Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the lighter side of things, Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure that your hockey team, the MLA Sharks, is ready to take a serious bite out of the Yellowknife Media Ravens.
---Applause
After months of gruelling practice, the last of which was last night, the MLA Sharks have developed into a finely tuned hockey machine.
---Laughter
They are, Mr. Speaker, poetry in motion. It is therefore my opinion, Mr. Speaker, that the MLA Sharks will deliver a crushing defeat to the Ravens tomorrow evening at the second annual media/MLA hockey game. Mr. Speaker, the coach of the MLA Sharks, Mrs. Jeannie Marie-Jewell, and the general manager, Mr. David Hamilton, have just released the MLA Sharks final roster for tomorrow evening. Representing the MLA Sharks squad will be Nellie Cournoyea, Titus Allooloo, Richard Nerysoo, Henry Zoe, James Arvaluk, Don Morin and of course myself. A most impressive line up would you not say, Mr. Speaker? I would advise the media to keep their heads up in the corners because I have heard Cabinet Members muttering something about "pay back time."
---Laughter
---Applause
Perhaps they were talking about the ordinary MLAs, I am not sure about that, Mr. Speaker. Also, wearing the MLA Sharks' blue and white uniforms with pride will be the Assembly staff of Joe Maduke, Craig Robinson, Vera Raschke, Kuluk Gamble and Sheila MacPherson.
---Applause
Just a fair warning to the media, Mr. Speaker, Ms. MacPherson is the Assembly's legal counsel and will be prosecuting all media infractions to the fullest extent of the law.
---Laughter
Last but not least, on the MLA Sharks' roster are deputy minister, Al Menard, assistant deputy minister, Conrad Pilon, and Andy Langford. The Ravens have also agreed to our special request to allow Archie Catholique to play with the MLA Sharks. This, Mr. Speaker, was a serious technical error on the part of the media. However, I guess we have always known that they are not playing with a full duffle bag.
---Laughter
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the public that the proceeds for the media/MLA hockey game will go to the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital intensive care unit. I encourage everyone to come out and watch the MLA Sharks pluck the Ravens beginning at 7:00 pm tomorrow evening at the Yellowknife Community Arena. Thank you.
---Applause