Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to comment on a recent Supreme Court ruling, as a matter of fact I believe it was filed yesterday. Mr. Speaker, the ruling was on the appeal of the conviction of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the matter of the sewage lagoon spill in Iqaluit.
In this ruling, the justice increased the fine the Government of the Northwest Territories must pay, substantially, from $49,000 to $200,000. But, Mr. Speaker, in reading the ruling, I was surprised to note that the justice quoted from a Minister's statement made by former Government Leader Dennis Patterson. That statement was made in this House. The real surprise was that the judge said in his judgment that he presumed the Government Leader was speaking on behalf of the Legislative Assembly.