Thank you to Elder Sarah Cleary for offering today's prayer.
Colleagues, it is my pleasure to welcome you all back to the Chamber to resume the third session of the 18th Legislative Assembly.
I would like to begin by recognizing the Pages this session, who will come from Fort Smith, Norman Wells, and Yellowknife. Welcome and thank you to the Pages. It is our privilege to share this Chamber with these young people and our future leaders. Please join me in thanking them and welcoming them to the Assembly.
Our Assembly was recently home to another group of future leaders, the participants in the annual Youth Parliament. Thank you to all the youth who participated and to all those who worked hard behind the scenes to make this event a success.
Colleagues, I wish to highlight the participation of young women in Youth Parliament. As an Assembly, we have set a goal of increasing the representation of women in the Legislative Assembly. In our Youth Parliament, more than 80 percent of the Members were women, and all Members of Cabinet were women. I hope this is a sign that our call for more women to sit in the Assembly has been heard and that, one day, these young women will return to this Chamber as Members.
I would like to advise Members of this House and the public that, throughout this sitting, we will be providing interpretation in the following languages:
- Tlicho;
- Chipewyan;
- French; and
- North Slavey.
I want to thank our interpreters for their work in making our proceedings available in our official languages. Mahsi.
For Members who wish to listen in English, please remember to leave your dials on channel two.
Finally, colleagues, I would like to welcome to the floor of the House Mr. Glen Rutland. Mr. Rutland is no stranger to this Assembly. He has spent many hours in this Chamber as a law clerk, but today is his first day on the floor in his new role, Deputy Clerk, Procedure and Committees. Welcome, Mr. Rutland.
Mahsi, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Premier.