Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [English translation not provided].
Mr. Speaker, I want to indicate just for clarity that this side of the House has brought many issues and concerns forward to Cabinet; in fact we do it every day during sitting, and may do it hundreds of times by email or in closed-door meetings. It's not like we just started the process of asking questions and expressing our concerns when the Mid-Term Review started.
Today you've heard from the House. You heard from the majority of the people on this side of the House. You've heard from the small communities that surround the Great Slave Lake, the southern part of the small communities, and you've heard from the small communities that are still in the negotiating claims process. I've heard from people who are involved in the negotiating process and they're asking that we express their wishes to remove the honourable Member for Thebacha. However, it does not appear that is going to happen today, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, one of the real serious concerns on the issues has been the request from this government to ask seniors and elders in the Northwest Territories to pay more than two months' worth of their salary to pay for a lease so they could become eligible for programs they otherwise would not be eligible for. We're talking about people who are living on $1,700 a month.
We have concerns about the Taltson River dam that have gone nowhere. At one time in the '60s, the dam wiped out all the muskrat and all the beaver on a river that was extremely prosperous, and, over the years, all the animals have moved inland. Now they have come back to the Taltson River, and last winter they were flooded out again, but apparently it had nothing to do with the dam.
Mr. Speaker, Cabinet was elected as agents of change to bring transparency and accountability for the people of the Northwest Territories. Yet, during the Mid-Term Review -- it sounds like a beautiful setup now -- each Minister was asked if they would resign receiving a vote of non-confidence. They all said no. During the break, we decided that we were going to try again. I asked the Premier if he would ask the Members who receive a vote of non-confidence to resign or strip them of their portfolios. He did not say no, but he said that Cabinet solidarity must be maintained. I guess we are going to see that today.
The people of the Northwest Territories are watching us, watching this outcome, and it will determine how effectively we, as the highest level of government in the Northwest Territories, will be able to represent the people who we were elected by, people all the way from Sachs Harbour to Fort Smith.
Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that, had the answer been different when the question was asked, we would be revoking or voting on a revocation of more than just one Minister today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.