Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my political experience with Mr. Whitford does not go back as far as the Premier’s, but I feel that Mr. Whitford is a lifelong Northerner, born in Fort Smith and spent a lot of years here in Yellowknife, and I think of him as a product of a young and developing NWT. He’s a product of our education system and it’s proof to me that we have one of the best education systems around.
I think his commitment to the NWT and to the people of the NWT is unparalleled. I don’t think that there are many people who have shown the kind of commitment that he has shown to us and to our people.
It has been said that he is the best possible advertisement for NWT tourism. I think anybody who visits our Territory who is not an NWT resident and runs across our Commissioner, or our ex-Commissioner unfortunately now, I think they have been exposed to a part of the NWT that they wouldn’t get if they hadn’t run across our Tony. He is to be commended for that.
Mr. Whitford’s all-around character is very well suited to both politics that he was involved in for so many years and his most recent post as Commissioner. He is very outgoing. He is a very happy person. He certainly makes people feel at ease. I know that he has done that for me a number of times. Certainly I and I expect all Members are going to miss his smiling face and his upbeat
attitude, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Commissioner down.
I would like to say thank you, Tony, for your years of service. I look forward to occasionally seeing you at the Clerk’s table. Thank you.
---Applause