This is page numbers 1 - 13 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 1st 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 assembly.

Members Present

Honourable Roger Allen, Honourable Jim Antoine, Mr. Bell, Mr. Braden, Mr. Delorey, Mr. Dent, Honourable Jane Groenewegen, Honourable Joe Handley, Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Nitah, Honourable Jake Ootes, Mr. Roland, Honourable Vince Steen, Honourable Tony Whitford.

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 1

Bishop Croteau

Dear friends, allow me to open the Bible at the Book of Kings. I would like to take you to the land of Israel, at the moment when young Solomon is called upon to replace his father David as King of Israel. He is just a young man without experience.

One night during his sleep, he had a dream. He heard Yahweh say to him, and I quote:

"Ask what you would like me to give you.", and Solomon replied; "Now, Yahweh, my God, You have made me Your servant king in succession to David, my father. But I am a very young man, unskilled in leadership. Your servant finds himself in the midst of this people of Yours that You have chosen. Give Your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil. For who could govern this people of Yours that is so great?"

And then, the Bible says, Yahweh was pleased that Solomon should have asked for this. He responds in kind;

"Since you have asked for this and not for a long life for yourself, or riches or the lives of your enemies, but have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself, here and now I do what you ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd, as none before you has had and none will have after you. What you have not asked for, I shall give you too: such riches and glory as no other King has ever had. And I will give you a long life if you follow My ways, keeping My laws and commandments."

To the elected Members of the 14th Legislative Assembly, I can assure you that if your feelings or dispositions are the same as Solomon's at the beginning of his reign, God will give you the same blessing He gave Solomon.

I would like to put those blessings in a more concrete way. I have prepared a blessing called the Irish Blessing. I have made a copy for each of you to take to your office so when you have good days, you can look at the blessing and stay humble. When you have bad days, you can look at the blessing and stay hopeful.

This is the blessing I would like to offer the Members of the 14th Legislative Assembly.

May you have enough love for each other to keep you one, enough happiness to keep you gentle, enough trust to keep you open, enough trials to keep you strong, enough sorrow to keep you happy, enough failure to keep you humble, enough success to keep you eager, enough friends to give you comfort, enough wealth to meet your needs, enough enthusiasm to look forward, enough faith to banish depression, enough determination to make each day better than yesterday, and may the blessing of our God be upon you today and all the days of your life. Amen.

-- Drumming

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 1

Clerk Of The House Mr. David Hamilton

Please be seated. I now ask the Inuvialuit Drummers and Dancers to come forward and perform a celebration song.

-- Drumming and Singing

-- Applause

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 1

Clerk Of The House Mr. David Hamilton

It is my duty to inform the House the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Honourable Dan Marion, is not prepared to address the Assembly until a Speaker has been elected.

I will now call for a motion to elect the Speaker. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South that Tony Whitford, of the electoral district of Kam Lake, take the Chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk Of The House Mr. David Hamilton

Thank you. Are there any further motions? There being no further motions, I declare the Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Tony Whitford, has been elected Speaker of the House.

I would request the mover and seconder of the motion to escort the Speaker to the Chair.

-- Applause

Remarks Of Speaker
Remarks Of Speaker

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Bonjour, madames et monsieurs, et bienvenue a les Assemblée du Territories Nord-Oust. Honourable colleagues, I wish to express my gratitude for the confidence you have demonstrated by choosing me as your Speaker.

It is with a great deal of pride and humility that I accept the honour of being your Speaker for this, the 14th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

My first obligation is to give you my commitment. My commitment to ensure the rights and privileges of all Members will be upheld, and that you are each able to discharge your duties. The most important and fundamental right is the freedom of speech in your debates, and freedom from interference in carrying out your duties.

I assure you I will do my best to ensure those fundamental rights are upheld, as well as all of the other rules and procedures this House has adopted. At this time, I would like to acknowledge the efforts and steady hand of my predecessor, Mr. Sam Gargan, who has set a high standard for me to follow.

I am sure you will all join me in extending our thanks to Mr. Gargan for the 16 years of dedicated efforts and services he has given his constituents, and particularly for the admirable performance of his duties as Speaker within these Chambers.

-- Applause

On a personal note, I would like to take this time to thank the constituents of Kam Lake who were the first to place their trust in me by electing me and who even now, I am confident, will support me in my new responsibilities. I want to assure them my accepting the position of Speaker will in no way diminish my efforts to serve each and every one of them to the best of my ability.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the people most important to all of us, our families. Our wives, husbands, partners and children. We must all strive to strike that elusive balance between our work and our families.

To my wife Elaine, and our three sons, Warren, Blair and Ian, and to my mother Emilie, I am thankful from the bottom of my heart. Without their guidance and support I could not have accomplished what I have and continue to have in my political career. I would not be sitting here before you today.

On the first sitting day of the 14th Legislative Assembly, I wish to ask all Members to pause and reflect on the tasks before us. We are a new and vibrant Territory entering a new century and a new millennium. We are fortunate to be here as the chosen representatives of our constituents. It is an honour that is bestowed on so few people.

As a Legislature, we are facing many critical decisions in the days and years ahead. Like all decisions made in this House, getting to those decisions sometimes leads us into adversarial situations. However, we must remember to always treat each other with respect, dignity, compassion and understanding.

On your behalf, I would like to thank Bishop Croteau for being our Chaplain today. It is always a pleasure to have you with us.

I would also like to acknowledge the fine performance of the Dettah Drummers and the St. Patrick's Choir, led by Ms. Hunter. It was also a treat to have the Inuvialuit Drummers from the Delta perform on the Chamber floor. This is a first for us, and an inspiration for us all to celebrate our new Assembly in the new millennium. Thank you to all.

In conclusion, my ability to preside over this House ultimately rests in your hands. I will continue to be inspired by the trust and confidence you have placed on me today. Thank you very much.

-- Applause

Mr. Clerk, will you ascertain if his Honour, the Commissioner, is prepared to enter the Chamber and address the Legislative Assembly?

-- Singing of National Anthem

Item 2: Opening Address By Commissioner
Item 2: Opening Address By Commissioner

Page 2

Commissioner Of The Northwest Territories Hon. Dan Marion

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please be seated. Mr. Speaker, Members of the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to welcome you to this First Session of the 14th Legislative Assembly.

I extend warm greetings to the returning Members and to the new faces that I see around the Chamber today. I welcome the guests in the public gallery and people watching on television.

First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Tony Whitford on his election as Speaker. The Members of this Assembly have chosen well in selecting a person of your good judgement for this vital position.

Before I go any further, I would like to reflect on the very significant New Year's Day that has just passed. On January 1, we crossed into a new millennium. This date brought with it the optimism not only of a new year, but also of a new century. It also brought fears that computer technology could break down and cause an emergency.

As we all know, there were no problems here in the North, and that is due to the hard work of many different people. I would like to recognize, on behalf of all the citizens of the Northwest Territories, the efforts of the Department of National Defence, the RCMP, government staff, private business and volunteers who dealt with this situation. These people worked through the year to prevent any problems and were on duty over New Year's in case anything did go wrong. Many of them - particularly the military, police and some government employees - gave up their holidays to do this. In the words of our national anthem, which we heard so eloquently, they stood on guard for our safety and I thank them on behalf of all of us here in the Northwest Territories.

I am pleased to report that I recently visited the Sahtu region and I am grateful to the MLA Stephen Kakfwi, and his staff for their assistance. On that tour, six more people received the Commissioner's Award for Public Service.

Charlie Barnaby of Fort Good Hope was the longest-serving chief in the Mackenzie Valley. He remains dedicated to preserving his people's language and culture and to passing traditions on to young people. He is a very strong traditionalist.

Wilfred Jackson started the Hunters and Trappers Association in Fort Good Hope twenty years ago, and he is still working at it. He has also worked with young offenders, teaching them land skills.

Paul Baton of Deline still runs his own fishing boat at the age of 83 and takes great pleasure in sharing his skills and knowledge with others. He has served as chief in both Tulita and Deline.

Isadore Yukon of Deline has served his community as chief and as mayor. He worked as a river pilot on the Great Bear and Mackenzie Rivers. He has also received the Order of Canada for his contributions to life in his community.

The late Paul Wright of Tulita was a very strong advocate of preserving Dene legends and oral history. Wherever he went, he shared his stories and the music of the drum. He served as chief from 1981-88. Paul received this award in his home, surrounded by his friends. I was very happy that I had a chance to see him before he passed away. It was a great loss not only to his community but to the Northwest Territories as a whole.

Monica Loomis came to Norman Wells as a nurse in 1960. She and her husband now run their own business, but it is not unusual for Monica to drop everything to help someone in need. She also provides counselling as a lay minister in Norman Wells.

I also had the pleasure of presenting the Commissioner's Award for Bravery to Michel Lafferty of Fort Good Hope. Michel saved the life of his sister-in-law, Lucy Ann, when their snowmobile went through the ice on the Hume River and they fell into the water. Michel pulled Lucy Ann from the river and, although they were both freezing, kept her walking towards home until help arrived.

When I reflect on these people and others I have met during my time as Commissioner, I am again reminded of our national anthem. When I look about, I see the "true north, strong and free." This spirit is in all the award recipients as well as all people who are committed and work tirelessly for their community.

The Northwest Territories is a great place, full of hardworking, creative, caring people. We stand now at the beginning of an important new era in our history. This is the first Legislative Assembly since the creation of two new territories last year.

Each of the Members of this Assembly has the responsibility of representing their constituents and of ensuring the government does its best to serve the people of the Northwest Territories. In this Assembly, you have the added responsibility of building a new Territory.

Mr. Speaker, I offer you and this Assembly my best wishes as you begin this First Session of the new Territory and the new century. I have every confidence you will serve the people of the Northwest Territories in a way that will make all of us proud.

As Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I now declare open the First Session of the 14th Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Item 2: Opening Address By Commissioner
Item 2: Opening Address By Commissioner

Page 3

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The next order of the day is item 3, Ministers' statements. Item 4, Members' statements. Mr. Steen, the Member for Nunakput.

Thanks To Colleagues, Constituents And Family
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 3

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Congratulations on your successful election to the position of Speaker. I know that with your experience and capabilities, you will serve the North well.

I would like to thank my constituents at home for their support in re-electing me to represent the interests of the Nunakput riding. I would also like to thank the Members of the 14th Legislative Assembly for their vote of confidence in allowing me to serve in the Executive Council for the next four years. I appreciate the support, and I am conscious of the responsibilities and expectations of this position.

I offer my sincere congratulations to the Premier-elect, Mr. Stephen Kakfwi, and to Members of the Legislative Assembly who have recently been elected to this Assembly and to those on the Executive Council. I look forward to working with all of you.

Mr. Speaker, last but not least, I appreciate the support I have received from my wife Betty and my children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thanks To Colleagues, Constituents And Family
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 3

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 4, Members' statements. The Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Charles Dent.

Diavik Interim Land Use Permit Application
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 3

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before getting into my Member's statement, I too would like to congratulate you on your appointment. I know you will be a fair and impartial Speaker and I look forward to working with you.

I would also like to congratulate the Premier-elect, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi and his new Cabinet. I look forward to working with them as well.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank my constituents for their confidence and support in sending me back to this House to represent them. I wish to extend a special thanks to my friends and family, my wife Eileen and my son Tyler. As you so eloquently said, their support is what has made it all possible and worthwhile.

Mr. Speaker, I know this is a ceremonial day, but I was talking to the president of Diavik earlier today, and I feel I need to say something about what he told me.

He advised me that DIAND has informed Diavik that an interim land use permit will not be issued at this time. I was very disappointed to hear the federal government's decision, as this will delay construction of the Diavik mine site for another year. Given the Government of the Northwest Territories' fiscal situation, the 400 to 500 direct jobs and approximately 700 indirect jobs that will not be created this year is a critical loss to our northern economy.

Diavik had planned to spend nearly $100 million purchasing goods and services over the next year, and that will not happen now. Based on past practices of the company, that probably means some $70 million less is being spent in the North. That will have a significant impact on our economy.

Mr. Speaker, last fall I listened intently as the former Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, now the Premier-elect, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, told us the Government of the Northwest Territories was satisfied that no environmental issues had been raised that could not be addressed through the balance of the regulatory process.

I believe an overwhelming majority of Northerners agree, and wanted the project to proceed this year. It is truly regrettable the federal minister has chosen to ignore the advice of those who live in the North and are directly impacted by this decision.

Mr. Speaker, this decision further supports the trial by Northerners to wrest control of resources from Ottawa. It shows why we must move the discussions among Northerners about sharing ownership and control of resources forward very quickly.

Only when northern people and their governments own the resources and control the development process will we see the benefits that should rightfully be ours. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Diavik Interim Land Use Permit Application
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 4

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 4, Members' statements. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thanks To Colleagues, Constituents And Family
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 4

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation starts) I would like to send my warmest greeting for the New Year to my constituents, my family and my friends in Jean Marie River, Trout Lake, Fort Liard, Nahanni Butte, Wrigley and Fort Simpson. I thank the residents of Nahendeh for electing me as your MLA for a third term of office.

During the recent election campaign I was fortunate to speak with many of you, to hear your concerns, to answer your questions and to get your advice. Many of you mentioned that over the past year my responsibilities as Premier limited my ability to travel to the community I represent and this weighed heavily in my decision to not seek the position of Premier for this 14th Assembly.

However many of you encouraged me to seek a position on Cabinet, and thanks to the support of my fellow Members of the Legislative Assembly I was fortunate to have been re-elected to Cabinet on January 17th. Thank you fellow Members. I look forward to working with each of you on the important tasks which confront our government and our people.

As elected representatives of the people of the Northwest Territories our main responsibility is to work hard to improve the quality of life and to encourage sustainable employment opportunities for our people. I am committed during this term of office to see that our full potential is realized. To accomplish this we must continue to work together, we must respect each other and find areas of compromise.

Today we begin this journey together. Never has the path been so clear, never have the opportunities been so great and never have the needs been so pressing. What we need to do is to roll our sleeves up and get to work. I am ready, willing and able.

In the next few weeks, I will have an opportunity to visit the communities of Nahendeh, and I will advise you well in advance of the dates I will be in your community. I am looking forward to seeing you soon, and again thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you as your MLA during these challenging times.

Mahsi cho.

(Translation ends)

Thanks To Colleagues, Constituents And Family
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 4

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 4, Members' statements. The Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Dealing With The Concerns Of Northerners
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 4

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to congratulate you and the Premier on being elected to your offices.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to use this, my very first Member's statement in this House, to thank the constituents of Range Lake for giving me a place at this table. Mr. Speaker, I am sure I speak for all Members in the House when I say what a singular honour and privilege it is to be elected by the public at large, and to be given the mandate to serve them in this Legislature.

As I walk through the halls of this great place of meeting, I hear the voices of my constituents, which guide me now and will continue to guide me throughout the days and months to come. I hear the voices of moms and dads talking about their children's education, of the teachers', doctors', and nurses' working conditions. I hear the voices of laid off Giant Mine workers talking about the fairness in the settlement of their pension and severance packages.

There are so many more voices, Mr. Speaker. Voices of small and large business owners and stakeholders, voices of women and men, youth, aboriginal and non-aboriginal, the weak and the sick, whose voices we must hear and act upon. Mr. Speaker, I understand my mandate for the next four years is to bring life to these voices and to work with my colleagues in and out of this Chamber to develop solutions to their concerns.

I also appreciate that behind you, Mr. Speaker, and the 18 Members of this House, sit 43,000 voices of our Territory, which also must come to life and be acted upon.

As I begin this task in earnest today, it is with a firm belief that it is our collective task to set the course of the path for our new Territory towards unity and prosperity, not necessarily because we have a common interest in all issues, but because it is in our common interest to work together for solutions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Dealing With The Concerns Of Northerners
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 4

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 4, Members' statements. The Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thanks To Constituents And Colleagues
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 5

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important day. A very good day for the Northwest Territories. I would like to congratulate you and the Premier-elect, as well as those Ministers who have been elected to Cabinet.

I would also like to thank all of the constituents of Thebacha for the honour they have placed on me, and of course, I would like to think good judgement, for electing me to this distinguished Assembly.

We have a lot of pressing issues and orders of business to deal with. I have had the pleasure of working with my colleagues around the table in the last couple of days. I would like to tell the people of the Northwest Territories I am very impressed by the depth of experience, enthusiasm, ability, interest and commitment to the jobs at hand. I know we will be very effective in the role we have to play working with our Cabinet colleagues to bring the kind of government the people of the Northwest Territories want and deserve. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thanks To Constituents And Colleagues
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 5

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 4, Members' statements. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thanks To Constituents And Family
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 5

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Congratulations on your election to the very important office of Speaker.

(Translation begins) It is an honour for me to stand today as the elected Member for Sahtu.

This has been one of the most significant weeks in my life. The events of the past three days have been the high point of my political career so far. They have also marked the beginning of a new journey for which I am honoured to have been chosen.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support and encouragement I have received - for 13 years - from the people of the Sahtu and from my family. They have always supported me.

Politics is a tough business and all of us here need our families behind us to do our job well. I am blessed with a family that supports me with love and patience and I am profoundly grateful for that.

To my constituents, the residents of Fort Good Hope, Tulita, Deline, and Norman Wells, I extend my most sincere gratitude. They have given me the first and most important honour - that of serving them in this Legislative Assembly.

They have given me their trust. I will not take that lightly. It will be a daily measurement of my words and actions.

They have given me the support that I will rely on when I need to stand as a leader of this Assembly and the people of the Northwest Territories.

To those who helped to co-ordinate my campaign, to those who answered phones, distributed buttons, put up posters and went door to door or supported me in other ways, I must say thank you for supporting my vision of the North.

I thank all those who voted for participating in a democratic process that provides us with the freedom to choose our Territorial leaders.

I thank them for believing in me enough to have me represent them during this exciting new beginning for our Territories. I will do my best for all the people of the North. (Translation ends)

I would like to thank my wife Marie, who is here today, my daughter, Kyla, and my two younger ones who are in school today, Daylyn and Keenan.

A long time ago, I made an offer to my wife. I said I might not amount to much, but I have dreams and visions. They may not amount to much, but on the other hand, you might miss out on something exciting and beautiful. She took a leap of faith, and she is still with me today. She has put her job and career on the line, and I thank her for that.

I do not know what will happen to us. I hope something good comes of all of this. I have to remain optimistic and true to this dream and vision all of us have for a better future. Mahsi.

-- Applause

Thanks To Constituents And Family
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 5

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 4, Members' statements. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thanks To Colleagues
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 5

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

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

Thanks To Colleagues
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 6

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 4, Members' statements. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thanks To Constituents, Supporters And Family
Item 4: Members' Statements

January 18th, 2000

Page 6

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Keeping in mind the time factor and the majority of events unfolding here today, I will keep my comments short.

I would like to begin by congratulating you, Mr. Speaker, on your election to Speaker. I am sure you will do a wonderful job. I would also like to congratulate the Member for Sahtu, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, on his election as Premier. I would also like to congratulate the other Members who were elected to Cabinet, especially my colleague the Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen, on her election to Cabinet.

I represent the riding of Hay River North, which is a very diverse riding. It has four very different and distinct areas. I feel I have a very strong mandate to represent this riding, which is a riding that is very politically minded, as was very evident with a 91 percent turnout at the polls on election day.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of the people of Hay River North who voted for me on December 6th. The trust, confidence and support they have afforded me will not soon be forgotten. I would especially like to thank Mr. Harvey Smith, my campaign manager, Mr. Andrew Taylor, my official agent, and all my workers for the hard work they have done in my campaign.

To my family, my wonderful wife Davida, my son D'arcy, my daughters, Michelle, Monique and Katrina, without whose love, encouragement and support I would not be here today. Especially my daughter, Monique, who worked tirelessly throughout my entire campaign. At the same time, she provided the family support to look after my two wonderful grandsons, Logan and Cordell.

Thank you to all of the people from Hay River in the gallery for coming out today to witness the events unfolding.

I would like to thank Mr. David Hamilton and all the staff at the Legislative Assembly for the help they have provided to me and the other new Members.

Mr. Speaker, in closing I would like to say how delighted and privileged I am to join the team that forms this new government, the first government of the new millennium, the government of this, the 14th Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thanks To Constituents, Supporters And Family
Item 4: Members' Statements

Page 6

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Item 4, Members' statements. I may have missed whether or not you indicated that you wish to speak, so please give me another cue. I am going down the list as I have observed them. Item 4, Members' statements. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.