Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues.

WHEREAS section 57 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act provides that there shall be a Premier chosen by the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS the position of Premier of the Northwest Territories is vacant due to the resignation of the Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Morin;

AND WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly has elected one of its Members to be Premier;

AND WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly desires to appoint its Premier;

NOW THEREFORE I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Legislative Assembly confirms that the Member for Nahendeh, the Honourable Jim Antoine, has been chosen to be Premier of the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with Motion 1-13(7) today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, December 14, 1998, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Legislative Assembly confirms that the Member for Nahendeh the Honourable Jim Antoine, has been chosen to be Premier of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will seek unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been approached on this matter a number of times in the last few weeks as to whether they would be called Gooy Days. I have to tell you that I am tired of that and that you can call them Jimmy Days but for this year, 1998, they will continue and for future years it will be up to the Cabinet whether or not they will. The government does appreciate and understand that they are very popular with the civil service and that it is an effective measure in terms of contributing to the efficiency of this government in dollar terms. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Ms. Kelley Merilees who is my executive secretary and who keeps my office organized well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On my last day as Acting Premier, I appreciate the opportunity to be the first to congratulate the new Premier-elect, and the new Cabinet Minister and also all those who ran for Cabinet portfolios, and especially to Mr. Kakfwi who during his speeches yesterday made some very good points and showed us what kind of real leader and the depth that he has. I wanted to let all Members here know that when I suddenly became the Acting Premier that Mr. Kakfwi was the first to come to my office to offer advice and support and ask me to tell him if there was anything I needed, that he was just down the hall. I appreciate and recognize that. Mr. Speaker, this morning as I was going to the office and thinking about today and relinquishing the office I have held for the last few days, the song by Mr. Johnny Paycheck kept coming to mind, it is entitled, Take This Job and Shove It.

--Laughter

For me it has been an honour and a privilege, especially the fact that I became Acting Premier two days before my 35th birthday. It is really something that I recognize that many other people do not have the chance to do. Despite the fact that I did not sleep very much during that period, really as the years go by, this will be something I cherish.

I wanted to spend this last minute here saying thank you to my Cabinet colleagues and especially to my staff, Mr. Paul Bachand, who I could not do without in the last few days. He is my executive assistant and acting principal secretary. Kelley Merilees is my secretary, Nicole Camphaug and John Manning who are my assistants and who have very quickly come to the occasion to assist me in the last while. Finally, Mr. Speaker, to my constituents and especially my family, Dorothy and my three boys and my daughter at home. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Keewatin Central, that Bill 33, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, be read for the third time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Aivilik that Bill 26, Nunavut Workers' Compensation Statutes Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kitikmeot, that Bill 23, Nunavut Legal Registries Statutes Amendment Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.