Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make a statement regarding the ordinary MLAs' participation on the newly formed Reshaping Northern Government working group. The motion was passed in this House which requested that the Government Leader include three ordinary Members of this Assembly on its strategy committee for implementing the recommendations of the report, Strength at Two Levels. Subsequently, I, along with my colleagues Jim Antoine and James Arvaluk, were chosen by the honourable Members on this side of the House to represent them on the proposed committee, and now everyone in this House is aware of the feelings of most of the ordinary Members relating to the perceived implementation plan of the Strength at Two Levels report.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I rose in this House and spoke about my concern about participating on this committee at this time. When I spoke, I had no information or plans as to what the ongoing process and task of the working group would be. Subsequently, later in the afternoon, I and all my colleagues received a letter from the Government Leader inviting us to participate with three Ministers on the newly named Reshaping Northern Government working group. Also, during discussions in committee of the whole yesterday, the Minister of Finance talked about involving other ordinary Members by channelling any proposed changes through the appropriate standing committees. Mr. Speaker, this is the type of information which we were waiting to hear. We wanted to be reassured that the government was not moving ahead full bore without our involvement.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to proceed with my statement.