Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
…and it should be recognized and it should be recorded, but unfortunately, when we are dealing with the third reading of this particular bill, it’s a huge bill. It has implication on the riding that is going to be amalgamated with another language, another community, and obviously, I am not going to elaborate even further, because we’ve talked about this on numerous occasions, the 15th Assembly, the 17th Assembly, and then another one in the 19th Assembly. We have over almost 40 percent of our 25 percent margin. We’re way beyond that, almost double. The 19th Assembly, it will be around 50 percent. At that time are we going to start accepting that we need additional seats for the Tlicho region.
I’m certainly hoping that I’m recorded in the Tlicho language because I spoke of the value of why we’re here today. There are only four people that speak the official languages. I spoke of their names earlier. More than likely we may lose a language, the Chipewyan language in this House, due to the fact of the changes. Yes, I understand that it’s going to Yellowknife, Detah, Ndilo, and we’re going to have another Tlicho language in here. But at the same time, I certainly don’t want to lose one of the official languages.
At the end of the day, a decision has to be made, but I must enforce that we have to keep those in mind where the language, we’re losing our language. As it’s been indicated in Gwich’in, we’re losing the Gwich’in languages and other languages across the Northwest Territories, and here we’re talking about Bill 18, addition of two seats, where the motion that came down for second reading, there’s no support to move forward on that, but there is the support to change the 19 seating with amalgamating the Tu Nedhe riding. I don’t support that. I don’t support this motion that’s coming forward, Bill 18. I will continue to stress that. I’ve talked to my elders, my leaders, in my language. It’s important to talk to the kids in our language, as well, so that’s what I’ve done, and I will continue to do so to represent my constituency in this building and as we move forward. But at the same time, this bill that’s before us, I cannot support it as it is presented. I feel that it should be 21 seats. Those are just some of the discussions I wanted to have to make my point across speaking in the Tlicho language.