Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been five short weeks since 19 MLAs of different backgrounds and viewpoints were sworn in to form the 14th Legislative Assembly. In that five weeks, these new MLAs have held their first session, met with the DIAND Minister, resolved a strike, and grappled with the potential delay of a mega-project. They also found the time to hold a week-long strategic planning and priority setting workshop, to organize and install their standing committee system and to hold a two-day Cabinet strategy session.
Mr. Speaker, busy as the last five weeks have been, it is going to get even busier. There is an urgent need to complete our initial orientation and planning discussions and move on to consultation and decision making. There are fiscal, economic and social crises that must be dealt with. And there are several early conclusions we have already reached.
The first conclusion is that we cannot do what needs to be done without first building trust and effective partnerships with aboriginal governments, with the federal government, with industry and with all other Northwest Territories stakeholders.
The second conclusion is that there is no short term fix to most of the issues we face. These issues developed over a long period of time and solving them will take the education, understanding, acceptance and participation of a lot of people. In some areas we have already made progress and plans are ready, but more needs to be done and, as the Report of the Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services suggests, we need to get on with it.
The third conclusion we have reached is that without new sources of revenue our ability to get the job done is going to be severely limited. We need to secure the resources needed to achieve our goals. Otherwise we will end up tinkering around the edges of our economic and social issues while they only get worse.
Mr. Speaker, based on these early conclusions we have developed an initial plan of action.
The government will immediately request meetings with aboriginal governments and the federal government to discuss common issues and solutions.
In March, 2000 the government will bring in its full budget for fiscal year 2000-2001. This budget will be designed to move forward on a few of the early decisions of the 14th Legislative Assembly and it will ensure we do not exceed our borrowing limits or, in any avoidable way, worsen our fiscal situation or create a fiscal crisis.
Over the next few months, priority will be given to working through Caucus to complete the development of the 14th Legislative Assembly's goals, priorities and strategies. This work will need to be performed in close consultation with aboriginal governments, and with other Northwest Territories stakeholders. Once completed in May or June, this agenda of the 14th Legislative Assembly will be publicly tabled and discussed. The directions established by the new agenda will guide further government initiatives this year and the development of business plans and budgets for the 2001-2002 fiscal year.
Mr. Speaker, this is an ambitious timetable. For it to succeed, we will need to be focused in our work and we will need the participation and contribution of many parties. But that is what operating in a consensus system is all about. We are all in this together and we must all be part of the solution.
-- Applause