Thank you, Mr. Speaker and fellow members.
As we mark the opening of the fourth session of the 13th Assembly of the Legislative Assembly, I would like to take this opportunity to not only reflect upon our achievements over the past year but, more importantly, to talk about how we must work to continue moving ahead towards April 1, 1999.
Mr. Speaker, it is almost exactly one year to the day when the members of this Legislative Assembly took their seats in this House.
At that time, we noted that no other government in the history of the Northwest Territories took office faced with the number and degree of financial, administrative, economic, social and constitutional challenges as those faced by members of the 13th Legislative Assembly.
However, early on, as a group, we decided we must confront all of these issues together.
As a Legislative Assembly, we developed a vision for a financially secure Northwest Territories where people are able to enjoy a good quality of life and have access to the jobs they want and need.
In working to fulfil that vision, over the past 365 days, an extraordinary amount of activity has taken place to address the priorities of this government.
Probably the most notable accomplishment to date has been in our efforts to secure our financial future. Mr. Speaker, as the Honourable Mr. Todd reported during the last session, we are on track in our deficit reduction plan, and are projecting that the deficit for the current year will be about $43 million.
On of the key contributing factors in achieving this target is our effort to develop a more effective and efficient government structure.
Over the past year, we have begun implementing a strategy for reducing the size and cost of government. As part of this, we have amalgamated departments, reduced duplication of services, to implement change.
In other parts of Canada, where similar action was necessary, governments were only able to bring about change through unilateral legislative action.
By comparison, in the Northwest Territories we were able to negotiate equal or greater reductions without work stoppage and without significant interruptions in levels of service to the public.
I believe that not only speaks well for the people who serve in government, but for the people who work in this government as well.
As we continue to review and improve government structure and operations, we must acknowledge the hard work and cooperation of all of these individuals, and thank them for their efforts in managing in these difficult times.
Mr. Speaker, we have also made great progress in our efforts to help improve economic conditions, and create more job opportunities in the North.
Over the past few weeks, we have celebrated the signing of several agreements to clear the way for the development of the BHP Diamonds Project near Lac de Gras.
As part of that, we have successfully negotiated a socio-economic agreement that guarantees over half the jobs associated with the mining operation will be for people living in the north, and, in turn, over half of those jobs are guaranteed for people of aboriginal descent.
To the credit of BHP Diamonds, and all parties involved in the project, we were all able to rise to the challenge, and work out a deal that is truly beneficial to all, and that is guaranteed to bring economic benefits to the north.
As well, we remain vigilant on our attempt to secure a diamond valuation facility to be based in the north that will reap additional economic benefits associated with the establishment of the first diamond mine in North American.
Mr. Speaker, this past year has also been filled with planning and preparation for the division of the Northwest Territories in 1999.
In the west, the Constitutional Working Group of Western Caucus and the Aboriginal Summit released a Draft Constitution Package to begin the public consultation process and debate on how the west will be governed.
With that launch, we are now in the most important phase of constitutional development for the west. We are determining our future, and have an opportunity unlike any other in our history. Working together, we can create a system that works for everyone, and that allows us to blend our cultures, traditions and rights in an effective and productive manner.
A similar opportunity exists in the east. A substantial amount of work has progressed on the creation of Nunavut. Most recently the Nunavut Implementation Committee has released Footprints 2, a report outlining recommendations on moving ahead with the creation of a new government for Nunavut.
As members know, as an active participant in the implementation process, the Government of the Northwest Territories is currently drafting an official response to that report. In preparing our response, we will be seeking your input and comments in the days ahead.
As with the western constitutional debate, this issue deserves open and effective debate to ensure a positive and successful outcome. Our challenge over the weeks and months ahead is to work with all of the parties involved - in both the east and the west - to balance the efforts to ensure all activities are conducted in a fair, equitable and timely manner.
Our goal, as I have stated in the past, is to do all we can as a government to make April 1, 1999 a day for celebration. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is worth noting that all discussions on division and the formation of the two new governments have included recognition of the inherent right to self-government.
Our aboriginal culture and population are among the things that make us unique in the Canadian landscape. It also provides us with an opportunity to create unique, progressive and positive governments for the north.
The Commissioner stated in her opening remarks that the eyes of the world are upon us. More importantly, the eyes of all northerners are upon us as we work through the maze of uncertainty, and do what we can to make both new territories financially and politically viable.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to the things I have highlighted here today, there is also a long list of initiatives on which we have begun work, and that we will see completed in the months to come. By any standard, our achievements to date have been remarkable and significant, and serve as a testament for the efforts of every member of this Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, I have spoken for the past few minutes about where we have been.
Now I believe we must ask ourselves where do we go from here? How do we focus our energies so that we can make best use of the time that remains?
In accomplishing all of the things I have just outlined, it is important to note we have taken positive action on each of the ten priorities we set out for this Assembly as part of our Building a Foundation for the Future: Agenda for Change.
But as we take our next steps forward, it is now important to narrow our scope, and start drawing our priorities together towards a common goal...toward our common vision.
Mr. Speaker, while the ten priorities we established will remain vital to our decision-making process, I believe we must now focus on three core priorities for the future:
One, to establish two new viable territories by April 1, 1999; two, to improve economic conditions; and three, to address social conditions.
The methods, or processes by which we will accomplish these things will include our priorities of community empowerment, community wellness, taking action on aboriginal issues, improving the structure of government, being heard at the national level and doing all we can to control our own future.
But at the same time, focusing on these three critical issues will allow us to advance on the road to completing what we have set out to do.
These three priorities must be central to the decision-making process associated with the 1997-98 budget, and must guide what we debate in this House as we continue to establish a firm foundation for the future.
Mr. Speaker, we have embarked upon a path of change. It is also a path that we collectively must believe is for the best for the people of the Northwest Territories, as well as for the future of the two new territories.
At this time last year, we all acknowledged these would not be easy times, and now, if anything, our jobs will become more challenging in the weeks and months to come.
Mr. Speaker, every member of this House chose to run and to serve the people of the north, and now, more than ever, we must stand behind our choice to serve our people and to govern effectively. But I would like to remind members that government is not designed to be all things to all people. Government means balancing and allocating resources in the best interest of all - not just a few.
In some cases there will be people who feel the effects of change and of our decisions more than others, and while affecting or changing some aspects of peoples' lives is not something we like to do, in many cases it is a result of something we need to do.
It has always been a challenge to balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the whole. But in times when money is tight, the change is vital, that is particularly difficult.
In general, Mr. Speaker, we must not let the short-term impacts of our long-term plans direct our actions. We simply cannot afford to debate every short-term issue, complaint, or concern.
As MLAs, we must continue to deal with individuals and specific circumstances as they arise, but as a Legislative Assembly we must continue to focus on the long-term goals.
As elected officials, our job is to set direction. It is not our job to manage the day-to-day operation of the government. If we do not focus on our jobs of moving the government and the north forward at a broader level, we will not have done all we can do to lay the groundwork for the creation of two new and prosperous Canadian territories.
Mr. Speaker, we have set a course towards what we believe is right, and now we must continue to work together to stay on that course. If we do not maintain that course, more people will suffer in the long run that could ever be affected in the processes of implementing change and fulfilling our vision.
As a government and as a Legislative Assembly, we only have about 850 days left to accomplish an ambitious, and extremely important agenda. We cannot afford to waste even half a day if we want to make a difference for the people in the north, and leave a positive legacy for future generations of northerners.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to summarize what I believe outlines what we must do if we are going to fulfil our vision.
First, we must focus our priorities on division, improving economic conditions, and addressing social conditions.
To make this government and this Assembly effective, these three core priorities must be at the heart of what every MLA must focus on from here on in.
Second, we must continue to work together, as cooperatively as possible, and as the Commissioner said, in the true spirit of consensus government.
Third, we must take the broad view of all the large issues facing the north, and on the three priorities on which we must now direct our energies. This is particularly important on division, where it would be easy for all of us to think in terms of our specific ridings, or in east and west.
We must remember as a whole, and in this House, we are the Government of the Northwest Territories, and we must think in terms of the whole, not any specific part.
As it says in our own caucus chamber, Change can come from the power of many, but only when it comes together to form that which is invincible...the power of one.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, we must stay the course we have set for ourselves. As we have already seen, that may mean we have to weather a few storms, and fight some big waves, but if we can ride it out, I believe when we reach our destination, we will say it was worth the journey.
Mahsi cho. Thank you.