Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. Whose interest is it? Is it the Premier and Cabinet? This bridge, when built, will not serve the people in the Beaufort-Delta and the Sahtu regions. Once again we, in the Far North, are left out on major projects to connect us to the rest of Canada and we will continue to pay the high costs for fuel, oil and gas, et cetera.
Mr. Speaker, on other matters, I would like to thank Tim Mercer, Clerk of the Assembly, and his staff for all the support they gave me over the last three and a half years. To my honourable colleagues, it was a pleasure to meet, discuss, argue and eventually resolve issues through our committee deliberations.
Mr. Speaker, four Members have decided not to run in the upcoming 16th Assembly. To Premier Handley, Ministers Bell and Dent and our very own dean, Mr. Braden, it was a pleasure to know and work with you and I wish each of you well for whatever the future leads in your life.
To my wife, Lucille, sons, Bertram and Darren, my brother Charles Pokiak in Tuk, thank you for all the support you gave me over the last three and a half years. More importantly, Mr. Speaker, the communities of Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, Paulatuk and Sachs Harbour. Thank you for having the confidence and electing me to the 15th Assembly to represent you. When I ran I said what is needed is you needed the confidence of your MLA to represent and speak on behalf of your interests and, more importantly, to keep in contact with constituents. I think I have accomplished that.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to make one last effort and try to convince the Cabinet to fund construction for an access road to source 177.
---Laughter
Will they make a commitment today to fund this project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Laughter
---Applause