Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to show my appreciation to the Ministers and Members who attended my riding. Mr. Speaker, once Session and committee meetings end, it gives us an opportunity to visit our constituents in the communities. It is a chance to hear people's concerns, catch up on the latest news and hold meetings. The pace we have to set at times can be very overwhelming and exhausting.
Mr. Speaker, in my short time as an MLA, I believe I have encountered all of the difficulties that go along with setting up meetings with the Ministers and other senior government officials.
The first major hurdle is always to coordinate everybody's schedule so all the players can be in attendance. Then there is the booking of halls, boardrooms, hiring of translators, coordinating and receiving all required forms and making sure we get approval from corporate services.
We also have to remember that our meetings cannot compete with other activities in the communities or other meetings that are happening. I am sure other Members have experienced the same challenges.
Mr. Speaker, I feel the time and effort that goes into these meetings and visits often goes unrecognized. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the Ministers and other Members who have visited the communities in my riding.
First of all, I would like to thank the Premier, Mr. Kakfwi, who is probably the only Premier to have officially visited the community of Enterprise in the Deh Cho. Mr. Allen, the Minister of Housing, and his staff who visited every community in my riding. Thank you. To Mr. Antoine and Mr. Ootes for taking the time to participate in official school openings in Kakisa, I would like to thank both of them.
Mr. Speaker, thanks must also be extended to all the government staff who work very hard organizing and setting the travel schedule for these meetings. To the people in the community who set up the halls, made coffee, put up posters and came out and participated. I would also like to acknowledge the Member for North Slave, who took part in some of the meetings on the reserve in Enterprise. Judging from the response in the communities, Mr. Speaker, it makes all of the planning and organizing worthwhile. I look forward to many more meetings in the next four years with the Members of this House in the communities of the Deh Cho. Thank you.
-- Applause