Good afternoon, colleagues. On behalf of the Legislative Assembly I would like to thank our elder, Lillian Elias of Inuvik, for joining us today and leading us in prayer. Masi.

Colleagues, it is my pleasure to welcome you all back to the Chamber to resume the second session of the 18th Legislative Assembly. Another autumn is upon us. The days are growing shorter and the air is getting cooler. As we watch the leaves change colour, we can reflect back on our summer and prepare for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us.

Before we begin today, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our newly elected Tlicho Grand Chief, George McKenzie, and all the four Tlicho chiefs elected this summer, as well. Congratulations to all of them.

Colleagues, I would like to acknowledge the Pages that we have with us throughout this sitting. We will have students from:

● East Three School in Inuvik;

● Chief Sunrise Education Centre in Hay River Reserve;

● Chief Paul Niditchie School in Tsiigehtchic;

● Ecole Boreale School in Hay River;

● Chief Julian Yendo School in Wrigley;

● Lutselk'e Dene school in Lutselk'e; and

● Mildred Hall School in Yellowknife.

Welcome and thank you to all the Pages who will be with us during this sitting. It is always a pleasure to share this Chamber with our young people, who are the future of our territory. Please join me in thanking them and welcoming them to the Assembly.

Colleagues, this sitting will be a busy and challenging time. Amongst other work of the Assembly, we as Members have agreed to publicly review our mandate and engage in a mid-term review for the first time in many years. I know that these reviews may seem divisive and taxing and that there will be times when we do not agree. However, we must remember why we are pursuing these public reviews: so that we may better serve and represent our constituents and our communities who elected us and all the people of this territory; so that we may be better, more thoughtful, and more transparent as a government; to do our jobs of governing this territory.

Throughout our sitting and our reviews, we also must keep in mind that we must conduct ourselves in keeping with the rules of this House and in keeping with the expectations of our people. We must show respect for this institution, each other, ourselves, and all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Now I wish to advise the House that I have received the following message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. It reads:

Dear Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the passage of:

● Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2018-2019

during the second session of the 18th Assembly.

Yours truly, Margaret M. Thom, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.

Masi colleagues. Orders of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. The Honourable Premier.