Mr. Speaker, on October 2nd, Minister Thompson and I attended an event held to recognize the hard work of GNWT employees who went above and beyond to keep our residents and communities safe during our horrible fire season. At this event, I spoke about how employees kissed their families good-bye, how they worried about their own safety, as well as the safety of their loved ones, as thousands of people evacuated. I also asked everyone to remember the firefighter who this summer lost his life. These employees are heroes, Mr. Speaker. They took on additional responsibilities and stepped up to support efforts when and where needed. But they were not the only residents to step forward. People also volunteered to stay behind to protect communities and support those working on the front lines. I want to thank those people as well. Their efforts assisted in ensuring we had homes and communities to return to.
In saying that, Mr. Speaker, not everyone who stayed behind in evacuated communities was authorized to do so. I stated many times through the evacuation it is critical for residents abide by the emergency orders so as not to put firefighters and other frontline workers at risk, nor to jeopardize the effectiveness of our emergency response. Mr. Speaker, most residents left, traumatizing to all.
Mr. Speaker, MLAs are expected to be role models for their constituents and for all residents. While we all make mistakes, it's critical to acknowledge those errors and commit to improving going forward. When the MLA for Great Slave entered Yellowknife during the evacuation, she states she believed that she had permission to do so. However, when it became clear that the Member was not authorized to support the fire efforts, by remaining in Yellowknife she undermined the hard work of many people and brought her office into disrepute. No MLA is above the law, and all Members must abide by emergency orders in place to protect residents. That is our work.
This should come as no surprise to anyone as we dealt with breaching of orders previously in this Legislative Assembly. It is clear to me, Mr. Speaker, that the MLA breached the Code of Conduct by choosing to remain in Yellowknife. And as such, I will be supporting this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.