Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In listening to our Premier’s sessional statement yesterday, one line stood out which I’d like to share with you today: “Devolution has the potential to create a strong, prosperous territory that provides opportunities for its residents to succeed and supports those who need our help.”

Mr. Speaker, that is the key word of the day. Never before in our territorial history has one government been faced with such a significant milestone in its evolutionary path. Our new regulatory regime with new ministerial powers will no doubt create new opportunities that will equally test the moral fabric of what we know today as consensus government. Yes, we have given ourselves new powers and new opportunities on protecting our environment, managing our land and developing our resources, yet we should question where is the government’s commitment to accountability and transparency on this evolutionary path. As this government becomes to realize its complexity and sophistication, so too will be the complex myriad of appeal mechanisms, untested policies and poor legislation for its people.

This begs to ask, who is going to help our residents succeed in this brave new world? The answer is so very simple: we need, more than ever, an ombudsman office. The Premier reminds us this balanced agenda focused on helping the people of the Northwest Territories, as he states, “putting Northerners in charge of decisions that affect them,” then clearly the next logical evolutionary step is to create an independent body which is the hallmark of transparency and accountability.

Now is the time for this government to join together with Regular Members and Northerners to forge a pathway to a proper support mechanism working alongside our current oversight commissions of privacy, equal pay, official languages and human rights. In fact, there exists a huge opportunity for the creation of a one-stop single-window government accountability office, an office that could house all levels of commissions with the addition of an ombudsman.

This government accountability office concept would set the core standard of accountability and transparency and could conceivably be the true hallmark of a post=devolutionary legacy.

This is what the people want, this is what the people expect, and this is what we ask. Mr. Premier, are you listening? Thank you.