Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the events that have caused us to be here today having this debate are unfortunate. I do not speak to the matter of the Member's conduct as it relates to the point of privilege lightly. However, I must stand and speak out about what has occurred and the impact it has on Members, including myself.
Mr. Speaker, we are a consensus government in the Northwest Territories and we must operate in a productive and professional environment. Will we agree at every step? Certainly not. Will some of these debates and discussions be passionate? Certainly, they will be. However, Members agreed when they were sworn in to abide by the code of conduct and carry out our duties in a manner that will withstand public scrutiny in the course of our work, even in challenging times. As Members of the Legislative Assembly, we are also afforded privileges so that we can carry out our work. Therefore, would we expect threats from one of our Members of Caucus as part of this work? Certainly not.
The last point is what we're talking about today and why we must take action.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this fall the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh sent Members of this House, including two members of our staff, a message using unparliamentary language that I will not repeat and indicated that "whoever backed this, I'm coming for you." This was in reference to his hearing with the sole adjudicator that was about to start, and the proceeding complaints by the chair of Caucus in relation to his conduct.
When I heard these words, Mr. Speaker, I was immediately concerned. I did have to think of my own and my family's safety. Like many women who have experienced violence at the hands of men, I thought about what he would do to me if I did what I felt was right.
Mr. Speaker, we agreed as a Caucus to bring forward the complaint in relation to the Member regarding his failure to uphold our code of conduct for a specific and factual reason. It was not politically motivated despite what the Member may believe. The complaint was made because the Member had failed in his duty to uphold the code that we are all bound by. The words he sent us indicate that the following processes we all agreed to, by asking him to ensure he upholds the code of conduct, we would face retribution from the Member.
Without getting into the details of the previous complaint, our code of conduct under principle 3 states: Members must treat members of the public, one another, and staff appropriately and without harassment. Members must take all reasonable steps to ensure the work environment is free from harassment.
The words "coming for you" is surely a threat of retribution and, in my opinion, harassment against every Member of the Legislative Assembly that received this message.
As a woman I find the threat particularly troubling. Threats of violence, whether physical, verbal, or emotional, are faced by women every day. The Legislative Assembly should be where political leaders, no matter which gender, should be able to safely fulfill our duties. As leaders, we must act like it and we must treat each other professionally in order to lead on behalf of the people that elected us.
Mr. Speaker, every Member of this House has individual and collective privileges as set out in the rules of the Legislative Assembly. One of the individual privileges is to be free from obstruction and intimidation in relation to our duties as elected representatives. The Member's statement to his Caucus colleagues is unacceptable according to our code of conduct and I believe it is unacceptable according to the privileges that Members of this Legislative Assembly are afforded. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.