he travels to numerous places, he has never looked tired. He always attended the meetings that he was supposed to attend. I would like to support the motion. I know he has been working very hard for the government for quite some time. I would like to briefly express my appreciation for Mr. Bourque. Thank you.

---Applause

To the question, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to add my comments to other Honourable Members about our friend, Jim Bourque. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that sticks out about Mr. Bourque is what a great ambassador he has been for the Northwest Territories, in Canada and internationally. This was recognized last year with his appointment to the Privy Council of Canada - a great honour. I think of the very effective work he has done in dealing with the animal rights movement, by presenting very effectively the point of view of our people. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Bourque while I was in government. I was most impressed with his commitment to sustainable development or, as Jim would say, "the wise use of our resources" and with his pride in our people and his loyalty to our government. For that we are all grateful. I wish him every success in future endeavours, Mr. Speaker. Qujannamiik.

---Applause

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a pleasure today to rise and talk in favour of this motion on behalf of the people of Tu Nedhe. Jim Bourque is a friend of the people of Tu Nedhe. He did serve in the Fort Resolution/Rush River area as a game warden and he tried to help us in as many ways as possible. Once he was the deputy minister of Renewable Resources, he did help us quite a few times. I can remember one time on the Slave River, I had a bush camp up there and Jim Bourque was on his way to Fort Smith from Yellowknife by ski-doo and he stopped there. I was quite surprised to see this guy come up the hill on the cut bank with the ski-doo because he is the only guy I ever saw make a Scandic look like an Elan. He is a very big man, but with a very big heart. Jim Bourque has earned respect from our people by giving our people tough love. That is what I call it because he was no-one to fool around with either. You always took Jim Bourque on his word and he always stuck to his word. The time I saw Jim on the Slave River, he told me, "Don, I am a deputy minister of Renewable Resources. Sometimes, I think that I am a big shot and that is the reason I go on the land. One thing that will slap you back into reality is the Great Slave Lake. Once you get out into the middle of it, it shows you how insignificant you are." Jim always did stay in close touch with the land. I hope now that he will have a lot more time to enjoy going out on the land. I look forward to seeing him out there. I wish him and his wife and the family the best of luck in the future. Thank you.

---Applause