Please be seated. Mahsi. [Translation] I am glad that you guys are here, that I am here. I am glad that I am here to open this for you and I am honoured; that would be good for all of us. That is why I feel this way. Thank you. [Translation ends]
Thank you to the drummers. I am happy to be in the House again. I believe strongly that, to open such important work with drum and singing, this is a sacred way to go into the work that you will be doing. Mahsi.
It is once again a pleasure and an honour for me to be in this great House, and I am pleased to welcome each and every one of you to the First Session of the 19th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.
I begin by extending my sincere congratulations to the returning Members, three of whom were acclaimed. By being acclaimed or re-elected, it shows that your constituencies have great confidence in you and they know you will continue to serve them to the best of your ability.
I also extend congratulations to the newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly, and welcome to our consensus form of government.
I need to express how impressed and proud I am with the number of women elected to our government. It is the very first time for our elected government officials to have such gender equality. Mahsi cho.
We must also take the time to thank and extend sincere thanks to the past Members who have served their constituents and our territory in this House. We thank them for their hard work and contributions to the government and to quality of life for all residents of the Northwest Territories. Hopefully, they are making plans to enjoy much-needed time with family and friends.
I would like to welcome all guests in the public gallery who are watching this, and those who are watching these proceedings on television. In the public gallery and in the communities are spouses, families, and friends who should be thanked for their continued love and support. You will all need their support to carry out the very important work that you will do for the people of our territory.
At this time, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to our new Premier, Ms. Caroline Cochrane, and her newly elected Cabinet, Ms. Paulie Chinna, Ms. Diane Thom, Mr. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Shane Thompson, Ms. Caroline Wawzonek, and Ms. Katrina Nokleby.
I would like to congratulate Mr. Fredrick Blake, Jr., on his acclamation as Speaker. The Members of this Assembly will be well served by the fair and good judgment and experience you bring to this vital position. I wish you the very best and have every confidence that you will be successful in your role as Speaker. Mahsi cho.
As Members of this Legislative Assembly and of this House, you will be faced with many challenges during the next four years. Therefore, it is very, very important that you have good balance in your life between work and family. You will need to juggle your time, family commitments, and the important work that you will be involved in. Take care of your physical health, your spiritual health, your emotional health, and mental health, so that you can carry out your duties as Members of the Legislative Assembly.
My good wishes are extended to each and every one of you, and I am confident that you will serve your constituents and the people of the Northwest Territories with fairness and to the very best of your abilities. As your elders would say: be respectful. Be attentive. Listen to each other. Listen to your constituents. Share your knowledge so you can make wise decisions.
Mr. Speaker, before declaring open this First Session of the 19th Legislative Assembly, I would like to invite all Members and visitors in the public gallery to a reception in the Great Hall after the swearing-in of the Executive Council, which will take place at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
As your Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I now declare open the First Session of the 19th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Thank you. Merci beaucoup. Mahsi cho. Quyanainni. Quana.