Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members of this Assembly were asked to host meetings in their communities on the issue of national unity, following the Calgary Declaration adopted by the Premiers of Canada. Along with my fellow MLAs in Yellowknife, we hosted a well publicized meeting of constituencies to gain their views on this declaration. While we did receive valuable input and opinions from the handful of people who attended, it was a disappointing turnout. The turnout reaffirmed my opinion that national unity is not an issue of urgent relevance, at least not to the people in my constituency. There are currently other issues facing the people of the Northwest Territories which will have a direct impact on their future.
The main ones being the division of the territories, the creation of jobs, the price of gold. These are issues that effects their lives on a daily basis. The question of national unity seems much further away, and there is a commonality among the opinions of my constituency that people are together on national unity.
Mr. Speaker, I came to this country 27 years ago. Like me, a large percentage of present day Canadians were born elsewhere. It is from that perspective I wish that all Canadians from coast to coast to coast could say plain and simple, "I love Canada".
Mr. Speaker, I do not find it acceptable that I should have conditions on that love. Love is or should be unconditional. It is not an acceptable position to love Canada if I need something in return for that love. The late John Fitzgerald Kennedy's statement, which stated, "Ask not what my country can do for me but what I can do for my country."
Mr. Speaker, we can learn from that statement. It applies equally well to Canada as John Fitzgerald Kennedy's statement applied to the United States. Mr. Speaker, Canada gives each one of its citizens a quality of life that is the envy of the rest of the world, which is why we were voted the best country in the world to live in for a number of years. All Canadians have the obligation to ensure that Canada continues as it is today, a strong, free and vibrant prosperous community. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I love Canada. Thank you.
--Applause