Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome back to my colleagues. Welcome back to Yellowknife. I also, Mr. Speaker, had the opportunity to have discussions with many constituents, and I believe they have concerns and issues related to job creation, P3 projects, employee concerns, pay equity, division of the Northwest Territories and formula financing concerns for particularly the west.
One that I would like to talk about in particular, Mr. Speaker, is that I had the opportunity, on April 18th, to attend the commissioning of the HMCS Yellowknife in Victoria, British Columbia. There were many Yellowknifers and northerners in attendance for that event, including many former northern residents now living in southern Canada. Among those in attendance were the honourable Ministers Antoine and Kakfwi representing this government who presented gifts to the Captain of this vessel. Minister Antoine presented Captain Bancroft with a plaque which consisted of a NWT license plate and registration documents. Mr. Speaker, this gift was very unique. The license plate, numbered MM706, is an actual naval designation number. What is very unique is the fact that this license plate number is actually registered in the Department of Transportation system as a motor vehicle. The NWT can also be identified as the only jurisdiction anywhere having a war ship registered on their motor vehicle system. On behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Minister Kakfwi presented HMCS Yellowknife's Captain Bancroft with a beautiful muskox blanket. I understand it gets rather cold in the evenings aboard ship. Minister Kakfwi also presented a stuffed raven which is, as you know, the mascot for Yellowknife. I learned that this particular raven was found dead in the streets, and Minister Kakfwi took it upon himself to have the raven stuffed and presented to the Captain.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge these two Ministers on the manner in which they carried out their duties on behalf of this government. It was with pleasure and with pride that I was able to observe the admiration of the gathered crowd for the professionalism and wit of both Ministers. We can sometimes take for granted our own government Ministers and senior officials, but when we have had the opportunity, such as I had, to stand back and observe, we can certainly appreciate the calibre of leadership we sometimes take for granted that we have in our own back yard. I would ask that my fellow Members join me in a gesture of gratitude to those two Ministers for a job well done at the commissioning of the HMCS Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
--Applause