(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to make my speech in English. Thank you. (Translation ends)
Mr. Speaker, on November 2, I had the honour of addressing the Federation Franco-Tenoise at their annual general assembly, to mark the 15 anniversary of their founding. This was on behalf of the Premier and it was quite an honour, Mr. Speaker. I would like to share with you what I said that day in recognition of the 15 years. I said, "As you know, Members of the Legislative Assembly act somewhat differently than other legislators, as we are part of a consensus government. This means that Members will join in support of causes which unite us all. Language does unite us all. Many of us are minority language speakers and most of us use a language other than our mother tongue to communicate with others. This is why I must speak to you in English, as my French would not help us communicate."
---Laughter
"FFT has been a common and consistent element over the past 15 years, which francophones in the Northwest Territories have identified with and have been identified by. Much has happened since its beginning. As we know here in the NWT, we have an Official Languages Act, which gives French, aboriginal languages and English, equal status. This represents the biggest step taken toward multilingualism made by any province or territory in Canada to date. The recognition of the rights of francophones was an important factor in the adoption of the Official Languages Act. This act provides for many government services to be offered to the public in French. These services cover a wide range of government activities such as interpretation of debates in this legislature, the erection of signs and the presence of bilingual staff in many hospitals." Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to continue my speech.