Mr. Speaker, in keeping with the recent tradition I would like to start off with sending greetings to my wife Marie, my daughters, Kyla, in London, Ontario; my daughter, Daylyn, in Fort Smith; and my son Keenan.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank everybody who has come out today because you have made a difference. The people who have written, the people who have taken the time to phone, the people who have sent messages, the people who have stopped me wherever I have been since last week.

I am not the easiest person in the world to approach. I will never see myself as a populist, but I have been overwhelmed and deeply moved by the concern and the support and the encouragement that I have been given. I want Members here in the House today to share that with me.

It is a good thing when people come out of their homes and take the time to tell us how they feel and what they are concerned about.

The message I have received is a message that what we started doing two years ago and the things that we set out to do, people understand them. They know what it is and they are concerned that we might not finish what we started. They have blessed the work that we started, the work we are doing now. They are telling me what this Legislature and this Cabinet have started to do two years ago, and have gone so far to accomplish, is supported and they want us to finish.

The message is there. People feel that what I have done with you and on your behalf, with your support, is good. It is an exemplary piece of work and they want me to stay. We are doing a good job and we should continue.

There have been many, many things that were done but one of the comments was, I believe CBC made the implication that, "Well, it is just Dene chiefs that are coming out to support."

Mr. Speaker, one of the most difficult people to get any acknowledgement out of, in my business, are Dene chiefs, Metis leaders, aboriginal leaders. They are concerned about their big issues, claims and self-government. We have asked them over a number of years to reach out to us so we can be partners, so we can achieve some goals together. That is why they are here today. They are reaching out, saying do not let go.

Of course, it is not always difficult to maintain those partnerships but they are there. This is what I helped bring to this Territory.

Mr. Speaker, I have had a truck ride up through Yellowknife yesterday afternoon. Distracted, quiet, my son came with me from Latham Island. We drove right through downtown and he never said a word until we were just approaching the Northern United Place, when he said, with his feet up on the dash board, "So, Dad, what are you going to do tomorrow?" We had a laugh. My son has been my companion for the last few days because even he knows what is going on. That was the big question. I want to say today that all the people that have come out, all of you here, I want to thank you because you have made a difference. Sitting here has helped me resolve even more what it is I want to do.

I want to serve. I want to finish my job. I am proud to make that offer. I know the support is here. It is out there and it is in the communities. It is in the Beaufort, it is in the Deh Cho, it is in the Sahtu, it is in the Akaitcho communities and I am grateful for that. I have asked for a public demonstration of support so we could show, as a Cabinet, that we are together. We have been separated. We have had doubts about each other but we want to demonstrate to all of you and to the public that we are back together.

I wanted an opportunity for those of you that we are prepared to do that to show the rest of Canada, industry, business and our communities that beyond our own constituencies, we also care deeply about other regions and other constituencies, that we are prepared to move ahead together.

I have had many, many letters of support and many, many messages. I want to share a couple of them with you. Yesterday, I was home briefly with my family and I received a call, the first one and the only one maybe I will ever have in my life from a very prominent person in the history of the Northwest Territories, Commissioner Stu Hodgson. I literally fell off the little stool I was sitting on and I told him that. He gave me a message that was positive and supportive, like a voice from the past.

I have had a discussion with Bill Erasmus, National Chief of the Dene Nation, a person who I have had many, many fundamental disagreements with -- with chiefs, Mr. Speaker, I want to point out something to Members here. When we had differences as chiefs, aboriginal leaders, and especially in the 70's, 80's and 90's, it was fundamental. It was about the rights of our people; rights, land and resources. The most fundamental things that people have to grapple and struggle with, that cause wars around the world. Yet with all of them that I have had disagreements with and differences, many of them are here today. If they are able to overcome those fundamental disagreements we have had over the years, surely we in this House can get beyond ours.

I mentioned Mr. Erasmus because it has been touching to me to hear him say the things he did yesterday morning to me and I thank him for that.

I also wanted to mention my son because he phoned on Friday and he said, "Dad, I phoned the radio talk show." I asked him what he said, and he said, "I told them that you should stay on as Premier because I love you and you are my dad." I thought that was really getting to the point. I never got to hear the transcript but I surely wanted to hear that.

Every one of you that has called, every one of you that has written or left messages, I will be trying to respond. I will be sharing every one with the Members of the Legislature here.

I reached out last week because I needed help. There is no other way to describe it. I have been an elected person since 1983, Minister, president of the Dene Nation and now Premier. I will not complain because nobody asked me to take this job on. I asked for it. However, last week I was stumped and I needed help.

I thank everybody who has responded. It has been positive and uplifting. To those Members in the House here who have had differences with me, who have set them aside to step forward and support me, I thank them. I want to thank Jane and I want to thank Mr. Miltenberger and every Member of the House here who has supported me. I want to tell the Members who have decided not to vote, who have said they support me, I respect that. Today, I am prepared to continue serving. I will try to do it to the best of my ability.

I want to thank Mr. Bayly, who has been here since the 70's to work with our communities and our people. I want to thank him. I have the greatest respect for him. He set aside a very good law practice and folded up his business to come and work for me and it has been recently a disaster. I am very sorry for that.

I want to acknowledge Lynda Sorensen, who has worked with me so many years, who has also suffered. I hope that she stays on to work for me and with me as my executive assistant on my personal staff, whatever I choose to call her.

These are difficult times. I know that. I tell you that over the last few days, I have been disillusioned a bit. It is difficult sometimes to be positive and keep going all the time. It is not like me to ask for help. It was spontaneous and because people responded, because people cared and because people have come out today, it has made a difference. It means what I am doing is important, what you have asked me to do is important and people are aware of it.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I thank Members for their support and I am prepared to continue serving the people of the North as their Premier. Thank you very much.

-- Applause