Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity with my first Member's statement of the 14th Legislative Assembly to thank my colleagues in this Legislature for showing the confidence to elect me to a seat in their Cabinet.
I am mindful of the principle that unto whom much responsibility is given, much is required. I approach this new task with a sense of humility when considering the awesome responsibility we have to positively affect the lives of our collective northern constituency.
We have a process of public democracy. A process which is the envy of many people of the world who are oppressed by dictatorships and often violent regimes.
Part of our public democracy affords elected Members to use the venue of this House to rise on the concerns of the constituents they represent. It also affords the government the opportunity to express what measures they plan to take in addressing those challenges.
If the debate that takes place on the floor of this House is stifled, the purpose of this forum is diluted. As I have stated before, the enemies of democracy are ignorance and apathy. We have the privileged opportunity of using this House as one avenue of keeping the electorate informed through our questions and statements. This in turn encourages their active participation through us as their voices on the issues affecting them.
I want to assure the new Members and veteran Members that I remain true to the view of a need for a well-organized, well-informed body of Ordinary Members to ensure the accountability and openness of this government.
Having said that, I trust you will appreciate that we are not miracle workers. We do not have magic wands. For some of us who are new, we are also embarking on a learning curve. In the 13th Assembly, we did not have the advantage of seasoned Members on our side of the House to observe and learn from.
When I started as an Ordinary Member, I wanted to take a course on the fine art of asking a question that will receive an answer. However, I assure the new Members there is no such course. By the end of my first four years, I thought I was starting to get the hang of it.
As our Speaker said today, we are a new and vibrant Territory, and we have a group of new and vibrant Members. Please be patient with me as I learn the fine art of answering the questions. In exchange for that, I promise not to embark on an effort to learn the fine art of answering a question by saying absolutely nothing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause