Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Premier, Members of the Legislative Assembly, this is the first opportunity I have had to address you in this setting since my appointment as the 14th Commissioner of the Northwest Territories on March 31, 2000.
I assure you it is an honour for me to join you in this magnificent building which is so reflective of the history, culture and unity that we share as residents of the Northwest Territories.
I would like to thank all of you who offered your encouragement and warm wishes since my appointment as Commissioner. Most of all, I thank my four daughters for their support and understanding during this period of transition. I am very proud of them.
I would like to take a moment to extend my best wishes to the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, our Member of Parliament, who is currently on medical leave. We keep her and her husband, Leon, in our prayers and look forward to her full recovery in the very near future.
I have followed with interest your activities since the election. I have read the document Towards a Better Tomorrow and I am captured by the North you have collectively envisioned. I am especially pleased to see that your vision is one that recognizes the contributions and acknowledges the needs of the Northwest Territories' smaller communities. Yours is, after all, a vision for all people of the Northwest Territories.
In your close-knit northern environment, you are especially fortunate to be able to put faces to your vision - your families, your neighbours and your friends. This vision is for all walks of life. Most importantly though, I see that this vision is for the children of the Northwest Territories.
It is about giving them the tools which will enable them to eventually set their own priorities and to make good decisions about their futures and the future of the Northwest Territories. It is about building wellness of body, spirit and mind. It is about building self-sufficiency, self-determination and capacity, and it is about children being able to take advantage of the opportunities that a prosperous Northwest Territories can provide.
In the few short months that you have been together as a government, I sense from the discussions I have had with all Northerners I meet that common ground has been identified and now is the time to move ahead.
In January, our Dene, Metis and Inuvialuit leaders agreed to work together to build and own a share in a Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline. How symbolic such a project would be - a tangible economic link running the entire length of the Northwest Territories full of the Northwest Territories' natural wealth and connecting not only our varied land claims and regions but also the North with southern Canada.
An equally important link was made in Hay River in May. The first Intergovernmental Forum opened the channels of communication between the governments of Canada, the Northwest Territories and our aboriginal peoples.
In the face of these exciting new directions, I commend you for maintaining your focus on the importance of traditional economies to the people of the Northwest Territories.
It has only been four months since you took your places in this Assembly. These have obviously been busy times for you all. I would like to thank and commend each of you for your hard work and positive efforts in the early life of this Assembly. I caution you that much work is ahead of you still.
In your first few months, you have identified a vision. I am confident that you can achieve it - not just together, but in partnership with other governments, business, industry and the people you have been elected to represent. Your challenge, as you have described and accepted it, is to complete the journey you have mapped out.
The days ahead will not be without hurdles. The issues you must address will be difficult at times. Keep in mind that in the North, it is when challenges arise that people and communities have traditionally come together to seek strength in unity.
Today marks the last day of spring -- a time traditionally associated with rejuvenation and renewed growth. A season of long days lies ahead of us. I trust that you are rested and ready to meet together -- mindful always of the spirit and intent to which this Chamber was dedicated to seek consensus for the good of all in the Northwest Territories.
During this Session, your government will be introducing a bill entitled Appropriation Act, 2000-2001, for consideration by this House. Mr. Speaker, the government considers this bill essential to the good conduct of government business and as such, I recommend its passage.
I urge you at all times to give your most earnest consideration and wise judgement in conducting the business of this Assembly. I now declare the Third Session of the 14th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories open. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause