Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will be supporting the motion, as I believe it's inevitable that it's part of evolution that the territorial government has been evolving since it started. However, I would also like, at the same time, to ask the House and the Government of the Northwest Territories to start taking a very active role. I know that the change of the title will not get you automatic recognition from the federal government. In fact, the Northwest Territories Act still states that we come under the flagship of Indian Affairs, not reporting directly to the Prime Minister as other provinces do.
We must become more active in getting our role, and start amending or changing the NWT Act, allowing the Premier of the Northwest Territories to participate equally and report directly to the Prime Minister, rather than the Minister of Indian Affairs. That will be the true reflection of what we mean by evolution.
I think it is very, very important that when we start getting into this kind of stepping stone, first of all with a title change and, secondly, we have been recognized by the federal and provincial governments already by giving us a very, very hard time on the health billings dispute, the housing, financial contributions, et cetera. This is a form of recognition that we have more power and independence from Indian Affairs, morally anyway, not necessarily financially. So I would like to have the government start working on responding to coming under Indian Affairs under the NWT Act, and the provincial status. Something in between that will get us at least a debating power when we are making agreements, whether it's on education, housing or other agreements between the federal government and the territorial government. Qujannamiik.