Mr. Speaker, thank you. Like other Members, the events of the past couple of days have caused great concern and among my constituents, the most significant thing that they have been asking is where am I on the very critical issue of confidence in the Premier? I will be issuing a press release later on this morning, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to read this:

Great Slave MLA Bill Braden has declared his confidence and support for Premier Stephen Kakfwi to stay on the job and continue the progressive agenda he has been leading for the past two years. Stephen Kakfwi has had my support since the beginning of the 14th Assembly. I want to make it absolutely clear that I want him to stay. I believe he has the support he needs among the broad Northwest Territories community and among MLAs. I expect that he, and the Assembly, will come out of this confidence issue with a clear mandate to stay the course.

In the October 24th Legislative Assembly debate on the Special Committee on Conflict Process, Mr. Braden supported the Premier and the need for confidence. He has stressed many investor and government agendas that are now underway -- including self-government plans, devolution, pipeline and diamond development -- would be seriously jeopardized by a change in leadership at this critical and challenging time in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.