(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to congratulate you on being elected the Speaker. You have been in the position before, you are not new to this position and we rely on your direction. Congratulations on your position.
Congratulations to the Government Leader, Don Morin, on his appointment. It's hard to say congratulations in Slavey, so I'll say it in English. You also know the business of the House because you've been here before. I would like to congratulate the ones who have been Ministers before and the new Ministers as well.
We have already promised each other that from now on we will work together. I would like to thank my constituency: Nahanni Butte; Trout Lake; Jean Marie River; Wrigley; and, Fort Simpson. I would like to thank all the people who elected me and have allowed me to return to this position. (Translation ends)
saying that I had zero votes and I was leading by a little dotted line. After a while somebody in the crowd suggested that we should take a vote in the room and phone it in. Winning by acclamation, Mr. Speaker, was a gift from my constituents. It means to me that I have to work just as hard in this Assembly as I did in the last, or even better, and I am committed to that. It is a great mandate. For that, I would like to thank everybody in my constituency.
The biggest thank you and recognition is to my family: my wife, Celine, for her strength and support; to my daughter, Melaw; and my sons, Denezeh, Sachey and Tumbah; as well as to my father and my extended family. Mahsi.
I would like to thank the Members of this Assembly for the confidence that they showed by electing me to this Cabinet. I will continue to follow the teachings of my elders into the position by being fair and open and listening to everyone, as I have learned as a leader in the communities. One of the things that I've learned, Mr. Speaker, is that as a community leader, you develop a lot of patience by listening to people. This, I will try to do in this Assembly.
To the incumbents who did not succeed in coming back here, I would like to thank you all for the last four years that I have worked with you. I have to say that you have contributed to the people in the North. For that, I would like to thank you.
(Translation) I would also like to thank all the people in the communities. We are elected to be sitting here for the next four years, and I promise to work to the best of my ability with all of you. There was one elder who had written who told me at one time, if you work on something there are a lot of things that you're not going to agree with but, if you work hard on it and work well with the people, everything will come out in the end.
Right now, I would like to promise you again that I will work to the best of my ability for the next four years. Thank you.
---Applause