Welcome back and happy New Year. As you look forward to a new year, I know that this has been a busy time for each of you and I thank and commend you for your concerted efforts to familiarize and prepare yourself for the challenges that lie ahead.
I trust that you have also found the opportunities, particularly over the holiday season, to spend time and connect with your families, friends and constituents.
As you begin your term as Members of this territorial Assembly, you represent a territory that is on the brink of unprecedented development and growth.
There are opportunities in this growth to bring benefit to the Northwest Territories through jobs, contracts and resource revenues. There are also inherent responsibilities to ensure that this growth does not happen at the expense of what we value most: our northern environment, cultures or traditions. Your guidance and wisdom will be the key.
Together, you must find ways to build and strengthen relationships with each other and with government and industry partners, to deliver programs and services in efficient and effective manners, and to move forward with important negotiations for land and resource ownership. This is no small task and it will not happen on its own.
It will take difficult decisions, debate and choices. It will take all of you and many others working together toward a common vision or goal. Most of all, it will take a true and honest commitment to the spirit and intent of consensus government, on which this Legislative Assembly is based.
I thank you in advance for your continued and earnest consideration and good judgement in the days, weeks, months and years that lie ahead. Before I declare open the Second Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly, I would like to remember Dennie Lennie who passed away January 13th. Mr. Lennie was a leader in the Inuvik and Northwest Territories business community and a tireless contributor to the community of Inuvik. More importantly, he was a friend and supporter to all who had the pleasure of meeting and working with him.
I offer my personal condolences to his wife Barb, and their children Jolene, Allison, Dayna and Issac, and the many friends and loved ones Dennie Lennie has left behind. I would also like to include at this time and give my sincerest condolences to all the families who lost loved ones before this last session.
During this session, the Government of the Northwest Territories will be introducing a bill entitled Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2003-2004, for consideration by this House. Mr. Speaker, the government considers this bill essential to the good conduct of government business and, as such, I recommend its passage.
As Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I now declare open the Second Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.