Thank you, Mr. Chair. When I first got elected, we talked about consensus and what it means. I have had the pleasure of living all my life in the Northwest Territories and watching consensus government work. I have been in meetings where a decision was made, and an elder come up or somebody else come up and asked for clarification and brought their viewpoint to a place. That is what is, to me, true consensus government as you work forward and move forward to this.
I had the opportunity to go back home and talk to my constituents about this very issue. Their first question was: "What do you want? You're our MLA. What do you want?" I said, "I want a true consensus government. I want to be able to come back and tell the people that they heard us." They heard what the people were asking.
A number of people have said, "It's not working. You know, it's not working, and we're not seeing it. The smaller communities are losing out. They don't have the voice." I have talked to others and they say, "You have to give it one more shot. This is your first term. Work on it. See how it could be achieved."
I have been accused as the person who brought this or is supporting this. I want to tell everybody here and tell the Northwest Territories, I listened. That's my job as an MLA, is to listen and to hear what people are saying and be their voice. Even if I fundamentally don't agree with it, I have to be Nahendeh's voice. That's what I was elected to do. I was asked to present things, fight for things.
Poverty is an issue. We see a huge, huge issue in the Northwest Territories. It is about the residents. It's like I tell my soccer kids, my hockey kids, and my ball kids that I have coached throughout the years: we need to work on our weak point. If it's soccer, if it's passing, we spend a lot of time on passing.
When we sit here and look at it, this side here has a number of times brought forward ideas that would be strategic spending that would have a huge impact on the whole collective Northwest Territories. As we have developed, sometimes people say, "I fight against consensus." Now, I fight for consensus. I'm willing to stand up, be by myself and still have my voice be heard.
A number of colleagues here talked about the importance of accountability, being transparent, and working for the residents of the Northwest Territories. That's what our job is, 19 of us. When I get accused of, "Well, you're not doing true consensus because you're arguing the point and you don't get your own way," it's not my way. I'm fighting for my constituents, the people I represent.
If I stand up and say, "Yes, no, I don't agree with this." I have had to make some really fundamental choices where I thought, "Well, this is good for my personal belief, but it goes against." My constituents are saying, "No, this is what we need to do." So I do listen to them.
I struggled with this. I made a commitment that I would support this motion. Why? It's not that I support same-party politics. That's the worst thing I'd ever want to see in this Legislative Assembly, but we should allow the residents of the Northwest Territories to decide that. They should be the ones deciding.
The Member from Great Slave talked about a plebiscite. Maybe that's the direction we have to go. Let's let the people talk. I have heard colleagues say, "Well, it's each community that makes the decision." Is it a riding? Is it the communities? Well, you know what, I think the residents of the Northwest Territories have to make that decision.
I struggle with this, I really do, because it lights at my core. I have been lucky enough to be here; born and raised in the Northwest Territories. My seven children were born and raised in the territories. My grandchildren were born in the territories.
I thought about it. I have listened to people. At the end of the day, unfortunately, I can't support it right now because we haven't done due process. I struggle with that and I apologize to Mr. Testart, because Mr. Testart did an amazing job with this. He went out and did a lot of good work with this, and he has brought it forth to the forefront.
I would support a private bill. I would also support a plebiscite moving forward so that we can get the consultation of the residents of the Northwest Territories. This is not a cannabis bill, where we can only hit 19 communities. This is something that would have to hit 33 communities, and for that, and as the Member for Frame Lake -- I am still struggling with the Members from Yellowknife. I have only been in here three years. I know their names well. We didn't hear that when we toured the bill.
We have to respect due process, and for that, I cannot support the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.