Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Premier, since the issue of recall is on our order paper, will Members of Cabinet be given a free vote as a matter of conscience on this issue?

...will we give the power to the people to remove a politician before his or her term has expired?

We all know, Mr. Speaker, that under the current system, the only way a politician can be removed is if the good Lord decides his or her days on this earth are numbered, or if she or he is so demoralized that they voluntary give up the ghost and they resign. There's no other way of leaving.

At the appropriate time, I shall also table a proposal I received from the Premier's office today. I'm a very reasonable man, Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated. So we will delay second reading on Bill 31, Recall Act, until tomorrow. Thank you.

---Applause

The principle is quite clear. Since politicians get their power from the people, not from God...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week we gave first reading to Bill 31, Recall Act. I wanted Members to have the bill over the weekend so we could discuss the principle of the bill on Monday. On Monday, I was asked by Members if I could give the Caucus a full briefing on Tuesday. I did this, and Members will remember we spent the entire Caucus meeting discussing the principle of the bill. It was my intention to proceed with it on Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday, I was asked by the Premier if I could delay the bill until she could discuss the bill with Mr. Pollard, the Government House Leader, when he came back from Ottawa. I'm a reasonable man, Mr. Speaker, so I agreed. Mr. Pollard was at work in this building at nine o'clock today. At 10 o'clock, I received a letter from the Premier's office indicating that the government was in the process of developing its own legislative action paper on recall, with the assistance of the Canada West Foundation.

Mr. Speaker, I've spent a long time, a big chunk of my life, working on this bill, and I've made full use of the Canada West Foundation. I don't believe much further delay for the debate on the principle of this bill will serve any purpose.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For many hundreds of years, Mr. Speaker, throughout Europe, Africa and Asia, leaders emerged who governed people and it was expected that they would govern wisely and that people would be happy under their rules.

The very reason for that was because it was a tradition that the leader got his power from the Creator. It was the divine right of this person to rule. Therefore, for hundreds and hundreds of years, we had rules that convinced millions of people throughout the world that they got their power from God. Therefore, they were completely invulnerable. You couldn't touch them. It happened with the emperor of Japan, the empress of China, leaders in Africa and the crowned kings of Europe. They and their public believed that they got their power from God.

One of the things that happened in the development of parliamentary democracy was that the people said no, you get your power from us. You don't get it from God. I would like Members to remember that as we debate in these dying months of our Assembly. Power comes from the people and not from God. In the four years that we sit in this House, we should be always mindful of that. In a representative parliamentary democracy, we are here to speak because we represent people and the real power is with the people. They should have certain powers which, over the next while, we'll have a chance to debate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Since there are all kinds of examples that we all know about, a long list of them, of people who have in fact been removed from office - -very often for trivial reasons -- I would like to ask the Minister, what procedures are in fact taking place, what ways are being established to make sure that if a member is going to be removed in aboriginal First Nations governments, that would be done in a transparent way so that everybody would know what the issue is and has a chance to do things that he says properly and not for trivial reasons.

Okay, on the basis of what the Minister said then, Mr. Speaker, would he confirm that once a person is elected to an aboriginal First Nations government, there is no guarantee that that person can serve the full term for which he was elected? There are varying provisions from community to community whereby that member could be removed.

Does that mean that in the First Nations governments, once you are elected, there is neither a council nor a chief, that you then have a mandate for your full term and there is no way in which you could be removed during that time? Is that what the Minister is saying?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Friday was a big day for MLAs and I've written a poem about the efforts of Members on the ice on that day. I'm sure that, although it's Monday and this is lighthearted, I'd be forgiven by my constituents and I don't think they would be urged to recall me for using my two and a half minutes on this statement:

On Friday, all Members know, we battled again our ancient foe, Our Sharks lined up at centre ice against those timid media mice.

In minutes it was four to one, we had those rodents on the run, Slick to pass, quick on the puck, the lead was due to skill, not luck.

But just as often in this House, Mighty Man becomes Minnie Mouse, The lead was slowly washed away by what was called the secret play.

'What secret play?" asked Speaker Sam, I see nothing weird from where I am." I see nothing at all," said Tough Guy Fred, "In fact, for a minute, I thought I was dead."

"That goes for me too," said defenceman Morin, "that sweat was a drop, but now she's just pouring." "What killed me," said Allooloo in distress, "Was that weird player in the purple dress."

"I think I know," said Kelvin Ng, "exactly how we lost our sting, the media's using all the stuff we leak so they haven't made us mad this week."

"I'm fitness strong," said gentleman Jim, "but after period two, I sure felt grim." "Me too," said Silas from Kivallivik, "I felt good at the start, but I soon fell sick."

When Kakfwi arrived, the score was tied, but no Shark felt his fish was fried, With Stephen on the Shark attack, we thought we'd soon get that lead back. 766With moves like Gretzky and a wicked shot,

we heard he was a demon in the slot,

But had all this been a media plan,

to make us believe he was Superman?

What if Mario gave him kryptonite,

to make us lose our will to fight?

And so we came to sudden death,

the Sharks to a player without a breath.

Breathless they stood as the women began,

the shootout, with Stephen, our only man.

It was Marty Brown who broke the tie,

the media won and we wondered why.

Then Hamilton revealed the secret trick:

"The media always make you guys sick."

---Laughter

---Applause