Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about my work in this Legislative Assembly. I was elected by the people of Hay River in 1995 and acclaimed by the residents of Hay River South in 1999. Since then, it has been my privilege to serve as a Member of Cabinet and I have embraced the work of my portfolio with enthusiasm and with passion for the issues.
When I got elected to Cabinet, I brought with me a record for standing up for what was right, taking the high road and leading by example. Perhaps partially as a result of my work in the previous Legislature, my activities have been particularly closely scrutinized. I am not going to get into the matters that have been considered by the special committee or the ones that will be considered in committee of the whole at this time, but the recommendations have been brought forward in the House and I do respect the work of the special committee. I want to say that I will not be participating in that discussion or the vote today.
I feel that in order for any Minister to be able to perform their duties effectively, they need to maintain the confidence of their colleagues in Cabinet and the Members of this House. It is clear from this report that I no longer have that confidence.
Mr. Speaker, there has been no actual conflict between my duties as an MLA and my business dealings. There has been no fraud or mischief upon this government or the people. There has been no flagrant abuse of my role as a Minister or the resources of this government.
However, Mr. Speaker, the taping of the conversations with the Conflict Commissioner is wrong in the nature of a private wrong or a breach of privacy, for which I apologized and I apologize again today. It is, I submit, human frailty to have taken my defence to the point where I would tape conversations and act entirely out of character for me in my dealings with you and other Members of this Assembly.
I would like to thank my colleagues who supported and elected me to this position. I want to thank my constituents for their support and patience when I have not always been able to be in Hay River over the past two years. I would like to thank my department and the people I worked with closely in my roles and responsibilities for Health and Social Services, Seniors, Persons with Disabilities and Women. I particularly enjoyed my Grandmothers Council and my staff and I also want to thank my husband and my children who have always been my biggest supporters.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on the other side of the House on behalf of my constituents and on behalf of the people of the North. I know that my track record of service has not been entirely negated by the unfortunate circumstances surrounding this report, however, I will work hard to rebuild the confidence of my colleagues and hopefully sometime I will be back. Thank you.