Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On this very fine Friday, I would like to take the opportunity to recognize and honour an important segment of the people whom we serve and represent; our youth. As the Members may have noticed, we have a huge number of young people in the gallery who, I believe, will be recognized later on at the appropriate time on the order paper.
Mr. Speaker, we have been hearing a lot this week about which side of this House works harder. I am not sure who would win that battle, but as a new Member on this side, I can say it has literally been meeting after meeting around the clock in the last few days and weeks.
Mr. Speaker, I once had a dessert called "Death by Chocolate", which was very good. I wonder sometimes if we are collectively engaged in an exercise of "death by paper" or "death by meetings". When I feel buried in these meetings and papers, I get empowered by the happy thoughts and positive energy I receive by remembering the young people I have come into contact with since I decided to enter into a political life.
I have had the occasion to visit local schools to speak to them about what we do as MLAs, and to read to them during their literacy week. The look of curiosity and fascination in their eyes are something to treasure. I experienced the same look from the group of young people I met in Fort Providence during our Caucus retreat when they came to visit me at our hotel on the last day there.
I know it is for the well-being and secure future of these young citizens, not only in my riding of Range Lake, but throughout our vast Territory that we often engage in rancorous debates on both sides of this House. I do not think we need to wait for a special day to do this.
I would like to take a moment to recognize the youth of our Territory on behalf of everyone in this House. The group of seven children in the gallery is especially dear to me, Mr. Speaker, for their unusual enthusiasm for political process.
Brooke and Dana Harris wrote and sang a song for me, which was aired in one of the riding profiles on Northbeat.
James and Aurora Williams came out in the early hours of a very cold morning to do what is known as a burma-shave. This is a code word for those greet and wave sessions by the roadside during our campaign.
Mickey Marshall and Kayla Chang became fascinated with all of the campaign material, and would often come to my office to stock up on the buttons and posters. I had no idea what they did with them all, but I do know one of the posters is still hanging in Mickey's window by Wal-mart.
Andrew Hoover was volunteered by his mother to go door-to-door with me for an hour. He liked it so much, he stayed...