Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also wish to congratulate you. I know that you'll provide exemplary

leadership as a role model to the youth of the Northwest Territories. I wish you well in your job. I want to thank my wife, Marie, and my children, Kyla, Daylyn and Keenan for their support over the last eight years. I hope that with good work and cooperation they'll continue to support me for the next three and a half years.

I wish to thank the people of the Sahtu for their very strong support in the campaign and on the election night. I want to thank the many volunteers and workers who contributed to my campaign. I hope that Santa puts something in their stockings on Christmas night. I want to thank my agent, Gerry Loomis -- who's in the gallery today -- for his commitment, work and support through the campaign. Also with us today is Mr. Peter Guther, the campaign manager for Norman Wells. I must say it was one of the miracles of the campaign that for six and a half weeks, without let up, these two rival hotel owners got along and did a great job. I wanted to thank them in front of everybody today.

I want to thank, of course, my office staff, my executive assistant, Lynda Sorensen, who's also in the gallery today, and my secretary, Hilda Camirand, for their work and dedication over the last few years. I hope they continue to stay and work with me for the next three and a half exciting years serving the Members of this Legislature.

I want to thank my colleagues here today for their confidence and support in electing me again for another term as a Minister. I want to also congratulate, once again, for the record, our new Premier, Don Morin. I'm very pleased that he has been elected and has chosen to dedicate himself to this formidable job for the next three and a half years. I know that he will do an excellent job for all of us.

I want to acknowledge, as well, the support of my mother, Georgina Kakfwi, who's 75 and still very active out on the land doing her role as a traditional mother. She's been a great comfort and support to me the last few years while I've been serving in public life. I want to thank her today. Thank you.

---Applause