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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Premier yesterday has challenged us to be open and up-front as Members. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity today to speak about the issue and the importance of honesty.

With respect to my own conduct, being honest can be as much about what we do not say as what we do say. To not tell the Conflict Commissioner that she was being recorded was not honest and I accept the finding of the special committee and I have responded to the recommendation.

With respect to others' conduct, I do believe there still is a certain amount of unease about honesty as a result of the findings of the special committee. The evidence contained on the tape and in the report regarding the truthfulness of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner's submissions also raises doubts.

I want to say that I have supported our current Premier with loyalty, for which sometimes I have been criticized and even ridiculed. A part of that respect -- pardon me -- and loyalty was based on his high regard for honesty, integrity and fairness. That is why, when I heard the Premier's response to the committee's report regarding the Conflict of Interest Commissioner's report and the Conflict of Interest Commissioner's conduct, I was shaken. When he could have said nothing, abstained from the vote or voted against the recommendation, he said instead, "I do not think I could live with myself if I support this. It is going to severely damage an individual and for what? Is that serious in my mind? I would have to say no."

Mr. Speaker, this hurt me very, very deeply and very personally and is the reason why I am now struggling with that very longstanding and deep respect and loyalty for our Premier. I wanted to be up-front and honest today and tell him that publicly. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today because I believe the Premier of the Northwest Territories has asked Members to either publicly state their displeasure with his leadership or show their support. Mr. Speaker, I have to say, first of all, that I have supported this Premier from the beginning. I continue to support him today, contingent on his ability to act on the fourth recommendation, which was to restore integrity to this government.

Mr. Speaker, in my mind, I will make my decision on Wednesday before voting in a secret ballot as to whether or not the Premier has in fact done this. Mr. Ootes has suggested that a secret ballot is probably not advisable and not desirable, and I am sure those were not his exact words. I wish I could agree with him because I think it would be nice for all of us to stand up and show public support for the Premier in this manner.

Unfortunately, I do know that many Members have been lobbied, some may have even been threatened, and certainly not by Cabinet and not by this Premier, but there are overzealous people who take these kinds of things maybe a little too far, Mr. Speaker. I think the only safe way, the only way I feel safe and I think the only way some Members feel safe, is in a secret ballot vote. That is unfortunate, but if you think of the real reason for secret ballots it is so that we can cast our vote free from threats, free from intimidation. It is one of the underpinnings of this democracy which we so highly value.

Mr. Speaker, I will make my decision based on the Premier's actions between now and Wednesday. If in fact I decide that he has addressed my concerns adequately, I certainly will support him on that ballot because I have never had a problem or quarrel with this Premier, other than what I perceived his response to recommendation number four was when we presented our committee report. Thank you very much, House, for allowing me this chance to publicly state my feelings.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Indeed, congratulations do go to Mr. Sayine. He did serve in the 9th Assembly of this Legislative Assembly. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take a moment to make a couple of comments. One is on the recommendation that was passed with regard to the Conflict of Interest Commissioner in this House. I voted as a Member. I voted based on some legal advice I received regarding the recommendation in that report. I thought about it. I knew it would cause tremendous emotional reaction in my former colleague, Jane Groenewegen. I apologize to her. I am just full of apologies these days.

Mr. Speaker, I did not have the opportunity to tell her how I would vote on that as a Member as things have been happening very rapidly in this House. I believe that there should have been notice given to the Member by the Conflict of Interest Commissioner and that we should use due process to evaluate her performance and carry it out in that fashion.

I do not think it should have been done through the special committee. Those were the reasons for my response.

I could tell Members that I have asked the members of the public to indicate to me as a Member of this Legislature, as an MLA and as a Member of this Legislature if in fact public confidence in this government, this Legislature and myself as a Member has been shaken. In no way have I asked anyone to make threats. I simply asked that each member of the public, community leaders and chiefs to ask their MLAs to be categorical and clear on where they stand.

I in no way condone and encourage that I have spoken to individual Members in this House to convey that. I simply want to know, does the public support me? Has their confidence been shaken? I believe that the confidence has been demonstrated and is continuing to be demonstrated to me.

Excuse me, Mr. Kakfwi, your time is up for your Member's Statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would ask the Members' consent to conclude my remarks.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his Member's Statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. Kakfwi, you may conclude your Member's statement.

Mr. Speaker, as a Member of this House, it is important to me to know whether or not there are suggestions made that the confidence of the public, the voters and the constituents, the leaders, the chiefs, the mayors, the business people of this Territory have been eroded, diminished or vanished as a Member of the Legislature. I want to know that.

So I have asked if in fact it is true on the basis of the decision I would like to make on Monday. I think that it has been amply demonstrated, perhaps not in the way that is acceptable to everyone, but there is tremendous support for this government and it continues to build.

This is a stone, Mr. Speaker, that was sent to me. It is not for throwing but from people who have come together. It says that this is a stone we have used in worship last Sunday as a symbol of the strength of this land.

May I interrupt you, Mr. Kakfwi. Member's statements are to be made on one subject. The Chair has been very lenient in allowing you to wander into at least two, possibly three different subjects here in the time allocated. I am going to call you on this and ask that you conclude your original statement, which dealt with the Conflict of Interest Commissioner and the decision you had made on that. You have gone beyond the one subject. If you want to conclude on your subject in your Member's statement, Mr. Kakfwi, please continue.

Mr. Speaker, in regard to the honourable Member, Mrs. Groenewegen, again I want to reiterate that I have supported her in every way that I could. I have also tried to protect this government and make sure that we conduct ourselves in the best way we can and still live with our conscience. I think she knows the extent to which I have gone to support her. If she has been disappointed and somewhat devastated by my vote on that, I am not sure what to say. I should have at least taken the time to explain but there has been very little time for many things. I just want to extend that to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. I just want to remind Members that the rule that I did quote here earlier about one subject within the allocated time period. The time for Members' statements has expired. Item 4, returns to written questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

I would like to take this opportunity, colleagues, to recognize the delegation of 12 Russian visitors who are in the Northwest Territories as part of the Institution Building for Northern Russian Indigenous Peoples' Project. These visitors are from three areas of Russia: the Taimyr, the Yamal-Nenets, and Khanty-Mansisk. They are part of a training program that aims to strengthen the economic capacity of selected Russian regional governments by sharing practical Canadian experience with economic development programs and services.

Also traveling with the delegation is:

• • Ms. Diana Merlini, who is with the Canadian International Development Agency, which is funding the project;
• • Ms. Thembi Kamanga-Silundika, who is with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, which has partnered with the Government of the Northwest Territories on the project; and
• • the two very essential and able interpreters, who I have had the chance to meet, Ms. Ann Mollon and Ms. Irene Saharov.

I would like to welcome you to our Legislative Assembly. Please make them welcome.

-- Applause

I may note that a couple of the members have been here before in 1991 and back again, so welcome to our Assembly and nice to see you.

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would also like to recognize two Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development employees who are with the delegation. I say Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, but they are really Business Credit Corporation, Afzal Currimbhoy and Shannon Roberts. Shannon is one of our interns and a Northerner with a degree in commerce. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to also recognize several people in the gallery. One is Dan Scofield. Dan is the chair of the Yellowknife School District No. 1 and Georgina Rolt-Kaiser, the president of the Union of Northern Workers. Thank you.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. I would like to recognize Georgina Rolt-Kaiser, who is the president of the Union of Northern Workers. Welcome to the House.

-- Applause

Thank you. Any further recognitions? I would like to say welcome to everyone who is here and those at home watching.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development in regard to my statement. I think that as a government, Mr. Speaker, we have to do more to find the means of ensuring that everybody is taking advantage of these opportunities, especially in regard to the oil and gas and the diamond sector. In regard to the different agreements that we have with the oil companies and the diamond socio-economic agreements, they are different benefit agreements that have been signed off between groups and organizations.

I think that as a government, we have to have some sort of policy in place to try to maximize and also make industry aware that we are willing to work along with them as long as we start to see improvements in regard to the hiring, especially of those young individuals between the ages of 25 and 16, to give them those opportunities to get their foot in the door in these different sectors.

I would like to ask the Minister if he is working with industry to establish some sort of an agreement or some sort of policy within this government, or put something in writing so that we are able to make industry live up to these obligations that they talk about when they come up here to do this work.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.