This is page numbers 117 - 133 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 7th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was nunavut.

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is indeed a great pleasure to be able to speak to our fellow Members today, who are leaving for Nunavut. Certainly, we all have our individual experiences and emotions about our Members leaving. I would like to just deal, very quickly, with a couple pieces of history. I was there when Chief John Charlie Tetlichi was the first appointed Member of the Legislative Council of the Northwest Territories, back in the early 1960's. Following him, Abe Okpik, who you made reference to, Mr. Speaker, and then Simonie Michael, who became the first elected aboriginal Member of this particular House. Over the years it had very important historic beginnings, Mr. Speaker, and over the years many, many changes have taken place to evolve to what we are today, and today we are on the historic move to separate and create two new territories.

I have learned a lot from my fellow Members. I came here for my first session in 1995, and certainly, I have enjoyed my experiences here. I honestly can say there have been trials and tribulations, and we certainly are still going to be facing more trials and tribulations, but I think we work through them all. It is always interesting here, for 24 Members, Mr. Speaker, to have gotten along so well over the years to do what needs to be done for the people in the Northwest Territories. I really find that very admirable. I am a little older than many of the Members here, and I think, when I was younger, I would lose my patience much more quickly. I really admire those of you who are much younger then I am, who kept your patience and were much more methodical than I think I would have ever been. So I really appreciate the Members here.

I would like to quickly, Mr. Speaker, my time is running out and I may wish to ask for permission to conclude my statement and to seek unanimous consent. I would like to make reference to the four Ministers from Nunavut, the Honourable Kelvin Ng, the Honourable Manitok Thompson, the Honourable John Todd and the Honourable Goo Arlooktoo. I want to thank them for their dedication. It has not been easy for them over the four years. I know, we on this side, have been a thorn in their side. Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Yellowknife Centre is seeking

unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? Mr. Ootes, you have unanimous consent.

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank the Honourable John Ningark and Mr. Mark Evaloarjuk. Both gentlemen are real gentlemen, and they have served this House with tremendous dedication. I want to wish you, Mr. Ningark, all the best in the future and, Mr. Evaloarjuk, if you are able to listen, all the best in your future. Mr. Levi Barnabas, what can we say about Mr. Barnabas? He has been a real pleasure in this House to work with, I have really enjoyed him. He has certainly always had my admiration for what he is doing. I want to congratulate him on becoming the Speaker of the Nunavut House of Assembly. Then Mr. Tommy Enuaraq. I am sorry Mr. Enuaraq is not here, I hope again, he is listening. I really enjoyed having him in this House, I learned from him. He certainly was able to teach me many things from time to time.

Mr. Edward Picco. What can we say? Mr. Miltenberger has referred to him, but I think it was Mr. Picco who was trying to get the runway instead of Mr. O'Brien. Finally let me speak about Mr. O'Brien. Mr. O'Brien has been a great friend to me in this House. Personally, and I am speaking very much from my viewpoint, he has been a good representative for his people, and I am very pleased to see him back in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. I am sure he will do a great job over there, and will keep Cabinet on their toes. I want to thank all of those Members for the wonderful job they have done, and for being friends. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have great difficulty with the word goodbye so I deliberately do not use the word goodbye. I intend to say, I will see you later. I sincerely intend that for each and every Member from Nunavut, that I will see you later. I will not say goodbye. I have had a lot of pleasure, a lot of growth, and I have sincerely enjoyed the time I have had with each and every Member. I certainly would have to say, as probably most Members can, I have had difficult times, but they have certainly been out weighed by the fun and enjoyment we have had and the understandings that we have come to during my time in the Legislature. Mr. Speaker, I think this is extremely great for the young people who are in our gallery today, that they can participate in this historic occasion. Again, to each and every one of the Members for Nunavut, I will see you later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Members' Statement. Mr. Erasmus.

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too rise today to thank the Members from Nunavut as well as Mr. Hamilton, who has been a guiding hand for all of us. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for the many times he has given us guidance when we really needed it and a lot of times when some hotheads were going at it.

Mr. Speaker, as people have said, this is a historic occasion. Our Members from Nunavut are going to their own Legislature. To those who have been elected as Ministers, or back to the Legislature, I congratulate you and I wish you all the best. The last time we were together I had made a much more extensive statement and at this time I just wanted to wish everybody all the best over there. We did go through a lot of trying times together. For those of you who were new Members we learned together. Like some people like to say, we cried together and we laughed together. I will certainly remember those times and the friendship that we have enjoyed, and I hope that we continue to enjoy in the future. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statement. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I generally speak from prepared notes. I write most of my own speeches. From when I first got elected here, Mr. Miltenberger has always encouraged me to wing it and I am sure it is because he has always wanted me to stand up and say something totally outrageous. I will try not to do that today. Mr. Speaker, perhaps I have missed something here, but Mr. Hamilton is not going to Nunavut is he? Just before I bid farewell to our Nunavut colleagues, I would also to take this opportunity today, since the officers of our table are being honoured here today, to say how much I have appreciated Mr. Hamilton. He must sometimes look at us like a gaggle of geese that he tries to keep in line, and keep in order. I have always said, before getting elected, and since, that who needs elected Members? I am sure Mr. Hamilton could effectively run the whole government with his capable staff, but we are here for effect and appearances as well. To his assistants, Mr. Inch, and Mr. Schauerte, both gentlemen of very high calibre who I have enjoyed working with and being served by. They have been very helpful to us. My first acquaintance with Mr. Inch, I should not say this because this adds to the theory that I have a problem with dressing rooms and not the least of which is at hockey arenas, but one day when I first got elected I was walking along the back hall here. I saw all these doors and I did not know what they were for and I thought, I wonder what is behind this door. I just opened it, and the look on Mr. Inch's face. The clerk's have a change room back there. But everything was all proper

--Laughter

I bet you had forgotten about that. I was just a curious new Member. Anyhow, as I said, Mr. Inch is an absolute gentleman. Mr. Schauerte, I actually had the opportunity to travel with. On a couple of CPA conferences, Mr. Schauerte came along on those and again provided assistance. They say that you can judge a person by the way they treat children and I want say that I have a very special little daughter, and every time she has to come to the Legislature she has to run down and see Mr. Schauerte. Mr. Schauerte has a very nice way with children and he is very kind and very loving to them which I think is a measure of a person. It says a lot for the kind of person he is.

With respect to my Nunavut colleagues, Mr. Speaker, that went fast. Could I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement please?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Hay River is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? Mrs. Groenewegen, you have unanimous consent.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you colleagues. That was the fastest two and a half minutes I have ever experienced. Mr. Speaker, I have a confession to make. If you were to go to the CBC and search the archives, in fact you would find a filmed documentary. I use to be a lot braver than I am now, and I have to confess that I actually engaged in a debate on CBC television, with John Amagoalik, on division, about six or seven years ago. On the Nunavut side was Kenn Harper and Mr. John Amagoalik and on the western side was Francois Paulette and myself. I argued against division. The reason I did that was because I said the Northwest Territories just would not be the same without Nunavut, and indeed I still believe that, but I think it is a wonderful opportunity for the people of Nunavut and do wish them well.

To the colleagues I have served here with, Mr. Ningark, as a fellow chair of committee of the whole, I have appreciated watching him and learning from him. We have few veterans on the Ordinary Members side, and so we have had to keep our eye on Mr. Ningark for guidance. Mr. Todd, who I am not really sure we are getting rid of so I will not say goodbye to yet. Mr. Ng, for your attendance in my community, and all your help on social services; there are problems with Health and Social Services, but indeed I think, we also have made much progress and the people of the north have much to be thankful in that area. To Ms. Thompson, who is my only fellow, that is a strange oxymoron, fellow woman in the Legislature. It would have been good to have gotten to know Ms. Thompson better, but she was very busy, as was I. To Mr. Arlooktoo, I sincerely wish you well in the future, and I look forward to hearing about the great things I am sure you will embark on in Nunavut. To Mr. Enuaraq, when I first got elected I went to a celebrity auction and bought Inuktitut lessons to be taught by Mr. Enuaraq. I never followed up, but I made a big donation to the Northwest Territories Council for Disabled Persons. To Mr. Evaloarjuk as well, a senior statesman in our government, who we will miss very much. Last but not least, three people who I was particularly close to. Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Picco and Mr. Barnabas, who served on the infrastructure committee with me. I just want to tell you two today, I only told Mr. Picco he was my favourite because I knew that his very fragile ego needed to be boosted all the time. I wish you all Godspeed and all the best. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the people of Pelly Bay, Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, and most of all my wife and my family for supporting me for over nine years. Mr. Speaker, a number of Members here always address me by calling me Brother John. Mr. Speaker, having said Brother John, I think it was almost like spending nine and a half years in a seminary. So thereby, I think I would call Mr. Hamilton, Father Superior.

--Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I really enjoyed having to work for the people of Natilikmiot. Having to learn from senior Members of the Legislature and having to associate with people from the western Arctic, especially my Dene friends from this area. Although I have nayed some of my Dene friends, but you know there are times when one has to say no, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to thank Mr. Kakfwi, who the people of Natilikmiot called a cool guy. When he stands up, people tell me back home, he will pass for about ten minutes before he replies and another 20 minutes to respond to questions.

--Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I also would like to thank Mr. Morin, one of my very best friends from the area. Mr. Morin is a man that will keep his word. When I first became a Member, Mr. Morin and other Members from the western Arctic wanted to meet with me and discuss some of the issues of the day, Mr. Speaker. I was a new Member, I decided not to support that group. When I walked out of the room I thought I lost their friendship. Within ten minutes he came over to me, he said, Mr. Ningark, you are one of my very close friends. Ever since we have been very close friends. I also would like to thank my best friend, Mr. Steen from Nunakput. He has bought me many dinners in the past.

--Laughter

I think I owe him a couple of dinners. When he comes to Nunavut, I will endeavour to pay for his dinner even though I will be unemployed. Mr. Speaker, again I would like to thank the people. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Natilikmiot is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Ningark, you have unanimous consent.

John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Members. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to thank the staff of the Legislature, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Inch and Mr. Schauerte. My constituency assistant, Patricia Attungala, and I think we have to remember one very special staff member and that is Betty Low, I think we should acknowledge her. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Goo Arlooktoo Baffin South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too, would like to join this little group hug on the last day of some of our Nunavut colleagues. I hate to disappoint some of you, but Mr. Todd and I are remaining here until Monday when we are replaced. I know it is my intention and it could be Mr. Todd's intention too, to speak more at length on Monday during reply. I did want to say that I have enjoyed, when all is said and done, the time I have spent here. I have learned more than I ever thought I could during this, what is now a very brief time it appears. I would like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, and everyone in this House.

On Monday I will say more appropriate things on all of my colleagues, but at this point I want to, like Mr. Ningark, thank my spouse, Dorothy Zoe, and our three children and in my office, Nicole Camphaug and Kelley Merilees who have worked very, very hard for me. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge and congratulate Mr. Olayuk Akeshuk, who will be taking over as MLA for the constituency of Baffin South. I wish him the best of luck and offer him my full support and to let him know that I will be there if ever he needs some advice. With that, Mr. Speaker, I thank you and I wish my Nunavut colleagues who are leaving tomorrow morning a safe trip to Nunavut. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

James Rabesca North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, is one of the last days that my colleagues from the east will be sitting in the House. I thought it would be fitting to reflect on the past three years. When we first arrived here back in November of 1995, many of us had very little experience dealing with this level of government. Our constituents elected us for many reasons, but the bottom line was that they trusted us to represent them in the chamber. We have come a long way from when we started. We had a huge deficit and many issues to deal with regarding division. I would like to say when we have taken on all of these issues we have succeeded. Now April 1st is looming in the next few days and we will no longer have our eastern friends with us. They will now have fun and lots of hard work ahead of them to create their new territory. I wish them well in all their endeavours in the near future.

As for us in the west, we still have many very important issues to deal with and I feel that if we work in a cooperative manner, we can achieve a unified government that represents all of our constituents for the betterment of the entire Western Territory. We must now look ahead and see how we can create our own territory and ensure everyone equally has a voice. In closing, I again would like to thank my eastern colleagues for the experiences of working with you and again congratulations for finally seeing your goal become a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Members' statements. Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too, would like to take this occasion to say a few words to those Members who are departing, but before that, Mrs. Groenewegen, I had a little bit of concern when this afternoon started. I thought the west had come out on the short end of the stick when it came to division of assets and liabilities.

--Laughter

I was a touch concerned.

I too, would like to express my thanks to Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Schauerte and Mr. Inch as they have very ably served all of us in this House. I know I could not have accomplished nearly as much as I have without their assistance.

Mr. Speaker, in a few days this House will change significantly with the Members from Nunavut leaving us. I know that many of the Nunavut Members are going on to form a new government. They face many challenges associated with setting up a new administration. I talked to some of the Members who have been elected to Cabinet and they have expressed to me how they realize now that there is still an immense amount of work to do to get the administration in place. I know that very soon they will find out, Mr. Ng, that there is never enough money. I am sure that in spite of the fiscal negotiations that have taken place it will continue to be a challenge. I am confident, Mr. Speaker, that the people who are moving on to the government and the people of Nunavut are ready to face those challenges. I am also sure that they will live up to the expectations of the residents of Nunavut.

Mr. Speaker, the interesting thing that will happen in this chamber is that I think the tenor of the debate will change somewhat. Having the Nunavut Members here with us has affected the style of our debates in this House. Some have said they think our debates will become more focused; but perhaps they will become more fractured, I do not know. We will have to work to find some way to bring back the stabilizing influence that will be missed. Mr. Speaker, I certainly will miss our colleagues from Nunavut. I am also going to miss the opportunities that being part of a bigger territory has brought us all to travel across this immense and beautiful part of Canada and visit with a unique and varied population. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent, Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to, in particular, the Nunavut Members of Cabinet for the support and assistance that they have given me over the past three and a half years. There have been difficult times and we have worked well as a team together. Ms. Thompson, in particular, has found many occasions to challenge me and hold my feet to the fire when it comes time for discussion in Cabinet. I will miss her comments in those early morning meetings. Mr. Speaker, I will also miss the friendship

with the Ordinary Members from Nunavut and, in particular, Mr. Ningark, who was a Member in the previous Assembly with us and has always provided sage advice. In conclusion I would like to wish our friends, the Members from Nunavut, the very best in whatever capacity they will or choose to serve the residents of Nunavut, or move on to retirement, as Mr. Ningark claims he is going to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Steen.

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents in Nunakput I would like to say farewell to those Members from Nunavut who will be leaving tomorrow. My constituents, I am sure, appreciate the help the Members from Nunavut have shown my constituents' communities obtaining services as needed. I think, Mr. Speaker, that my constituents realize that the Members from Nunavut, it was easy to convince them of the situations in my community because we lived in the same type of weather conditions, we experienced the same type of problems north of the treeline. I do not know, in the future, whether this is going to have an impact in my community's ability to obtain the same amount of good services, but I wish the Members from Nunavut know that we did appreciate your understanding and assistance.

I appreciated working on the Nunavut Caucus, although I was a Member of the west. I was still allowed to sit as a Member of Caucus and I appreciated working with them. I compliment the Nunavut Caucus and the Members of the Nunavut Caucus for their ability to compromise. I cannot say the same for the Western Caucus, unfortunately.

--Laughter

Perhaps some of the wisdom, experience and ability to compromise will be left behind and the west will be able to pick it up and use it to their benefit. We definitely need it.

I ask for permission to finish my statement, Mr. Speaker.