Thank you Mr. Speaker. Like the other Members, I would like to congratulate you on your election as Speaker. I am confident you will do a great job for us. I would also like to congratulate our Premier-elect, Mr. Kakfwi. I am very proud he is in this position. I am very appreciative to have been elected to the Executive Council of the Northwest Territories and this new Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to thank my constituents for having the confidence to return me to this lofty position. I would particularly like to recognize a person who was my team leader in my re-election, Mr. Gary Vanderhaden, who is here with us today.

Mr. Speaker, the make up of the group of people, as I look around, is very diverse with great skills and great abilities. I am very impressed with these people who have been elected. I am confident that as a team we will build a unified vision of the Northwest Territories, one that all MLAs can work towards. I am confident we will be in a supportive capacity with the aboriginal leaders of the Northwest Territories to ensure they can achieve their land claim and self-government dreams and that we will continue to build as we should. To ensure we share a vision for all of us, that our children receive a great education and that all our people receive the ultimate in health care and social services and that we will continue to prosper as a Territory so that all people can get a job.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here. This is an historic occasion. This is the first Assembly of the new Northwest Territories, and I am very proud to be here. I am also very proud to have been here in 1967 when this government first met as a Council of the Northwest Territories for the first time in Yellowknife, the new capital of the Northwest Territories.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause