This is page numbers 1 - 15 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was years.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, Members' statements. The Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and honourable colleagues. I would like to congratulate you first, Mr. Speaker, on your elevation to your role, and note to the House and to the people in the Northwest Territories that your world-class collection of cowboy boots will do a lot to add colour and flair to the position of Speaker.

---Laughter

---Applause

My congratulations, also, to the Premier and the elected Cabinet Members. You're a stalwart lot, and I think with the 24 of us working together, as my honourable colleague from Inuvik indicated, as a team and as a family, that we can prove to everybody that consensus government can in fact work and is alive and well in the Northwest Territories. I don't think there should be any doubt if anybody has a problem from outside the boundaries of the Northwest Territories that they should know who to call, and that's the Premier, Mr. Don Morin. There is no doubt; he's the man.

I would like to briefly thank my family as well, and my many supporters in the riding of Thebacha and the people of Thebacha for their support. Well, nearly all of them.

---Laughter

---Applause

We have an interesting challenge ahead of us and I do look forward to working with all, not only with the people here duly elected, but the people of the Northwest Territories and the many groups that we're going to need to help us deal with the issues.

I think we have all the pieces in place. The last week has been a good one for me. I came here with a very negative point of view about whether we could make a consensus government work and that we were going to be stuck with a very negative, adversarial-type of government. I am reassured and I am grateful to you all for the good work that we have done and are going to do. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, Members' statements. The Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also wish to add my congratulations to you on your re-election as Speaker, and also to the Honourable Mr. Morin on his election as Premier, and to the other Cabinet Members. I would also like to thank all the candidates who put forward their names forward for these positions, because I think it's important to recognize that they gave us all an opportunity to make our selection for our representatives.

I would also like to thank the constituents, at this time, from Coppermine, Cambridge Bay, Umingmaktok and Bathurst Inlet for their decisive mandate that they gave me once again. It's an honour that I won't take lightly, and I'll work diligently to meet their expectations.

I also wish to acknowledge, once again, and thank my family, particularly my wife, Susie, for their support, encouragement and understanding over the past two and a half years. As many of us who have been around a little bit and for those Members who will be around for a bit, you'll quickly find out that the workload and travel requirements as a Member doesn't exactly fit well with family life and family commitments.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Members of this House for their confidence in choosing me as one of their Executive Council Members. I will commit to carrying out my duties to the best of my ability for the benefit of all residents, and I look forward to working with all Members of this House over the next three and a half years. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Item 6, Members' statements. The Member for Keewatin Central, Mr. Todd.

Congratulating Cabinet And Thanking Constituents
Item 6: Members' Statements

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John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Similar to my colleagues, I would like to express my congratulations on your election to the Speaker's position. I would like to take the time today to express my appreciation, as others have done, to my constituents in Whale Cove and Rankin Inlet for the overwhelming support that they've provided me in my recent election. In particular, I want to thank my campaign team who worked very, very hard.

I also want to thank all the Members of this House for the confidence, particularly this week, and support in my election to the Cabinet. That meant a great deal to me.

To the new Premier, the Honourable Donnie Morin, I want to assure him of my loyalty and full support. Perhaps to the outgoing Premier, I want to express a very special thank you for all the confidence and support she showed in me in the last four years.

---Applause

This is truly a lady who will surely be missed. Thank you very much.

---Applause

Congratulating Cabinet And Thanking Constituents
Item 6: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Todd. I also understand that today is your birthday, so happy birthday.

---Applause

Mr. Todd is now in the category of old age.

---Laughter

Item 6, Members' statements. The Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Morin.

---Applause

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to congratulate you as well on your position of Speaker. I'm sure you'll serve as a role model for all our youth. I would like to congratulate all those Members who ran for Cabinet. It takes a lot of nerve and a lot of energy to put your name forward and stand there and give your speeches. I would like to congratulate the Members of Cabinet who managed to get on Cabinet. But let me reassure all the other Members that there's lots of work to do and there's enough work to do to share it.

I would like to thank my family; my wife, Gladys, for all her support over the years. I encourage my mother, who is also in the gallery, Beatrice, not to give any more interviews.

---Laughter

---Applause

That's in jest; she knows I love her very much.

I would like to thank the constituents of Tu Nedhe. I would like to thank the people of Fort Resolution and Lutsel K'e for their support on October 16th. I would like to thank my campaign workers. We couldn't beat the previous term's percentage we had gotten, I think it was in 1991, it was 88.3 per cent. That was the highest vote margin in the Northwest Territories. We couldn't hit that this time, but it still makes John Todd the second-best in the North today, so that's good enough for me.

I would just like to say to my constituents that I will continually be there for them, I will always visit them in their homes. That's where we have our best time, is sitting there and visiting and having tea. I'm there to hear their concerns, I'll be there to take their advice, and I'll be there to listen to them and work for them. So I'll be there for the people of Tu Nedhe, for the elders, for the youth, and I will also be there for all the people in the Northwest Territories and the Members of this Legislative Assembly.

In the last week and a half it has been very enjoyable to come to work every day. It has been very enjoyable to see all 23 smiling faces and all 23 people, including myself, willing to work together. We can accomplish many good things as long as we are willing to work together. All I've heard for one solid week is we want to work together. We have an open-door policy in this government, let me assure you. And I would like to assure my good friend, Roy Erasmus, from Yellowknife North, if you ever see that door closing the least little bit, let me know and I'll make sure it opens again.

We had our first Cabinet meeting yesterday around two o'clock. We made one major decision: As everybody knows, the Cabinet is on this side of the building and the ordinary Members are on that side. There was a door in between, so I got our good friend, David Hamilton, to remove that door and put it in storage. Hopefully, we don't have to put it back up. Mahsi cho, thank you very much.

---Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Item 6, Members' statements. Are there any further Members' statements? Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Morin.

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my wife, Gladys, in the gallery; my mother, Beatrice; and, my sister, Vera. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Antoine.

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize three of my children: my son, Denezeh; my daughter, Melaw; and my son, Sachey. My nephew, Joe Bailey, was there; and his young girl, Toni Lynn. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Thompson.

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Manitok Thompson Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my husband, Tom. I would also like to recognize Fred Turner and his wife, and a real friend of mine, Becky Kudloo. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ningark.

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my stepfather, Patrick, and my lovely wife, Celine. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ootes.

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the former Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Brian Lewis, and thank him for the dedicated years that he spent in this House; that's one person.

I would like to also recognize several of my constituents who were great supporters: June Greenlaw and Wendy Colpitts; and a real precious person to me -- I'm not sure if she's still in the gallery, but someone who is very dear to me and is my biggest support -- my lovely wife, Margaret. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Barnabas.

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Levi Barnabas High Arctic

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Manitok mentioned, I would like to recognize again, my sister for supporting me in today's formal session. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Rabesca.

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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James Rabesca North Slave

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a famous person from our community who we are very proud of. He has served us as a mayor, and I think I have been a deputy mayor under him since last December or whatever. I would like to recognize the Deputy Commissioner, Dan Marion, in the gallery.

---Applause

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Evaloarjuk.

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Mark Evaloarjuk Amittuq

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my wife, who also lit the kudlik at the opening, and my son, whom I'm not sure is present in the gallery; my adopted son, Lionel. My wife had a bit of a problem lighting the kudlik but it's still lit. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 7: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 7, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Erasmus.