Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last six weeks I’ve gone on record and recognized a number of voluntary sector non-government organizations. Specifically I have talked about the Centre for Northern Families, SideDoor Youth Ministries, the Salvation Army, the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors, the YWCA, Sport North Federation, the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre, Ecology North, and the John Howard Society of the Northwest Territories. This is a short list of the different voluntary sector non-government organizations providing high quality and incredibly important services to the people of the Northwest Territories.

If there were more days, I would have highlighted more; important organizations such as, but not limited to, the Aboriginal Sport Circle of the Western Arctic, the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association, and the NWT Seniors’ Society, to name just a few.

These organizations provide incredibly important services to the residents of the Northwest Territories. Often they can be more responsive to the needs of our residents due to the limited bureaucracy and the desire to be flexible, and acknowledge the differences in situations and clients rather than adhere to rigid guidelines that the government often has to. These organizations are a key element to the health and overall well-being of residents in the Northwest Territories. Fortunately the 16th Legislative Assembly has

indicated that supporting a healthy and sustainable voluntary and not-for-profit sector is a priority for this government. It’s about time.

I’d like to applaud the Department of Finance and MACA for taking an important step in holding a Volunteer Summit last weekend. I believe that this summit was important and will help obtain needed input from these organizations on how to improve the relationship and funding processes between them and the GNWT. This goes a long way to improving services to the residents of the Northwest Territories.

I did receive some feedback on the summit and I’m happy to say that some of the attendees have indicated they are feeling much more optimistic than they have for a very long time about the potential for the government and the voluntary sector to move ahead on relationship building and funding. This is an important step. We as the 16th Assembly must not lose the momentum that has been built and the positive step forward that we and the voluntary and not-for-profit organizations have taken.

I look forward to working with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of MACA, as well as representatives from the different organizations, as we move forward on these initiatives. Once again, I would like to offer a huge thank you to all of the volunteers and staff of the different voluntary and not-for-profit organizations in the Northwest Territories who help make the NWT a great place to live.