Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Good afternoon, Members of the Assembly. Before beginning the business of the House this afternoon, I would like to take a few minutes to speak to Members about a group of young people I had the pleasure of spending most of yesterday with. The young adults are part of the Racism: Stop it! Action 2000 youth tour and come from Australia, the United States and other parts of Canada.
The young people arrived in Yellowknife on Saturday evening. I was fortunate enough to be asked to give them a tour of the Assembly building and spent some time with them yesterday. I must say I came away from my meetings with the youths feeling proud, and also very reassured that if these young people are an example of the young people in the world today, then the future is in good hands.
This morning, the group spent time in schools around the city promoting the creation of a society that is understanding, accepting, and free of racism and prejudice. This is just one of 10 youth teams who are touring different cities in Canada as part of this international campaign aimed at stopping racism.
I would like to publicly commend these young people, one as young as 12 years old, for their efforts and for taking a stand on an issue they obviously feel strongly about. In the Northwest Territories, where we have people of such diverse cultures, it is crucial we build a society that is free of racism and one that accepts people for who they are.
As leaders, we often talk about young people being the future. If the vision of these young people is an indication of what we can expect to see in the future, we will have a more accepting society, with vibrant communities that work together towards a racism-free world.
Members will have the opportunity to meet with the young people tonight at a dinner being hosted at the Assembly. I urge each and every one of you to attend and hear firsthand what these young people are saying. That will be set up in the Great Hall at 6:00 p.m.
Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The Deputy Premier, the Honourable Jane Groenewegen.