Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have good news. This will be a very short reply. Mr. Speaker, I was honoured to have been selected nearly four years ago to serve on Cabinet and it has been an interesting time. There has been an awful lot of learning involved. I know having served for four years on the other side as an ordinary Member and then coming to Cabinet, that it often seems that there are all sorts of conspiracies that abound and that Cabinet, in particular, is leading them. It was a very interesting transition to get on to the other side and find just how few conspiracies there actually are and how impossible it is to do anything in secret and I think this is good. We really have a very open government here and almost all of the decisions and discussions are done publicly. Far more than what would be found in any other style of government, particularly in a government that had party politics. If there is one thing that I have found over the last eight years of being in this Legislature, it is that the public is actually more aware of what is going on than I think they would be in other systems.
Mr. Speaker, four years ago when we got started it was a very difficult time. I think we can be very proud of the fiscal situation that we are leaving this government in. In spite of coming in and having to deal with, in effect cutting our budget because of reduction of $150 million in our federal transfer payments, we will not be leaving the next Legislature in a sea of ink. I think that is one of the most important accomplishments that we can point to over the last four years. We have not left this territory mortgaged for our children to pay off.
I think we can also point to division of the Northwest Territories, the creation of Nunavut and the new Northwest Territories. The manner in which that took place, I think, was a credit to all of us who sat in this Legislature. We had a very smooth transition and have two administrations up and running and there was no interruption in the delivery of services to our constituents. There was a lot of concern as to whether or not that would happen. Whether or not there would be some concern.
Mr. Speaker, since becoming the Minister of Finance, I have spoken to an awful lot of community groups and aboriginal leaders talking about our future. There is no question that one of the biggest challenges that is going to be faced by the next Legislature is the fiscal situation. We are going to face a continued challenge dealing with a shortfall in revenues when it comes to necessary expenditures. We know that the projected shortfall will mean that it is going to be difficult just to maintain services, let alone deal with the pressing social needs that we have at Health and Social Services or Education, Culture and Employment. I think we have to look for ways to invest in those pressing social needs. I see it as a particularly onerous challenge coming up.
Mr. Speaker, I am planning to run in the next election and I would not do that if I were not an optimist. If I did not believe that the future does hold hope. I think that if we can demonstrate to the federal government that with a changed fiscal relationship that we will be able to not only improve the welfare of northern residents, but the welfare of all residents of Canada and that perhaps they will be willing to listen to us. Perhaps we can then start to make some progress at developing sufficient revenues from our own sources to deal with some of our pressing problems. It takes a northern consensus though, Mr. Speaker. This government cannot do it on its own. We have to get all Northerners on side, first to move forward, to talk to the federal government about moving ownership of resources to the North.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to also take a few moments to thank some people that have given me great support and help over the last few years. I would like to thank all the Members of this Legislative Assembly, especially those with whom I have served on Cabinet, including many of the Nunavut Members. I would like to thank the Legislative Assembly staff under the guidance of Mr. David Hamilton, they have provided all of us with tremendous support. I would like to thank the staff in my office, I have had two executive assistants, Mr. Paul Jones was the first assistant that I had and now Ms. Karen Bergman-Ilnik. I think that they discovered a whole new realm of issues when it came to dealing with problems with student financial assistance and income support when I was Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I thank them for their patience and their assistance. I would like to thank Ms. Cheryl Meier, who is my executive secretary. Without her organization, I could not get the job done. It is amazing how she can put her hands on a piece of paper that is four years old and get it to me in almost no time.
I would also like to thank the departmental staff that I have had the pleasure of working with. I think this government has a large cadre of dedicated, competent people working for it. I have been responsible for three departments in particular and I would like to single them out for special mention. I could not have been nearly as successful without their support. I would like to say a special thanks to Mr. Mark Cleveland and the staff at Education, Culture and Employment with whom I worked with for three and a half years. Thanks to Margaret Melhorn and the staff at the Department of Finance. To Lew Voytilla and the staff at FMBS for the guidance that they are providing us all these days. I should also mention thanks to Ms. Bertha Norwegian who is the special advisor to me on the Status of Women. Her help has been invaluable since I have taken on that responsibility.
Mr. Speaker, I need to say thanks to my family. Without the support of my wife and my son for the hours, for the weekends and for the days that I am away travelling, I could not possibly do this job. I would also like to say thanks, finally, to my constituents for the trust that they have shown in putting me here to represent them. I would like to say to them, I will be seeing you shortly knocking on your door. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause