This is page numbers 1 - 12 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was campaign.

Topics

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and other visitors that we have in the gallery with us today. I’d like to begin my statement today by congratulating you, Mr. Delorey, on once again becoming the Speaker of our Legislative Assembly. I’ve a great deal of respect and admiration for you, Mr. Speaker, and I wish you well in your role.

To our new Premier, Mr. Roland, I offer my congratulations. In addition to our new Premier, I’d also like to congratulate our new Cabinet: Mr. Lafferty, Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Bob McLeod, Mr. Michael McLeod, Mr. Miltenberger, and Ms. Lee. Good luck and best wishes on your selection to our Executive Council.

I want to thank the constituents of Kam Lake for re-electing me to a second term in office. I will be forever grateful to you for giving me the honour and the privilege to again represent you and your families in this Legislative Assembly.

I’d also like to thank my opponent, Mr. Brad Enge, for challenging me in the riding of Kam Lake. I feel it’s always important to earn a job.

Mr. Speaker, with 81 percent of the vote, I come into this Assembly in my role as MLA for Kam Lake with a tremendous endorsement from my constituents.

I’d also like to thank my family: my wife, Amanda, for being the strong person that she is; my mother and father, Frank and Peggy, for coming from New Brunswick to spend the last week of the election campaign with me; and also my mother and father-in-law, Cathy and Xavier Fabien, and my official agent, Mr. Brad Anstey, and all of my campaign supporters and contributors.

Mr. Speaker, as my family and supporters from across the territory know, I was hoping to be selected to Cabinet yesterday during the Territorial Leadership Committee. Mr. Speaker, I’d equate the TLC process we have here to something akin to Survivor. Sometimes in life and politics, things are not always as they might appear and yesterday was a good example of that for me. I just want to say again to my supporters and those of you who know who Dave Ramsay is, that I’m not going to give up, I won’t back down, and I won’t go away. I will continue to pursue the interests of my constituents and the residents of this territory to the best of my ability as a Regular Member of this Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, it’s a role that I relish and I certainly am looking forward to. Mahsi.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to begin with congratulations to you, Mr. Speaker, and to our new Premier and Cabinet-about-to-be for their selections to these key leadership positions. I know that these responsibilities are not lightly earned and it is clear that they bring many skills; you bring many skills and much experience and knowledge to these jobs.

I am highly honoured to be representing and working on behalf of the people and interests of Weledeh in the Northwest Territories. I thank the voters and have pledged my dedication to them. I express appreciation to all those who contributed to the Weledeh election campaign by putting their names forward to run for election. I know much better now how much of a contribution to our society and our democracy this represents.

I thank my family, in particular my wife, Marianne, who kept me healthy and sane, as she promised she would. To my mother, Barb Bromley, who participated in many ways; to my sister, Maxine Avery; my brother, Chris Bromley, and his wife, Cleo; and all the other members of my family, my nephews and nieces and brothers and so on, all of whom reside in Weledeh.

Mr. Speaker, I’m humbled by the amazing support, skills, time and contributions that I received from my campaign team. I recognize that they gave up considerable time from family and personal lives, from our fall harvesting season, and time from their working lives for my campaign.

Weledeh has an incredible diversity of cultures. I would particularly like to thank my translators: Mary Rose Sundberg, Mary Rose Dryneck, Bernadette Martin, France Benoit, Batiste Foisy, and Louis Azzolini. Through their good work, my Weledeh campaign served to build community and relationships using local skills and local resources. Many local businesses participated. Even our buttons were manufactured by a budding entrepreneur in Weledeh. Events in the riding featured local food, like white fish, and local entertainment by skilled musicians. This was a wee demonstration of sustainable living.

In closing, I’m looking very much forward to working with all Members of this House. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, I’m very proud to be the choice for my riding, Nahendeh, once again, and I wish to thank my constituents for their confidence and giving me the honour and privilege of serving once again. There are many roles that we can serve in our Assembly, but above all we serve our constituents to make a difference to their lives and to make a difference to our communities.

Before I really get to work, Mr. Speaker, I want to use this time to be grateful. I would like to, first of all, thank my campaign team, my campaign manager back home in Fort Simpson and a big thanks to Mr. Sean Welly. I also thank my children and my family and supporters for their help; as well, to the Nahanni Inn gang, Mr. Speaker, that provided many hours of strategy and planning advice. At the same time I do wish to thank the rest of the candidates, the MLA candidates that ran with me: Mr. Bob Hanna, Mr. Arnold Hope and Ms. Keyna Norwegian. It provided an opportunity for me to get another mandate and, I’m very happy, a resounding mandate. Without that opportunity to have the people participate in our great democratic process…I’m really grateful for that, Mr. Speaker.

As well, too, I, along with many colleagues here, did stand my name forward to be a Minister once again in our government and that did not happen, but I’m very happy just to be here and serve and represent the people once again, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to everybody in the gallery for being here today. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the residents for their confidence in me. One of my goals both during and prior to the campaign was to listen to the people of the Great Slave riding and the North to learn what issues were important to them. I am now excited to move forward and work with the Members of this House on these very important issues and in the best interests of all people of the Northwest Territories. I’d also like to thank the people who helped me with my campaign for MLA, in particular Jacqueline McKinnon; Trudy Samuel; my sister, Susan Abernethy; my parents, Dick and Loretta Abernethy; Bernie Bauhaus, who was my official agent; and, last but not least, Kathryn Carriere.

I’d also like to acknowledge the other candidates of the Great Slave riding: Mr. Mark Bogan, Chris Hunt, Beaton MacKenzie and Doug Ritchie. They are all very passionate about the NWT and I hope that they continue to be involved in both the community and the North.

In closing, I want to send a message to the new Premier, to the Ministers, to the Speaker and to all Members of the Legislative Assembly: I’m really looking forward to getting to work with all of you and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work, knowing full well that getting elected was just the beginning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. McLeod.

Appreciation To Yellowknife South Constituents And Supporters
Item 4: Members’ Statements

October 17th, 2007

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, congratulate you on your acclamation as Speaker. I also congratulate all the new and returning Members. I congratulate Premier-elect Roland and the other Members of Cabinet. I thank the Members who voted for me.

I am very honoured to be here in the Legislative Assembly as the elected representative for Yellowknife South. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my constituents who put their trust in me. I especially want to thank my wife, Melody; my son, Warren; and his wife, Shannon; and my two grandsons, my two wonderful grandsons, Carter and Cooper, for their unconditional love and support. To my friends and all the hardworking volunteers, supporters and advisors, they put a lot of effort into my campaign. Thank you for your hard work and for believing in me. I especially want to thank my campaign manager, Darrell Bohnet, and official agent, Sue Heron-Herbert. I also express gratitude for the unsuccessful candidates who had the courage and strength to pursue a seat of this riding.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of Yellowknife South, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Brendan Bell for two terms of service as elected MLA. I also thank the Legislative Assembly team for welcoming us and making us feel at home. Thanks again to the constituents of Yellowknife South. I will serve you to the best of my abilities.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d first like to say thank you to Yellowknife Centre. It’s a privilege and an honour to return to the riding as their representative. It was an honour enough to be elected once, but twice is quite a privilege, Mr. Speaker, as you know yourself. They have given me a mandate and I appreciate all the support given to me. The volunteers out there, it was quite inspiring to see how many we had come forward. I want to thank them especially because they gave up, as Mr. Bromley had pointed out, they gave up personal time, family time, sometimes even mealtime to make sure that they can get your work and your issues out there. So to them I say a special thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to start, although I have a lot of names I’d like to thank and, at the risk of missing a few, I do want to mention a number of special names that have helped considerably in my campaign. First to my wife, Susan. Without her blessing, there would have been no campaign. My two sons, McKinley and Hudson. Sometimes seeing me meant they had to come down to the campaign office and spend time with me there. To my parents, Terry and Kim. My dad put a lot of hours in in the evening to make sure the office was open just in case anybody came by, and there were and it was pretty exciting. They were huge supporters. Some very special people I wanted to highlight quickly: Mr. Ed Jeske, Ajjie Shaw, Jim Cheyne, Kathryn Youngblut, Zelma McCormick, thank you for your advice, your time, your ear. Cito Domingo, Chris Domingo; Mr. Domingo, thank you for going through my stuff, and to his wife, Chris Domingo, thank you as she often provided us cupcakes and it was quite nice. To Ruben Silverio, Larry and Hermie Pineda, Harley Crowe, Helen Kronstal, your friendship is touching and will always be appreciated. To John and Deb Simpson, your advice and encouragement is always wonderful. To Tina and Willie Rivera, Tim and Minda Hernandez, thank you for your friendship. Leanne and Luc at the Filipino store, thank you for making sure there was spring rolls always there for us. To Daryl and Cindy Dolynny, Jeff Corradetti and Coady Summerfield and Kristen Jenkins, thank you very much for your hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I’m going to close by saying thank you to the other three candidates in the riding. It was a spirited campaign and, as mentioned by Mr. Ramsay, it’s good to give the voters a choice. It was an excellent campaign and I want to thank them for the spirited opportunity. But to close with one comment, I’d like to thank everyone for their help. I will continue to work as hard as possible. I will continue to work as hard as ever to be known as a constituent MLA who works for everyone’s needs. Thank

you for your time and thank you for your blessing. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

I’d also like to thank all the people in both communities that supported me. In Fort Resolution we had a great team. My campaign manager was Warren Delorme. Today I still work with Warren and his wife, Velma. I had a tremendous amount of support in Fort Resolution, as over 240 of the 290 people that went out to vote in Resolution voted for me. The support I received after being away from the community for so long shows that once you're from Fort Resolution, you're always from Fort Resolution.

On a sad note, five people either from Fort Resolution or originated in Fort Resolution passed away during the two months that I was campaigning in Fort Resolution and Lutselk'e. Their names are Jane Hollands, Elsie Calumet, Gabe Mandeville, George Sayine and Rick Green.

I look forward to working with both Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution over the next four years. I'll be travelling into Fort Resolution next week to host a feast and I will be doing the same in Lutselk'e as soon as I can make arrangements.

My number one priority will continue to be to improve the lives of the youth in Fort Resolution and Lutselk'e.

I'd also like to thank my family for all their support and understanding during the campaign. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to first thank my wife, Dianne, my five beautiful children, Jayde, Cheyenne, Sahara, Denae and Ty for supporting me all these years as their father, their husband, and also my Tlicho constituents and family members who voted me for another term.

I'd just like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, and also thank you to the Premier, Cabinet, the Members. If we can have positive working relations, as I've highlighted in my summary in the Tlicho language, I'm looking forward to working with all of you here. Mahsi.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to take this opportunity, as well, to thank the constituents of Frame Lake who voted for me and put me into this particular office. I'd also like to give thanks to the other candidates, Mr. Jeff Groenewegen and Mr. Chris Johnston, who ran against me in opposition. As has been stated, they gave up much for the months of August and September in order to run for election. I need to thank, as well, all those who assisted me with my campaign: my campaign coordinator, my official agent, all the volunteers who assisted with the campaign and, in particular, my team of advisors.

I have to give special note to an import, a dear friend of mine who came north for one month to assist me with the campaign and proved to be absolutely invaluable.

Without Marg Hall I doubt if I would have been successful.

Last but not least, I need to thank my family. In the North, me being an import, I am from away but not from Newfoundland. In the North, your friends tend to become your family and I need to thank those of my northern family who were totally supportive of me in my campaign.

The election results in Frame Lake were more than I'd hoped for and I feel very honoured to have such confidence shown in me. At the risk of being repetitive, I need to extend congratulations to you, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, and to the members of the Executive Council who have been recently elected, and I look forward to working with all of you for the betterment of the Northwest Territories.

On the occasion of the opening of this 16th Legislative

Assembly, it's such a privilege for me to be here. The Premier mentioned yesterday that it's a humbling experience and I agree totally. This wonderful institution and this building, as I enter it daily, I still am in awe and I find it very hard to believe that when I walk in here, I'm walking to work, I am coming to my office.

This is a new challenge for me. I'm excited for it; I'm looking forward to it. I look at the Members assembled in this House and I see great opportunity. I think that we can do good; I think that we can achieve results; and I think if we work together, it will be for the betterment of the NWT and all of our residents. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take, also, a few minutes to say a few thanks. I'd like to thank the constituents of Range Lake for sending me back to the Legislature for the third time with another strong mandate. I want them to know that I will continue to work hard to be their voice and to

represent their issues and concerns in this House. It's such a great honour and privilege to serve them as a Member. This is a time in my life I'm certain that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to express my appreciation to the Members of this House for giving me their confidence and trust to serve them and the people of the Northwest Territories in the Executive Council. I pledge to them that I will continue to work hard, and work hard with them, to get the job done for the people of the Northwest Territories.

As many Members have stated already, none of us could be here without our family and supporters. I'd like to thank all of them for their support. In particular, I'd like to recognize my sister, Kathy Kim, who left 20 years ago but came back for two weeks to help me out and to find out what it is that I was all mad about. I don't think I convinced her to run for office, but I want to thank her. I want to also recognize my former assistant, who was my campaign manager, Cathy Olson, who is watching us through the web camera, I understand, and I'd like to recognize my official agent, Abe Theil.

I look forward to working with you for the next four years. I think we can get a lot done together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Members' statements. The honourable member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, along with the Members of this Assembly, congratulate you and look forward to working with you as the Speaker of the 16th Legislative Assembly; as well, for

the Members, for your support for putting me into this position. It's going to take the work of all of us to make the lives better for the people of the Northwest Territories. We're going to face many challenges, but I believe, in working together, we can build and strengthen this place we call home: the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, we heard about the sacrifice Members make in coming into this forum and working around this office as stated, and the challenges our families will face as we take and hold office in this Assembly. Mr. Speaker, I found in the other times as I put my name forward for Member for Inuvik and then Inuvik Boot Lake, I always talked with my family and my wife to first get her permission to put my name forward, and she has always supported me and realized the sacrifice that we would make together as a family. So I have to thank her for agreeing to let me run for the 16th Legislative Assembly.

As well, my children. A number of them were born before I became a Member and the two younger children have only known me to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly. So to them it's old business, old hat and we'll get back down to business. They just ask if I can still be a Minister.

I'm honoured, Mr. Speaker, the fact that the people of Inuvik Boot Lake would send me back down to represent them as a Member of the 16th Legislative Assembly

through the acclamation that they returned me back by. So I'm honoured that they have once again supported me in that manner in my second time as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Again, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Inuvik Boot Lake and the community of Inuvik for supporting me once again in the manner they did. I will do my best to represent them, along with my colleague Mr. Robert McLeod, to ensure that we have fair representation in the Legislative Assembly. I have to also thank my colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Robert McLeod, for his support and encouragement for stepping forward. Thank you very much.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Members’ statements. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

I would like to start by recognizing three special people in the gallery today for me: a constituent of mine, Dawna O’Brien who was my campaign manager in 2003, also Bobbi Hamilton who was my campaign manager for this election, and my wife, Davida. Thank you for being here. You have been here for a few days now and I really appreciate your support in being here. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly.

---Applause

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, Rosann Parpyka and Vivian Squires in the gallery, as well as I did notice coming in: Phila Phyten, Don Cooper, deputy minister of Justice, Justice Vertes and Brad Enge, all constituents of mine. I would like to say welcome to everyone. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.