There’s money in the budget for some of them, just no bodies in the jobs. So, big savings of a very perverse sort. Big savings that cost our people and our government.

As you can see, fiscal restraint can also mean shameful neglect. Having had some of the boundaries of my comprehension stretched so far, no wonder I came to believe, thanks to my colleague from Nahendeh, that the seven deadly sins were all related to the perpetually pot-holed and pot-marked Highway No. 7, along with many other sins of deadly fiscal omission. So I thank the Member for correcting me with his e-mail the other day. It seems that a handful of the seven deadly sins actually apply to the Inuvik-Tuk Highway.

I cannot leave this topic without a few words about the oft spouted, ever nebulous devolve and evolve. Seductive. Devolve and evolve. Oh yeah, it sounds great. Devolution is going be good because it really means evolution, almost like revolution. The kind it takes to truly recognize Aboriginal rights, including control of our land, and I’ve worked all my life for that.

I thought and thought about these words, devolve and evolve. I’ve dreamt about them at night. Finally, one day, walking down the boardwalk in Zhatie K’oe, it came to me. The meaning of devolve and evolve is just a spin-o-rama of hogwash. It comes out of the machine all neat and dry and sounding sweet. Devolve and evolve. It’s just the same old federal government bunk. It will be up to the Members of the 18th Assembly to recast these words. We have not lived up to the heady promise of devolve and evolve.

Just one more thing. I don’t mean to be harsh. As Members, some of us facing election and some not, we’re all about to devolve and evolve in a more meaningful way. Let us all do it right. Let us stand by our deeds and be measured by them.

I wish you well, colleagues. I’m glad all our judo has been verbal. To my constituents, mahsi, mahsi cho, thank you for helping me. Thank you for standing by me through thick and thin. That has been the real meaning.