Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I swore today as well to clearly state that my name is Michael, and I am Canadian.

-- Laughter

I am very, very proud to be standing here in this House, in this land, and in this country of Canada, and that tomorrow is a tremendously special day, one of the best birthdays in the world. We do have a lot to be grateful for and I would like to take this time to acknowledge all the tremendous amount of hard work that people across the Northwest Territories and Canada have done who have been working on the celebrations that we are all going to take part in, tomorrow.

I would like to recognize, of course, the labours of the people in Fort Smith, where they are planning a full slate of activities, as we do take time, as a community, to celebrate a unique opportunity to reflect and to enjoy the many good things we have as Canadians.

Like my colleague, Ms. Lee, it is a privilege to be here and I hope people will take time to recognize that we are the best country in the world, we have much to be grateful for, and I am very, very happy as a Canadian to stand here today. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, along with some of my colleagues here, I would like to speak a little bit about what tomorrow will mean to my family and I.

Mr. Speaker, I reflect back on growing up at home and my father, sitting down after a special meal, would remind us that we had so much bounty in front of us. That we were full and still had leftovers and he would point out that in other countries, in this world, there are people starving.

He would always do that to keep us mindful that we are truly blessed in this land. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is not just another day off, and I think Canadians need to remember that. They tend to take things for granted in the country that we live in, when things are so easy to access.

We need to reflect on the opportunities we have on the richness of our heritage and our culture. It is a time to remind our children of what we truly own as people and as Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an Inuvialuit, Canadian and proud to have my children raised in this land. I like to think that, being from the Northwest Territories, not only puts me higher on the map, but puts me in a special land because of the freedom we have, the clean air and my ability to jump into a boat and go out and live more freely, as one would say.

As Members, we should all remind our constituents and our families of the blessings we have, that we have more than any other place in this world. With that, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to send a message back to my family and tell them, I will be there to share this special day, Canada Day, with them in my home. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my name is David and I am Canadian, and proud of it.

-- Applause

Canada Day is a day for us to celebrate the uniqueness of being Canadians. This day gives us the opportunity to see how lucky we are to live in a land so rich and so vast compared to other areas in the world. However, we have to realize that as Canadians, we must not lose sight of what we sometimes take for granted.

I feel, we, as Canadians, have to do more to bring the life expectancy of our First Nations people in-line with other Canadians, and we also have to deal with the problem in Canada of homelessness, people living in poverty, children having the right and security of having a safe home and a safe lifestyle.

We as a government and as Canadians, have to ensure that we have the best place in the world. We also realize that we have to bring the line between the rich and the poor more to the centre, so we can feel as one and we do not have a discrepancy between the rich and the poor.

So with that, I wish everybody a happy Canada Day. Take care, and all the best.

-- Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Krutko. Discours des deputes. Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would also like to speak on Canada Day today and the celebration of citizenship. My parents emigrated from Holland after World War II, when I was a young boy. They came to create a better life for their two children, my brother and I. We came on an immigrant ship and landed in Halifax. We travelled from Halifax over a two-day period, on a coal-fired train to the Ottawa valley. We lived in a one-room log cabin in the country and my brother and I attended a one-room school. We felt very fortunate. This country has been very good to our family. We are very lucky. This is the best country in the world, Mr. Speaker, there is no question about that.

The United Nations has acknowledged that some eight times. It is based on a comparison of some 175 countries in the world and some 100 criteria in terms of education, lifestyle, health services, and so on. People from around the world want to come and live in this particular country. They are, all over the world, very anxious to be citizens of our country here.

I would like to publicly thank my parents for bringing my brother and I to this country. I would like to thank this country for what it has done for my brother and I and my family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 3, Members' statements, the honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise today to make a Member's statement and to state, Mr. Speaker, that I also am proud to be a Canadian, proud to be a Northerner and proud to sit in this Legislature.

As Mr. Krutko so eloquently said, we have much work to do to bring about true prosperity, true equality and true freedom for Northerners. We sing in our national anthem the line "the true North, strong and free", and that should be the motto of the efforts of this government. Strong, rich in culture, rich in resources, rich in people, but also free, Mr. Speaker. Our people need to be free. Free to pursue their goals and aspirations, free from fear, free from the things that would bind them, such as addictions to drugs and alcohol, free to access every opportunity available to them.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to put forward my best effort, along with the honourable colleagues in the Legislature, to make our country, particularly the citizens of the Northwest Territories, strong and free. Happy Canada Day.

-- Applause

Merci, Madam Groenewegen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh Mr. Antoine.

Merci, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my time as a Member of this Assembly, I have had opportunities to travel abroad, to Russia and the far East. It is during travelling times that you become aware of how good a country Canada really is. The freedom we have and the ability to move around freely within our country is not reflected when you go abroad. You realize that they do not have the same opportunities. You then become more proud of the country you are from. In particular, Mr. Speaker, I think that it is most evident when it is time to return to Canada, you really appreciate that you are returning home. It is really good to see Canadian soil from an aircraft from high above, and you know that you are returning to a country that is free.

One of the things that I have also realized is the value of a Canadian passport. It seems to be a very coveted document. Many people would like to be able to possess one. I was kind of proud to have that document in my possession. I will be returning home to take part in celebrations on Canada Day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.