Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, had concern with the bill during second reading and I voted accordingly. However, after this process, I believe we've gone through the process as required and listened to all parties and their opinions. I go back to when I was running for election to this position; I had many people ask me why I was doing it because they could see that there would be many things coming up that wouldn't be, as a government, good things to do. Changes had to be made, they said. The way the government operated wasn't good. I, too, think of the people who don't have a common voice, as well as those that do. I've tabled petitions here and many of the names of those petitions I know personally as friends. However, I know those friends have employment and they will continue to have employment if this is worked out. But I don't know about those who are unemployed. I don't know about the elders who won't get their housing or their elders' homes.
We've heard a lot around the table here and I believe, as well, that the concessions made are enough to make this a workable agreement. I think that we all have to face the reality of what's coming upon us. Each and every one of us in the Territories will know the results as the budget comes down. I think that as this goes by and time goes on, we'll see that we've made the right decisions. It won't be perfect and we won't make everybody happy but we'll have done the thing that was required of us to try to make this a better place for everyone. As I've heard throughout the talks in the committees as well as during the campaign, people realized that there had to be cuts and that they were willing to take cuts to have employment. Hearing all the parties involved say that they want to reach a negotiated settlement, I'm very happy to hear that.
One of the things I said earlier in my statement was a voice of those who couldn't gather together and didn't have the power of numbers. They don't have the ability -- the have-nots, I guess we can say -- to go to the government to make a stand. They don't have the equipment at their hands that they can circulate information that puts everybody against the wall. As I said, I represent everybody equally in my community and I've tabled the petitions that came my way. Today when I vote, I believe I'll be voting for those that don't have a collective voice. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.