Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is a sad day, not only for myself personally, but for my constituents, the people of this territory, and for some of the people in this room.

Last October, I ran for Cabinet on a platform of change and made promises to do whatever I could to improve the lives of the people I represent and the lives of every resident of the Northwest Territories. I was excited by the opportunity to utilize the Ministerial positions that I was granted by my colleagues to carry out this goal.

As a Minister, I worked hard, and I endeavoured to make positive changes in my departments wherever I could. I stayed true to who I am, true to those who elected me, and true to every community member in this territory. I would not accept that things should stay the same simply because that is just the way that things have always been done. I had many concerns with current practices, including what I call "gaming the system." I properly raised those concerns with my Cabinet colleagues at every opportunity. I will continue to raise those concerns, whatever my role in this Assembly may be.

In all cases, I carried out my duties with integrity and passion. Was I perfect? Of course not. Was I outspoken? Of course I was. That is who I am, and I will always remain honest and open in my interactions on behalf of those who elected me. There is so much work to be done and only so many hours in each day. I am always striving to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible for the people who sorely need the services and support we, as a government, can provide.

One of the challenges of working within our current government is the level of secrecy that is demanded by current conventions, especially at the Cabinet level. I reject the idea that consensus government requires such extreme levels of secrecy. Secrecy and innuendo are the hallmarks of corruption and backroom dealings, not the transparent and accountable government that the public deserves. The toxic culture of secrecy has allowed my character and professionalism to be disparaged, while not allowing me to respond, reply, or defend myself. This is not right.

I reiterate that I have always worked hard and that my record as Minister speaks for itself. I am disappointed that I have been unfairly admonished without any due process and based on nothing more than gossip, hearsay, rumours, and bruised feelings. The people of the Northwest Territories deserve so much more from this government, and certainly, no one has time right now to waste on such matters.

Again, I will simply reiterate, within the unfortunate bounds of the secrecy that I am forced to adhere to, that this decision was much more to do with others than it does to do with myself or my performance working for the people of the Northwest Territories. If this truly had to do with my performance as a Minister, there are measures that could have been taken well before now. I look forward to working with all my colleagues to continue doing what is best for the people of the Northwest Territories. I will always fight for the betterment of every person in this territory no matter where I am sitting in this House. Thank you.