Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you are well aware, the Yellowknife MLAs experienced a very productive constituency meeting earlier this week. The issues that were raised in that meeting have been reported already to this House by my Yellowknife colleagues.
There was something else that was said in the meeting that has had me thinking for the last few days, and I wish to bring it up in this House. After hearing answers about why we need devolution of powers from the federal government to do our job, one of our constituents asked a question. "You want all this power, but what are you going to do with it? Do you have a vision?"
As I indicated at the meeting, my answer is an emphatic "yes", Mr. Speaker. My vision for the future of Yellowknife and Northwest Territories is very clear. I believe we have the potential to create an economy that generates enough wealth to pay our way. As a "have" Territory, we can better take care of the basic needs of all our citizens and be competitive nationally and globally. I believe a plan for a healthy economy must go hand in hand with a plan for a healthy people.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I know that Yellowknife cannot do it without the Northwest Territories and the Northwest Territories cannot do it without Yellowknife. Some may say that this is not a vision but a lofty dream that people have been saying forever. Why should it be any different this time around? Well, I can tell you Mr. Speaker, that I am one of those blessed people who have personally experienced dreams and visions turning into reality time and time again. I feel it deep inside that great things are going to happen in this 14th Assembly. My observation so far is that the ducks are lining up, so to speak, to make this happen more than ever before, Mr. Speaker.
Division is behind us. We are seeing an intergovernmental process that will bring aboriginal governments to work with us on resource development and mutual governance issues. We have the resource industries willing and poised to invest a lot of dollars in oil and gas and diamonds. We have a Prime Minister interested in looking at the possibilities in the North with a fresh eye. We have a federal Finance Minister who is seeing the North as an investment potential and not a recipient of handouts. Mr. Speaker, may I ask for consent to complete my statement?