Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members of the 16th Assembly, we are,

first and foremost, Northerners working together. As a government, we are moving forward with a plan of five strategic initiatives that are focussing and organizing our work and initiatives to meet the goals we share as an Assembly. Our plan is built around the 16th Assembly’s vision, Northerners

Working Together. It is responsive to the priorities that we have identified, most importantly it is focussed firmly on achieving the potential of our future

One of the key priorities under the 16th Legislative

Assembly’s strategic plan is healthy, educated people with a focus on prevention by promoting healthy choices and lifestyles and the role of personal and family responsibility.

In order to advance this goal, we need to continue to invest in prevention and promotion programs that promote the overall health and well-being of Northerners. We need to concentrate efforts and resources in early childhood development, early intervention and upstream prevention with a focus on population health.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of our recent accomplishments and future directions aimed at furthering the priorities of the 16th Legislative Assembly.

The NWT Health and Social Services Action Plan, A Foundation for Change, sets out the strategic direction and actions required to improve the well-being of all residents of the Northwest Territories and aims to provide and promote affordable, effective and responsive health and social services.

Health and Social Services has several initiatives already underway within the Building our Future initiative.

We are expanding programming for children and youth through respite care in communities outside of Yellowknife. Respite care provides planned relief for caregivers, families and the people with disabilities they care for. Relief is necessary to decrease burnout and stress and allow caregivers to provide the best possible support and thereby the best quality of life for those with disabilities. This action focuses on improving outcomes and opportunities for children and youth.

Under encourage healthy choices and address addictions, we successfully launched our 2009 version of Drop the Pop to 38 schools across the Northwest Territories. This successful campaign encourages our children and youth to make healthy choices and promotes the Assembly’s goal of healthy, educated residents.

We will build on our partnerships with aboriginal organizations to establish culturally appropriate community treatment options for youth and adults dealing with addictions, such as on-the-land treatment programming. We are currently working to establish a child and family service delivery model that will be culturally appropriate and incorporate best practices. We will be looking to do a pilot project in a small community that will provide an alternative response for the delivery of social services and provide opportunities for a traditional community-driven response that is in the best interest of children and families.

This April we launched our oral health campaign. This campaign provides toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, bibs, and education materials to schools and health centres in all communities. Our Lift the Lip campaign highlighted the importance of good dental hygiene for children.

Once again our campaign will encourage healthy choices and promote healthy, educated residents. As we all know, if we can encourage healthy choices in our youth, we will be able to prevent many of the issues we see in our current adult population.

We are working in partnership with the Coalition Against Family Violence to expand services to smaller communities and to reduce impacts by

supporting children who witness family violence. Through the Small Communities Homelessness Fund we are providing resources to small communities for the provision of services and emergency shelter for homeless persons. In addition, the Homelessness Assistance Fund provides emergency financial and travel support to individuals and families facing homelessness.

We have devoted extensive resources to training community-based staff from across the Territory in the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training -- ASIST -- model of suicidal intervention. This is an important step in protecting the health and safety of our most at-risk people, especially our youth.

We are evaluating our Community Counselling Program to ensure that it meets the needs of our smaller and more remote communities. We’re committed to working with the communities to provide a service that is relevant and meaningful and assists community members to achieve their personal wellness goals.

We’re working with government and community partners to expand child and youth mental health programming. This is a strategic and preventive measure to increase protective factors and to reduce risk factors for future difficulties.

Through the Strengthening Continuum of Care for Seniors strategic action we have committed to supporting seniors by providing assistance and support for the construction and ongoing operation and maintenance of the Territorial Dementia Centre scheduled for completion this year. Once occupied, residents of this facility will be provided with a home-like environment that offers as much freedom as possible and reinforces a sense of belonging and independence.

We recently opened the Hay River Territorial Supported Living Campus. The campus will provide support for adults with special needs and disabilities and allow Northerners currently receiving services in the South to be closer to their families. The campus provides housing for up to 10 residents and two respite beds, which will give families caring for loved ones planned relief. There will also be a day program centre that will provide programs to both residents and clients from the surrounding area. This campus will provide residents with an opportunity for personal growth, life skills, and peer and social supports.

Earlier this week I was very pleased to announce a partnership with the City of Yellowknife and BHP Billiton to provide funding for the establishment of a day shelter for the homeless. This joint investment over three years will ensure that some of our most vulnerable citizens have access to a safe environment during the day and shelter from the elements, including washroom facilities. This initiative will further the Assembly’s goal of a

healthy, educated population focusing on vulnerable individuals.

While we’ve had many recent successes, this does not diminish the challenge faced by the NWT health and social services system. The cost of maintaining four hospitals and 19 health centres for a small population results in a very high per capita cost. We have a critical shortage of health care professionals, including nurses and social workers. We are heavily reliant on locum physicians and relief nurses.

Our current physician institutional-based model is extremely costly. Our social services are not well integrated and having eight regional boards of management means that our service delivery is not consistent across the system. Add to that the high risk lifestyle of many of our residents, an aging population, the rising cost of health care, and the rising burden of chronic diseases, and it becomes very clear that our current system as is, is not sustainable.

In order to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the NWT health and social services system we are focusing on initiatives aimed at providing affordable, effective, and appropriate services now and into the future.

The Foundation for Change Action Plan focuses on delivering the right services using the most appropriate service provider. We will fully implement a primary community care model utilizing all health care professionals to their full scope of practice. Through technology we will deliver services remotely and provide support to frontline staff in isolated communities, enhancing patient safety and care. We plan to look at all health and social services facilities in the NWT to ensure they are operating at maximum capacity and efficiency. Where they are not we will have to make decisions to ensure maximum efficiency.

We are also taking an inventory throughout the NWT of community health and social services capital needs. We will review existing governance structures to ensure that regional priorities are effectively communicated and reflected in the Health and Social Services strategic and business plans. To ensure accountability we will set performance benchmarks and targets that measure progress towards achieving our goals and monitor progress through quality assurance and performance monitoring. We will focus on services that will help to mitigate future costs; programs like promotion and prevention, chronic disease management, and enhancing continuing care to reduce costly long-term care and facility living.

To be effective, social programs will need to be better integrated, services to the clients will be seamless, and all social programs will be better linked to ensure the most appropriate services are provided to those individuals accessing the system.

We will roll out electronic health records and electronic medical records to reduce health care costs and improve quality of care. This means that a health professional with an Internet connection can access a patient’s health information any time or anywhere from all sites in the NWT, resulting in better information and faster results for the patient. Our new filmless X-ray system will allow health professionals in remote communities to examine X-rays and ultrasounds over a high-speed Internet connection. This means that we will no longer have to wait for X-rays to be sent by mail to have doctors review them. We can now upload them and have a doctor review the image in a more timely fashion. This new digital system will prevent the loss of film and reduce cost associated with producing hard copy film. This is an example of using the latest technology to provide a better service for the residents of the NWT in a more cost-effective manner.

The department is expanding its TeleSpeech Program, replacing 14 outdated telehealth units and adding 16 new units to schools and health centres. These units will ensure that residents, mainly children, will be able to access the speech language services they require in their communities. This is another positive example of how technology is being used to deliver services in our small communities.

Health and Social Services alone cannot ensure the future sustainability of our system. We will need broad support from all levels of government and community organizations. Individuals and families will need to accept personal responsibility for their overall health and well-being. We need to change behaviours today to ensure we meet our goal of healthy, educated people for the future.

I’d like to thank you for this opportunity to share with you some our recent and planned initiatives aimed at moving forward with the 16th Legislative

Assembly strategic plan.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February of 2009 I advised Members that Municipal and Community Affairs was embarking on a strategic planning process in which the department would take stock of where it is currently at and lay out the key directions for the future, recognizing the current realities facing our stakeholders and partners.

MACA’s work on developing a strategic plan will contribute to the overall advancement of the

priorities of this Assembly. The Assembly’s goal of healthy, sustainable communities is one of the cornerstones we are utilizing in advancing a new strategic plan for the department.

Given the many changes in the past three years, it is time to review the achievements and milestones MACA has reached in collaboration with community governments, their representative organizations, sport organizations, and other partners; identify current and emerging issues and position ourselves to continue the positive momentum well into the future.

Through an inclusive process, MACA has developed a draft strategic plan that is now out to key stakeholders for review and comment. The draft was recently presented to the Northwest Territories Association of Communities at their annual general meeting in Inuvik. The delegates were very engaged and interested in the process and provided high level endorsement of the directions contained within the plan. Similar consultations are underway with other key partners to gauge their level of support and recommendations for future directions.

The draft strategic plan highlights for key themes that will guide the work of the department in implementing its diverse mandate for the next five years. The first theme, “A Foundation for Leadership,” recognizes that competent and effective elected leaders are necessary for community governments to function competently. As well, the financial policies, programs and partnerships that contribute sound financial management need to be in place and accessible to support community governments in making solid decisions.

The second theme, “A Clear Path Forward,” recognizes that MACA needs to ensure it has the proper tools and resources to effectively support clients. Up-to-date comprehensive legislation and policies, meaningful communication tools for connecting with clients, strong seamless partnerships, both internal and external to the department, and a skilled informed workforce that proactively adds value to everything in which they are involved.

The third theme, “Stronger Safer Communities,” speaks to the importance of MACA’s work in supporting communities to address key local issues such as community infrastructure planning and construction, land management, public safety in areas such as fire protection, emergency management, clean drinking water, and environmental planning and stewardship.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the last theme, “Invest in People, Build Communities,” speaks to the need to focus on building the skills of community government staff as well as on sustaining vibrant

healthy communities through quality of life programming such as recreation and volunteerism.

These four broad themes reflect the high level strategic directions the department is proposing to move forward over the next few years. The supporting actions and strategies will roll out in a manner that strives to balance needs with available resources, always keeping in mind that our clients and stakeholders are the key drivers of the department’s work.

Mr. Speaker, community governments and MACA’s other partners are facing a range of interesting challenges and opportunities, and as Minister, I am pleased to confirm that the department is striving to position itself to meaningfully partner with them to meet shared goals and important milestones. Once the final strategic plan is approved, I look forward to providing regular updates to Members on the activities undertaken by the department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in order to maximize opportunities in our northern economy, we need to have the flexibility and capacity to adapt to change. We need to be able to adapt training and programming as industries develop, and as our population grows and changes. The NWT Labour Force Development Plan provides the strategic framework for this activity. This plan was developed in 2002 to ensure Northerners were able to participate meaningfully in society. The measures were strengthened and linked through partnerships and alliances, as well as labour market information and exchange.

Some of this work in the new areas has already started. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has been working with Citizenship and Immigration Canada to implement a Territorial Nominee Program. Starting in July, this program will assist immigrants who can contribute to the economic and social goals of our Territory in gaining permanent resident status.

Education, Culture and Employment also offers the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers which provides a range of employment activities to older workers in the communities experiencing ongoing high unemployment or those affected by downsizing or closures. This initiative is funded through the federal department of Human Resources and Skills Development. Programs such as this one will likely become increasingly important

as our population ages and we experience fluctuations in economic activity.

In addition to this work, there are new opportunities within the Northwest Territories for collaboration with industry and partners. The Memorandum of Understanding on the Northern Workforce Initiative between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the three diamond mines allows coordination of our efforts, but is not reflected in the existing Labour Force Development Plan.

As the new framework is developed, we will continue to ensure we provide Northerners with excellent career development services and opportunities through our ECE service centres. We are also working with HRSDC to establish an NWT Labour Market Agreement to ensure that individuals who are not eligible for assistance under employment insurance have access to programs and services that meet their specific labour market needs.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to presenting the final report to this House when it is completed. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, the aboriginal people of our Territory have a long proud history of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. The transfer of life skills relating to this proud history ensures that these values are sustained and important social and cultural links are maintained to the land and its resources.

In the Northwest Territories, these traditional and cultural skills are recognized and supported by our government as the foundation of our traditional economy, which services to advance the diversification and sustainability of local economies as identified in our goal to provide all communities and regions with opportunities and choices.

As a government, we actively support the harvesting and marketing of wild fur as a fundamental component of our modern economy.

I was happy to note that Northwest Territories trappers were, again, the top performers at the Fur Harvesters Auction sale last month. In addition, Genuine Mackenzie Valley Furs from the Northwest Territories outsold all others. Our furs provided the largest single section of marten or Canadian sable, offering 12,790 pelts, generating an average price of $62, with a highest sales price of the auction of $187. Production of marten has increased by 31 percent. The principle buyers were Hong Kong, China, Russia, Greece and Italy.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

These positive results, Mr. Speaker, are a reflection of many years of promotion, support and training facilitated by our government through the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program.

This year we have 728 people delivering fur to this program, which represents a 16 percent increase in participants overall; something that bodes well for our government’s strategic priority to pursue growth and diversification in the Northwest Territories economy, but, more importantly, in the preservation of the traditional economy and specifically our trapping industry in the North.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is also investing in the preservation of another traditional life skill: the construction of birch bark canoes. This skill is one that has existed in the Deh Cho for thousands of years. However, with the passing of elders and harvesters experienced in the art of making canoes, it is a traditional life skill that we risk losing.

Beginning June 3rd , the Liidlii Kue First Nation is

sponsoring a project in Fort Simpson that will see a number of youth learn this rare, time-honoured and valuable traditional art.

Over the 10-day course, young students will learn how to gather material from the bush, carve the ribs and frame of the canoe, cover the frame with birch bark and, finally, to seal the birch bark with spruce sap and gum to make it water tight.

We anticipate that the proposed June 12th completion date of the canoe will coincide with Treaty Day celebrations in Fort Simpson. The young people participating in this program will then present the finished canoe to the community as part of the celebrations.

Mr. Speaker, this initiative in Fort Simpson is one of many traditional life skills projects provided annually for school-age youth under the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment’s Take a Kid Trapping Program. Since 2002, over 5,000 youth have participated in different components of the program. Last year alone, 1,450 young people participated in the program.

The program success is due in large part to the strong partnership that exists between the departments of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Municipal and Community Affairs, Environment and Natural Resources, and Education, Culture and Employment and the talent and skills of the many local residents and elders who support the program in various communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to do my Member’s statement on an acronym, FMP, Food Mail Program or as my people in the Sahtu would prefer, Feed My People. Today I would like to think about the possibility the Food Mail Program can work. This federal government program has recently been reviewed by a consultant, Mr. Graeme Dargo, who recommends the short-term overhaul and replacement. I would like to think that it can, and indeed it should, be fixed.

Our people in the North need all the tools available to help fight the high food costs. Northern stores that sell groceries receive discount costs on freight charges. The Northwest Company, who owns and runs Northern Stores, say they added their mark-up to the product and delivery costs to determine the retail prices that we pay. This being true, we should see people benefiting from lower prices of postage and freight but, of course, there is no control on how much the mark-up a grocery chain applies.

For example, in Tulita, for 10 pounds of potatoes, we pay $25. In the Beaufort-Delta, I heard a case of pop is going for $63.

Mr. Speaker, one of our strategic goals in this 16th Assembly is to reduce the cost of living. Mr. Dargo sees the next step as doing away with the freight cost discount on personal orders. I do not agree with this step. The main reason for taking away the personal orders are to increase sales in our stores.

Mr. Speaker, to some degree, we have a dependency on northern retail stores and to a larger degree these Northern Stores have the benefit of a captive market. So, therefore, I would like to keep the right at least to have the choice as to how our people spend their hard earned dollars on food to feed their families. A little competition shouldn’t hurt the Northern Stores. Mr. Dargo stated in his report that personal food orders aren’t fair and favour privileged people who have cars and credit cards. This may be true; however, that doesn’t diminish the fact that, in my region, my people always have wanted the right to healthy food to feed their families.

Feeding one family is a costly matter in the Sahtu and throughout the Northwest Territories. What can be the logic in pursuing people who are a bit more successful? An awful lot of people in my riding, indeed throughout the North, have these things: a credit card and a car; well, maybe a pick-up. As

well, communities hold celebrations and regional gatherings. They often purchase food as personal food orders.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you colleagues. As well, communities hold celebrations and regional gatherings. They often purchase food as personal food orders. They have many reasons to do this. Maybe they are looking for something different, something maybe that is not available in the communities, maybe trying to save more money. Why would we punish these community groups? I have heard from several constituents on this from people with health issues such as diabetes who, through personal food orders, get good quality food they want and need. They have done this because, despite their best efforts to get their local stores to stock the food stuff they need, the local stores just aren’t interested. The stores are focussed on basics and give them all the food for the money they would like to make. This problem is not better. Let’s support personal choice.

In closing, I support the personal Food Mail Program and I think that as Members we must forward the outcome of this report and be involved in discussions about it and how we can work on lowering the cost of food for all people in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Feed my people.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we get near the end of each school year, Grade 12 students look back on their past years of school and then look forward to the next phase of their life. Graduation ceremonies are or will be taking place all over the NWT as high school and college students celebrate their achievements and the completion of their secondary schooling.

Graduation is often seen as a modern day rite of passage into adulthood. Yellowknife students will be marking this moment on May 30 and June 27. Tomorrow, graduation ceremonies take place for 72 students from St. Patrick’s High School and for six students from Ecole Allain St. Cyr who will form the first graduating class for NWT’s very first French language school.

At the end of next month, 159 students from Ecole Sir John Franklin School will celebrate their high school leaving. Today I want to recognize all Yellowknife Grade 12 students for their perseverance, their dedication and their hard work

over their last 12 years of school. Congratulations to each and every one of you on reaching this significant milestone in your life. Bask in the glow of your success for you have earned it. As you move on to the next stage of your life, whether it be further education, entering the workforce or travel, I wish only the best for you. I know you will be great ambassadors for your community and for our Territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wish to bring up an issue very important in my region as how the NWT Housing Corporation and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Employment calculate the tenants’ income when determining rent. According to my constituent’s public housing rental subsidy summary of some people, even the same housing units are assessed differently. In fact, there have been different assessments done even on the same person. I have been receiving a lot of comments from all of the Nunakput communities regarding the issues. Many people in small isolated communities live in the NWT housing units because there is no other option.

Mr. Speaker, although northern allowance settlement allowance is non-assessable income, evaluation is a complication, formulated as not complicated to see if there is enormous inconsistencies but the policies on how the staff and regions are expected to use them. All the tenants under the public housing rental policies, regardless of their employment or circumstances, should be treated with consistency, unless reasonable circumstances such as elders, et cetera.

Mr. Speaker, it seems, though, the people who don’t work for the government in the Northwest Territories are treated different and unfair. Mr. Speaker, it is wrong. Northern allowances and settlement allowances are given to people living in small remote communities all over this great Territory because of the high cost of living even though these allowances…People in my riding pay 80 percent more for basic necessities than those living in major centres.

Mr. Speaker, we can’t even afford to live a healthy lifestyle. This is wrong. The government calculates all these allowances as income. It is wrong. The people’s incomes are reduced. They can’t buy groceries. It is a shame.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of ECE and Housing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about insurance for what is usually the most expensive item that an individual or a family can ever purchase. That is, of course, the family home. Imperatively, if you buy a new lawn mower and it doesn’t work, chances are you are able to take it back to whoever sold it to you and get a replacement or even your money back. Mr. Speaker, if your car malfunctions, you can take it back for warranty and get repairs. However, what happens when a contractor does not complete a house as promised, and, equally bad, you get a lemon, Mr. Speaker? The courts tend to be the only remedy before you.

Many provinces in Canada have enacted legislation to protect new home purchasers. As an example, in Ontario there is a new Home Purchasing Warranty Plan Act which describes mandatory responsibilities for the builder when they sell you a new home. Mr. Speaker, it outlines warranty coverage for the builders and vendors as they are required to provide to the new homeowner when they buy that new home or condominium. These regulations describe additional warranties and provide detailed requirements for the registration of the builders and vendors.

Mr. Speaker, the Crown corporation is empowered to administer and make sure that this is enforced. In Alberta, the New Home Warranty Program offers protection for purchasers who buy a house constructed by a builder who is a member of this program. Mr. Speaker, in British Columbia those builders must be licensed.

As anyone can see, there are varying degrees of home warranty protection, but the bottom line is, Mr. Speaker, the consumers are protected. Mr. Speaker, families are protected. What can a person presently do in the North if their house is deficient or a contractor goes bankrupt or leaves them in the lurch? Nothing, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is a very difficult situation that families face. Let’s avoid the crisis before it happens.

Later today I will be asking questions to the Minister of MACA about looking into creating a legislative initiative that will protect our northern homeowners when they go out and purchase a new home or a condo. I believe consumer protection is a primary responsibility of a government and I certainly hope that this government will demonstrate that it feels the same.

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

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

I would like to talk about public housing and the difficulties that tenants are having once they find employment.

In the communities of Tu Nedhe, as I’m sure is the case in other communities, the issue of public housing tenants getting a job and having their rent increased -- in some cases substantially -- continues to be a big problem. More times than not the tenants will work for a while and determine that they cannot afford rent. Then they are quitting their jobs and have no way of catching up with their arrears which have accumulated during the time that they were working. In many cases this employment is the first employment that tenants have had in years. However, once a new rent is calculated and additional expenses related to work and child care expenses, the tenants can no longer afford to remain working.

I believe that the incorporation of a six-month grace period where the rent of the tenants when they go to work does not change for six months would go a long way to keeping them employed and would give the people an opportunity to become homeowners. However, this will only work if the NWT Housing Corporation staff immediately begin to work with the tenants and start the process of counselling the tenants towards becoming a homeowner. In small non-market communities there is not an abundance of houses available on the market. In most cases the tenants would buy NWT Housing Corporation owned units.

Once a tenant becomes a homeowner the government would no longer be required to provide income support to these tenants. This will create or enhance local housing markets in communities and there could also be more revenue to the GNWT through the sale of public housing units. And this will also reduce the cost of overall O and M of the Public Housing Program.

This government should do all they can to encourage people to work and get off income support, which is provided by the government. Ultimately this six-month grace period would have long-term benefits for both the communities and the GNWT.

Later I will have questions for the appropriate Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to encourage Northerners to talk to your MLAs. I’ve been sensing a lot of despair around here lately about we’re kind of saddled with the situation we have right now. We’re saddled with the leadership and the circumstances around the past two years that we’ve had in this government.

In fact, I don’t believe that’s true, in spite of Mr. Miltenberger’s characterization of the unhappiness on this side of the House as being bitterness and creating acrimony. In fact, I see the majority, if not almost all Members of this House, as being honourable Members who have been elected to come here and do a job on behalf of their people. I see nothing but good motives and a true desire to do the best that we can to represent our people.

The fact of the matter is we can’t bury our heads in the sand and act like nothing is out of order here, that there are no leadership problems in this government. If we are sensing that, the people out there who are our constituents must be sensing that as well. I mean, this kind of hits an all-time new low for this Government of the Northwest Territories, what we’ve had to experience. It didn’t start last week, it didn’t start a month ago. It started at the beginning of the 16th Assembly and I’m not going to

stand here today and recite the whole list of all the failures when it comes to leadership. But now things have sunk to a really all-time low.

We can choose to ignore it. We can try to brush it under the carpet. About a year ago I stood up in this House and I said, you know, I’m not out to get the Premier. And I said I don’t want the job. I don’t see anybody else over there that I want to see have that job either. I said that about a year ago. But you know what? A year has gone by. I’ve gotten to know quite a few Members better. I do think we have options. There are alternatives. But it’s going to take the backbone and the leadership of the collective membership here to stand up and say, you know what? We have some problems here. We need to deal with them. Let’s face it head on. Let’s go for a change of leadership here. We have got people capable of stepping into that role. We do. But it’s just going to take the backbone to stand up and say we need a change.

So we don’t want to operate in a vacuum. What I’m asking the people of the Northwest Territories today, who are observing this and must also feel despair over the situation, is to get in touch with your MLA. Voice your opinion. I know in saying that I’m going to take flack too because there are lots of people out there who don’t like me, but I’m willing to take that. I have to stand up and say enough is enough. We deserve better.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.