Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I was going to refrain from speaking specifically to the report until we possibly got to the recommendations, but with the things that have been said here, I believe they deserve a response, otherwise individuals out there who only get to see a part of this process might only get part of the truth and part of the story.

I feel, Mr. Chairman, that in fact this has been the cause of much of our distress. That is a cause of concern for me.

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about the process we entered into, the Special Committee on Conflict Process went to the heart of government, went to the heart of accountability and transparency. It is not an easy task to look at yourself and judge upon your own. It is difficult in all arenas. It is no easier here when you know that in this floor, things can be said and partial things can be told and we leave the very crux of the issue still hanging.

Let me tell you, some people may have thought that the committee members, I being one of them, took this light-heartedly or did not take it to task that this was a very serious issue. Let me assure you, Mr. Chairman, that in fact -- and I will assure my constituents -- I took this on very seriously, just as I took on my oath when I became a Member of this Legislative Assembly. I did not take that light-heartedly. I did not look at that as just being some words on a piece of paper, that I can get on with my job and run government as I see fit, in or out of the law.

Our job is to show the people of the Territories, those who have put us here, employed, unemployed, sick, healthy, rich and poor, that we are going to represent them all equally no matter their concern. We will be judged on that.

Now, Mr. Chairman, specifically to the issue to some of the concerns that Members have stated so far. One is that we may have sleepwalked into this. I sure hope that was not the fact, that our executives are asleep at the wheel. I have a very serious concern with that in fact we might have sleepwalked into this.

It has been two years that we have had to deal with conflict in this Assembly on more then one occasion. On a yearly basis we are reminded as Members when we have to put our forms in to the Conflict of Interest Commissioner of what we are to do and what is expected of us.

I do not believe the letter that was sent out to Members was a gag order. In fact, it was to make sure the process remained clean and clear from any other possible situations where Members can get themselves into problems by stating and becoming involved when it was not best to do so, there would be opportunity and Members now have stated they have the free opportunity to speak to the issues.

I share the same concern in the fact of needing a unanimous consent to have such a committee as that struck up. To me, Mr. Speaker, and maybe I have been in government too long, but I look at that as if that is the situation, then one Member could derail accountability and transparency and that is just not acceptable.

Mr. Chairman, we have an opportunity here today to clear the water but in fact, I still see a continuance of muddying the waters. I guess we can so well expect that. There are very critical issues before us: the confidence of Members of this Assembly.

Mr. Chairman, the Premier may have taken this process lightly, but let me assure you that I did not take this process on lightly. I think that I can prove to my constituents that in fact the committee has done its utmost to maintain integrity and the process that was put in front of us.

Since he spoke about his testimony and what was not asked of him when the questions were asked of him, he had the opportunity to state what his dealings were in this matter but he gave only what he gave. I guess you can say we do have the opportunity. We have the last opportunity to deal with this issue. We can introduce, in a sense, almost new evidence that has not been available to this committee. When the arguments took place of the establishment of this committee and its ongoing mandate, some critical pieces of information were not there. That was highlighted in the report. Maybe some offence was taken to that but more offence might be taken by Members knowing that in fact, when they did not have information, decisions were trying to be made with their lack of full knowledge and others had knowledge. Knowledge is power, Mr. Chairman, as we well know.

Mr. Chairman, you have heard the Member, Ms. Lee, talk about not a good day yesterday. Well, in fact, it has been more than a bad day. We have this cloud hanging over us for a number of months. It was very strongly put to us that there has been an apparent abuse of power. While I agree in a sense that unlimited power in the parliamentary privilege is given, yes, that can be stated that there is unlimited power in parliamentary privilege, but that is why, Mr. Chairman, we are held to higher standards. That is why we have to be accountable and transparent to those who have put us in these chairs.

To go further, Mr. Chairman, involvement of senior staff in such a matter as conflict draws serious concern to me as an individual, a Member who does not have the resources to call on other staff to take part in this process. But even more so, Mr. Chairman, the fact that any average person on the street today, what would they think if they felt there was a concern regarding possible conflict of one of the Members and that might be a Minister? Would they be secure and feel secure in laying a complaint knowing that the machinery of government would gear up and they would have to deal with that.

Mr. Chairman, we all took an oath when we came to this arena. I do not believe that any one of us took it lightly. We have a duty to the people of the Northwest Territories to do the business of government and do it in a way that would hold their trust in us.

Unfortunately, there come times when we have to deal with the issues before us that are not so nice to deal with, that in fact that we have to look at each other and examine each other as to what we are going to accomplish or not accomplish.

I did not like the task that I had before me and I had to take part in but I did so knowing of the possible consequences and follow-up that would come. Yes, there are those that will turn the focus around and aim not at the problems that occurred but at those and the process being used to try to clear up that matter. Let us hope from all of this, Mr. Chairman, that we will learn and we will put in place the necessary precautions that will ensure, as my colleague for the Mackenzie Delta stated, that we will not have to go through this again.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I will reserve further comment when we get to the recommendations. Thank you.