[English translation not provided.]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s important for me that my first words in this session of the House were in French. French is one of the official languages of the Northwest Territories. My maternal grandfather spoke French, but the language was lost within one generation. I will try to speak French in this House from time to time.

This is a Member’s statement to offer some thanks. I want to recognize that we are meeting on Yellowknives Dene First Nation territory. I wish to thank everyone who got out and voted in the Frame Lake electoral district, even if it wasn’t for me. Although the voter turnout was reported at 27 percent, the voters list was clearly out of date with 20 to 30 percent of those on the list not resident at the addresses specified, including an entire apartment building on Forrest Drive.

Our son, who is studying at the University of Victoria, applied for an absentee ballot and it never arrived in the mail. We can and should do much better with our voters lists and find more ways for voters to exercise their rights.

Thanks to the other candidates, Jan Fullerton, David Wasylciw and Roy Erasmus, for their hard work in raising of the bar in what was a very civil election campaign, where candidates and their teams helped each other with signs.

Thanks to the people who volunteered on my campaign and to my family for all of their support, and especially to my wife without whom I couldn’t have done this.

We begin an important journey together today. It has been a real pleasure getting to know all of the MLAs over the last three weeks during a very intensive orientation, priority-setting period.

I have a strong sense that everyone has come prepared to work hard and to collaborate. I will do my very best to serve the people of Frame Lake and the entire Northwest Territories. I look forward to working with all of the other MLAs.

Lastly, I would like to again congratulate our new Speaker, our Premier and our Cabinet and all those who put their names forward to serve. Mahsi, merci and thank you, Mr. Speaker.