Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I never want to miss an occasion for an opportunity to work with my community colleagues. And I won't go in a similar length as my previous speaker had just mentioned about the criticism, but it's a reminder of we're here collectively and we have to find ways to work together.
It's an unusual concept, you know, that some people feel, but I think it's the fundamental concept of working together when it's outside of your community and riding. And, you know, frankly, the town of Norman Wells needs additional hope. It needs the hope from power from Yellowknife MLAs getting behind a community MLA issue. It's to help a regional issue. When Yellowknife MLAs see this matters so much, we need to lend our voice to this. The people in Norman Wells don't want to feel abandoned. Whether you live in Tsiigehtchic or you live in Lutselk'e, you know, they matter to us. And we try to find ways to ensure that we support initiatives just like this particular motion, Mr. Speaker.
You know, when we see the changes of our territory, it's molding every day, you know, new changes. As our -- my good colleague from the Sahtu had mentioned, you know, Imperial Oil is transitioning, not quite effectively a change as other people transition but I'd certainly say, you know, they're transitioning their business. And I'll honestly say is, you know, business is always changing. If that's the one constant, things are always changing. And we look at the struggles of that town. That struggle should matter to me. Those communities, whether you're in Deline, you're in Tulita, you're in Colville, you're in Fort Good Hope, or you're in Norman Wells, that whole region needs the support. So when the town of Norman Wells does a declaration, I'm sure it wasn't over a coffee or a bagel sitting in the town coffee shop saying hey, let's do something exciting today. That statement, including the emergency debate brought forward by the Member, is really echoing the cries and passions of a region that see it as we have no choice but to raise the red flag. We have no choice but to yell from the tops of our voices as high as we can that we need support.
Now, we've seen challenges, and I suspect there will be new challenges next year and the year after that. You know, there was a time we'd say we have never seen days like this, or this is the 100-year flood or this is the 100-year drought. Boy, it sure feels like it's déjà vu every year. There's something else we're saying haven't seen happen.
So I think his call for a comprehensive policy and a process to help create this, I mean, it's the framework that really asks ourselves what do we do in times when places in crisis. You know, we need, as he points out, good, sustainable community planning and support. And that has to be done with the community on the ground.
So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to point out that the government isn't the only solution to this problem, you know. We have good partners. Imperial Oil could be, you know, supporters, the town could be supporters, the community governments could be supporters. We've got Indigenous governments that have expertise. We have a lot of people. So even this motion is directed to call upon the Legislative Assembly to say hey, government, do something about this, you're not alone. There are a lot of people that want to do things. I'd say, government, come into this with an open mind and say how can we do this together. And don't be afraid to say we're going to find a way to support this community, this region, and this territory. And I thank my good colleague, the Member of Sahtu. I also acknowledge my good Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh for helping support this motion. And I think there will be some other wonderful things coming from our colleagues in support. And as a Yellowknife Member as well as my previous colleague here who just spoke -- or a couple colleagues that have spoken, it's an honour to be part of a bigger picture solution because I know they're there when we need them too, and they can probably get the same questions from their communities. And this is what it's all about, working together in a way that makes things clear but supportive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
