Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I brought this motion forward because I believe the Assembly should express its support to Premier Kakfwi and the government that he represents. Our citizens have a right to expect that we will move past this issue and, as elected Members of the Legislative Assembly, will focus on the substantive issues that are before this House and the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, this government has established a five-point agenda to improve the economic and social future of the people of the Northwest Territories. Our agenda is based on the Legislative Assembly's Towards a Better Tomorrow, which we all participated in developing. Our collective vision reflects a common belief that residents of the Northwest Territories must benefit from economic development and that we will pursue this development in the interests of all the people we represent.

Mr. Speaker, under Premier Kakfwi's leadership, we have worked hard to establish partnerships with aboriginal governments, with industry, with the federal and provincial governments, and with all of our citizens in the Northwest Territories. We have worked as a team to secure the trust of aboriginal leaders, to build confidence in the business and investment community, and to gain federal support for our agenda.

Mr. Speaker, we have been successful in our work. There is excitement in activity throughout the Northwest Territories and in fact throughout Canada. The potential that we hold and the amount of economic activity going on here -- the stage has been set for us to take advantage of this potential. We all have spoken about the work that has been done in mining, in oil and gas. In fact, we just had the signing of a memorandum of understanding for a pipeline a couple of weeks ago. We have done a lot of work in the area of tourism and there is much to be done in that and other areas. We have done a lot to support traditional economies. We are moving ahead on issues like resource revenue sharing.

Mr. Speaker, those are all important things that this government is part-way through in its four-year mandate. Mr. Speaker, I might say that yesterday I was in Ottawa attending a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Finance. I have noticed a bit of a difference across Canada, a difference in respect and recognition of the Northwest Territories as more than just a little piece of the country off in some corner somewhere. We have a significant role to play in Canada. It is recognized by people around that table. I am proud to go there and be recognized, to have provinces like Ontario listen very carefully to what we are saying and what it is we are doing and how we are responding to issues. I have noticed that in many other fronts. I think we have made a lot of progress in just bringing the Northwest Territories to a point where we do mean something to Canada politically, economically, and culturally and in many other ways.

However, we cannot take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity in development unless we press forward. This requires a stable investment climate. People have to feel that we are more than, as somebody mentioned last week, a little banana republic somewhere. We have to be taken seriously as a government that is moving ahead with great opportunities. This requires stability in government and credibility of all our partners.

Over the last four days, we have heard from many leaders; aboriginal leaders, business leaders, leaders from our religious and community organizations, from ordinary citizens, and they are telling us that they have confidence in Stephen Kakfwi as Premier and confidence in this government.

Mr. Speaker, Premier Kakfwi has shown leadership, the leadership necessary to develop and maintain stability and credibility in the government and for the Northwest Territories. We are positioned to take advantage of opportunities like we have never been before, but we need to work together to ensure our constituents benefit from these opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, a vote of confidence is a very serious matter. If it is not supported, it could take our government down. To have a vote of confidence by secret ballot in a Territorial Leadership Committee, as contemplated by some, is unprecedented. That has never happened before. Votes of confidence have to take place in the House through a formal motion and be moved in a way where Members are obliged to publicly stand up and be counted. They have to vote yes or no or if they choose to abstain.

I urge all the Members to support this motion of confidence, stand up, be counted and I think we can get the vote done, get it behind us, get on with the reasons the people have elected us to this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause