Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did not come here today with a prepared text, so I hope that I will do this justice in the company of these folks who have been so helpful and so instrumental on the devolution file. I also wanted to pay tribute to our government. I’ve said it in the House a few times before, so forgive me if I’m repetitive.
I have served under the leadership of six Premiers in my almost 20 years in this Legislature. Prior to even being elected to this House, I think I was involved in every constitutional and devolution commission and committee that there was out there that tried to solicit the input of people. I will never forget the frustration as I often walked away from those meetings going, how are we going to get there? How are we going to reach our aspirations for devolution in this territory?
There are so many diverse groups, diverse regions, diverse stages of political development, settled claims, unsettled claims, very prominent governments that we associate with as Aboriginal
governments all very established with aspirations of their own in their own right.
Floyd Roland, Premier Floyd Roland at the time, with some criticism got the ball rolling. Behind him as our Government Leader came Premier Bob McLeod. I didn’t know Premier McLeod very well at the time. I often say he is the most understated overachiever that I have ever met, because when you talk to him and you meet him, you’re not going to get the full picture at first blush.
But, Mr. Speaker, we have accomplished a good thing here with the help of the folks who have been recognized here in our visitors gallery today. I would like to take this opportunity for all the Cabinet Ministers who have had a hand in this during this 17th Assembly and for the right combination of
leadership that we found in the Premier we have now. He spoke the language of the bureaucracy, he knew that well from his many, many years of public service in our government, but he also spoke the language of the elected leaders, whether it be from the Prime Minister’s office to the Aboriginal leaders.
The work is not all done, it’s maybe not perfect, but it’s a tremendous accomplishment and I want to take this opportunity today to thank the Cabinet and the leadership in that Cabinet, Premier Bob McLeod. Thank you.
---Applause