Thank you, Ms. Lee. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to continue the theme. Mr. Speaker, I ask myself, where are we? Well, I start out by asking that question by reading a quote by Mr. Handley: "We're close." Now that quote could have been said yesterday. That quote could have been said last week, last month, maybe even two years ago, Mr. Speaker. Because I have heard that the Premier's office says we're close. But I can tell you today, if this Premier is able to deliver on a resource revenue agreement I'll be the first one to put a motion on the floor that we do a Wayne Gretzky statue like in the Rexall with Premier Handley holding a bag of money in front of this building because we need this deal. The problem is that we've been close.

So I ask myself again, where are we? Well, Mr. Speaker, the people of the NWT need the same rights that exist in any other province in Canada and it's about time that the Government of Canada recognizes this, Mr. Speaker. Our Legislature, our government, its people deserve the full control over our resources. We need full control of our destiny, Mr. Speaker, and I think it's only a fair and moral right that we should have. Why does Canada want to keep us in the dark ages? Well, I've come to learn in my three years here, and the rhetoric I've always heard before this is it's possibly the jealousy, maybe it's protectionism, maybe it's fear, maybe it's arrogance, maybe they're just so used to historical control of the Northwest Territories they don't know how to give it up. Some could say the NWT is the golden goose that lays the golden eggs. I don't know. Maybe they don't want to give it up because we've got such wealth in our territory.

Mr. Speaker, many people know that there hasn't been significant, notable ground since Nellie was Economic Minister back in the '80s. Now we know many things have been done and I'll give credit to the Premier's office that they've been working very hard, but there never is a deal. We don't have that deal that we're finally saying thank you. We all know Canada wants us to take the Yukon deal, but I want the Newfoundland deal, I want the Nova Scotia deal on control of our resources, Mr. Speaker.

I think it's only fair and only right. Mr. Speaker, at this time may I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement; without a nay?

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Members.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, what I'm saying is we need significant movement on this issue. Our citizens have been waiting for it in a timely way. I think the adolescence of the Northwest Territories has grown and we've matured and it's gone. It's time for Canada to recognize that we have come of age and we deserve the respect, Mr. Speaker. Respect is a two-way street. We offer Ottawa respect every single day. Regardless whether it's a Conservative government or Liberal government, we give it to them, and it's time that they recognize we deserve it.

So, Mr. Speaker, in closing I won't be suggesting we pull the Danny Williams move, but we need to morally get our message across and say wait a minute. We're in charge and we finally need to be shown respect from Ottawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Colleagues, I'd like to draw your attention to the gallery. We have with us today a Member from the House of Assembly from Newfoundland and Labrador, Kathy Goudie is here. She represents the riding of Humber Valley and lives in Deer Lake, Newfoundland. Kathy.

---Applause

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to also recognize a hard-working nurse that we have with us. My constituent Ms. Susan MacInnis is with us today.

---Applause

Also, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize councillor-elect Ms. Lydia Bardak who is with us today as well.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize some visitors to the gallery who are with the Yellowknife Inuit Association; Katujjiqatigiit, Mr. Speaker. How did I do?

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, with us today are Iga Atagootak who is the president, Deborah Tagornak who is the executive director...

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...Flossie Oakoak and Ada McGillivary, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Braden. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife, or Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Whoa. Freudian slip. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize the folks from the Yellowknife Inuit Association and also recognize Kathy Goudie. I just met her in Hull, Quebec, when we were at a women's parliamentarian meeting and I'm pleased to announce that the first meeting of the parliamentarian women will be here in the Northwest Territories as an outreach to encourage more women to get into politics and leadership.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to welcome everybody in the gallery, especially recognize Ms. Arlene Hache, our hardest working advocate for women's issues.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a student from St. Pat's, my best friend and my son, Jay Lafferty.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also recognize the honourable Member from Newfoundland/Labrador for visiting us. Also the hard-working nurse who also takes care of the Sahtu patients at the Stanton hospital, Susan MacInnis. I also recognize that today is the birthplace of ice hockey in Deline.

---Laughter

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Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take the opportunity to recognize a youth that preformed at the Dreamcatchers Conference; a youth from Yellowknife who is an upcoming star, in my view, in her music and her positive message: Kiera-Dawn Kolson.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anybody in the gallery today, welcome to the House. Always nice to have an audience. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Premier, Joe Handley. You have heard the Members' statements on this side of the House. I should say, Mr. Speaker, the Premier has heard the Members' statements on this side of the House today and I think that it would be hard to argue that time is of the essence when it comes to getting a fair deal on resource revenue sharing with Ottawa. I would like to ask the Premier what he can tell us that would indicate to us that he agrees that this has to be the highest priority of this government at this time? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say I appreciate the statements by all of the Members on this most important topic and I appreciate the concern you express and I express the same kind of concern. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that I have spent more time on this issue with the federal government and with aboriginal leaders than any other issue. I feel it is the most important issue we, as a government, have to deal with. Now, I can't give assurance we'll achieve a deal. I don't know. But, Mr. Speaker, I'm going to do everything in my power to get us there if I can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.