The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I first want to start off saying it’s been an incredible honour to be here for the last 12 years. The journey as being the MLA for Yellowknife Centre has always been an exciting one. Some days have been more fun than others, but I can tell you, all Members of this House can agree it’s a passionate challenge we all do.

Most of my colleagues – except for the two lucky ones here – we will all be putting their case to the constituents once again, hoping for another mandate, if their support thinks I’m worthy.

I have to stress wholeheartedly that I’m grateful for my supportive home. I couldn’t do this job, like my colleagues have said, without my wife and my two sons, McKinley and Hudson. When I was first elected 12 years ago, I had one wife. I didn’t get 12 family members like the Minister just said, but I had one wife and a two-year-old son. We used to come here every day and I’d be tripping over Thomas the Train and little cars and things. It evolved into two sons and we were playing trains on the weekends sometimes, as I’m supposed to be reading my briefing stuff, but we always found family time. That’s what we did and we evolved, not quite how Mr. Nadli described it, but we devolved and evolved our relationship here and I brought my kids into it from the start. It’s interesting, as they continue to be some of my most passionate and greatest supporters.

Like my two colleagues next to me, I do want to talk about some of the reflections and highlights over this last term. I think it’s important to talk about devolution. I will start with devolution. Devolution was certainly an incredible first step on the journey and the aspirations of the people of the Northwest Territories. It was a rough ride, but by all means, as I have described it before, Home Rule was an important step for this territory to take and I’m glad we took it. I’m glad we took it in this Assembly so we can look back and say we finally did it. How many successful Assemblies previous to us tried to get it done? This is the first one that we can actually say we have the key to the cars, the keys to our own destiny and we’re driving forward.

Over the last four years, we’ve continued to see challenges with addictions and it does bother me seriously. I wish our territory could do more. I know, no matter how much money we throw at the problem, it may be challenging. We need to address these problems. I have to admit that I was very glad to see, the other day, that the Mental Health Act has finally gotten through. It will make a difference in people’s lives and saving lives.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

The last four years have seen the troubling brick of the high cost of living weighing down on our northern families, struggling with the power rates or even the cost of fuel. Within this great vice, there is also a huge opportunity. There are the renewable areas such as biomass and solar, which our government hopefully will be looking forward to in the near future. We must not forget, we must look towards population growth.

Everywhere I look around, I’ve seen people struggle trying to get jobs, whether they are summer students, people with disabilities or even seniors. Even the public service jobs that constantly get funded but sit empty is a struggle.

The last few years my favourite people to work with are certainly youth and seniors. To that, I have loved every opportunity to get out to the schools and talk to the kids or even at Avens and visiting. That has brought great enjoyment to my life and sometimes it reminds us how important the work we do here is.

Speaking of which, I was glad to be part of the missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls motion. I was very excited this House could support that. As a matter of fact, it still stands to the test that this is such an important issue that more work needs to get done. Interestingly enough, no other Legislature, to my knowledge, has passed a similar motion. I think that’s a statement of the type of Legislature we are and the issues we care about. It was an important message and it certainly is an important motion.

The days ahead will see many opportunities for us, and I’m always concerned about the working family. I’m always worried that our government can’t seem to find consumer protection on its agenda. But worrying about our citizens under the context of 911, we finally took the first step this year to say we’re going to do it. I guess, as my colleague said, we’ve devolved and now we will evolve on that issue.

One of the neat things about downtown is the Yellowknife Day Shelter will continue to strive forward. More importantly, I am so excited to see that this term, under Minister Abernethy, they finally heeded some of the goals and concerns of trying to provide proactive programming. I thank him for that. I’m glad. If you could do a little more on the Aurora College file, it would be greatly appreciated.

As I bring this to a close – I know time is running out – I just want to say thank you very much to my wife. If I’m allowed a second or two more, Mr. Speaker, I’m not allowed to hold up props, but in the 12 years I’ve been an MLA, I have always had a picture of my children here as a reminder of why we’re here.

May I leave this thought with each and every one of us: Of course, we are all excited to get on the campaign trail and, obviously, we all hope for the best. But always remind yourself about what’s important. Each day I come here as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, I’ve always had the picture of my two children sit in front of me to remind me about the values we are supposed to represent here. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect. It doesn’t mean we haven’t had troubled days, we’ve moved along, but we always have to ask ourselves what is the touchstone and it always has to have family and friends.

To my constituents, once again, I say thank you; and to my family, it’s always been an honour to have your help and support through this process. Thank you.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been sitting here thinking about how everybody is thanking the people they have worked with over the last four years. I thought that perhaps I didn’t do that the first four years I was in here. I have had a lot of help. Lots of people helped me from my constituency. I have a lot of people in the communities of Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution to thank. I’ve worked for them. I’ve travelled often to the communities.

I have had several constituency assistants. I started a constituency assistant initially with Mr. Joe Bailey. We did a lot of good work together. Joe had some experience as a constituency assistant and taught me a lot about writing Member’s statements and getting the point onto the floor of the Assembly. It was interesting because a lot of the stuff that we got we kind of hit the ground running because of the experience he brought working for other veteran MLAs. After that, I had Edith Mack who worked as a constituency assistant. I’d like to thank Edith. She worked for me the longest, for about four years. Now, in the last couple of years I’ve worked with Beverley Catholique from Lutselk'e.

I have community reps, I like to call them, but they end up as constituency assistants anyway, and James Marlowe from Lutselk'e continues to work for me, and the same with Velma Delorme from Fort Resolution. These people work in the background. They don’t do anything other than organize things for me, take calls for me, tell me when I’m coming into the community, who I should go see, what I should be doing and so on while I’m in the community. A lot of the prep work that goes on as I enter the communities, I’d like to say thanks to those people who have been working for me. Thank you very much.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

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

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

I just want to highlight the importance of us being here as representative Members of the Legislative Assembly.

First and foremost, I just want to say thank to the Members. As Members, we serve the public. We have two Members who are leaving us, Mr. Bromley and Ms. Bisaro. I’d just like to say thank you for your time as being part of this Cabinet here for eight years, and I’ve also served two years as a Regular Member. Every time a Member approaches me, obviously, I put my MLA hat on as well to deal with those issues. At the same time, this is an opportunity for us to reach out to our constituencies.

Most of us have stated that, obviously, we want to return because there is a lot of unfinished business ahead of us. At the same time, we have to keep in mind, as I heard around the table, that there is a lot of support staff that we have to recognize. Even with myself, being a Regular Member, all the resource staff that we’ve had, and even sitting here as the executive. Just highlighting my executive assistant, Morven MacPherson has been with me since day one. I’d just like to thank her for all the hard work and keeping me in line, and through secretaries as well. Not only that, the CAs. I’ve gone through plenty of them over the years. I’ve been through eight of them. But at the same time, it’s given me an opportunity to work with different people.

I’ve been through approximately 14 different chiefs and grand chiefs since I became an MLA. I’ve worked with a lot of them with different experiences and different walks of life. I’m very appreciative of all the work experience. My constituents, I’d just like to say thank you to them for giving me the opportunity to serve them over the past 10 years.

Last but not least, obviously, my family. My wife, Diane, and my five beautiful kids. As I’ve been sitting in the House, when we first started, our kids were young. Now I have kids in university, kids working as well. Without them, this would not be possible to stand here to speak to you.

With yourself, Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to say thank you for your support, as well, over the years, and the support staff that we have.

Best of luck to all the Members who are running. Best wishes to Members who are retiring as well. Mahsi cho.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Well, I’m going to do one today. I’d like to start by saying hello to my son Joseph, who’s watching this back home in Tuk – he’s two and a half years old now – he can switch it back to cartoons. I can’t wait to see you, son.

I’d like to start off by thanking my Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Groenewegen, for all the hard work you’ve done with me in the last four years and supporting me and making some crucial decisions during our time and working together. Thank you so much.

To my board of management, thank you so much for all the hard work you’ve done for the benefit of all our Members. It’s been a good time. I really cherish all you guys, and my two friends. Before you, I was there in the middle between Wendy and Bob. Obviously, I was the rose between two thorns. But they taught me so much, just like you, and I respect them so much.

Bob, yesterday Ms. Spence brought up your mother. God rest her soul. She was always here and always giving us encouragement. She was an awesome lady, and I know you have that in you too. You have a good heart and you want the best for the people.

Wendy, I always called you Mother Superior, because you’re always so hard, making sure everything went down. But I really admired you for that and I really thank you because you’ve been helping me, too, along my way as a Member and as a Speaker too.

To all the Cabinet, thank you so much for all the hard work you guys did, and all my Regular Members, every one of you. I could go on for an hour or so if I was allowed to, but I’m not going to do that to you.

Our support, my support staff, I’d like to thank Nina Larsson, my executive assistant; and my CA back home, Donna Bernhardt, who does so much for us, for the people of Nunakput. People don’t see the hard work that you guys do and the hours you put in and I want to thank her.

I want to also thank Wendy Morgan. Wendy has been there for me too. So, I think there’s about four or five of us that share Wendy. Thank you so much for all your work that you’ve done for the people of Nunakput.

Where do I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

---Laughter

---Applause

And there are no nays. How about I keep going? To all my constituents back home, thank you for your support and being there for me when I go visit the communities. To my elders, who we cherish so much across our territory, thank you so much. To all the families that are hurting right now with the stuff that’s going on back home, thoughts and prayers are with all the people who are hurting across our great territory today. Thoughts and prayers are with you from this House.

I’d like to thank my clerks, which I have the best clerks in the Northwest Territories and in the Commonwealth of 170 countries.

---Applause

Thank you, Gail; thank you, Tim; and thank you, Doug; and thanks to all your support staff and our security. Like you guys said earlier today – you said it best, Bob – like you said, we have the best.

To my wife, Jenny, who has been the biggest supporter here, and to all my kids, Chelsey, Kristin, Matthew, Mitchell, Mikayla, and my son Joseph, and my grandson, Alexander. I know I’m a young grandfather too.

It’s been really an honour to work with every one of you. Bob, Wendy, I’ll never forget our times together and Sandy always trying to hit me.

But like I said, again, thank you guys so much, every one of you. God bless you and good luck in your future endeavors. We have 17 days left in this government. So I want all my Members to try to finish all of your constituency work in the last 17 days to try to get some help for the constituents and for the people that we serve. So thank you, Members.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize two people in the gallery today. First, Kieran Testart who is a resident of the Great Slave riding. Second, a long-time friend, more like family. He’s a source of wisdom; he’s a source of advice; he’s a creative conveyor of criticism when needed; he presided over my wedding to my amazing wife, Caroline; and he in fact introduced my parents, so you can kind of blame him for me. Mr. Speaker, in the gallery today, Dr. Ian Gilchrist. Thank you.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. McLeod.