Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to start out by saying how extremely pleased I am to be back here in this wonderful Chamber with yourself and all of my colleagues. I want to congratulate you on your successful campaign for Speaker. I know that you will do a good job over the next four years. I also want to congratulate Mr. Handley and the rest of the Cabinet Ministers on their successful election and I look forward to the swearing-in ceremony later on this afternoon.

It has been said many times, Mr. Speaker, that when you look at the big picture, very few of us are fortunate enough to make it here to represent the people of the Northwest Territories. I want to let everybody know that I certainly feel very privileged to be here and I do not take these responsibilities lightly.

I would like to recognize some very special people in my life that have helped me make it here and that continue to support me every day. I want to especially thank my wife Davida, and my entire family: my daughters, Michelle, Monique and Katrina, and my son Darcy, and also my brother Francis, and his wife Maryanne in Hay River. They continuously support me and without them it would be very hard to do this job. I also want to thank my official agent, Andy Taylor, and my campaign manager, Dawna O'Brien, and all the volunteers that were prepared to put up a hard fight this time around to get me elected again. Unfortunately, I guess in a way, we were not able to carry on a full campaign because I was acclaimed, but I want to thank all of my constituents for acclaiming me to this, the 15th Legislative Assembly. I want to assure my constituents that although they had a vision for me that may have been a little bit bigger and better things in this Assembly, I want to assure each and every one of them that I am here for them, that I will continue to address their issues with the same vigour and determination that I demonstrated over the last four years. I want to continue to do that over the next four years.

Mr. Speaker, while we are here planning our political agendas life goes on in our communities. I want to take a moment to recognize a few very special constituents of mine, a very dear friend of mine and a person who follows politics very closely. I was in the hospital in Yellowknife here visiting him; Mr. Red McBryan. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.