Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have a very short presentation to make, but let me go back to a little over nine years ago when I got elected. When I was campaigning through the Natilikmiot area, which consists of Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, Holman, Spence Bay and Pelly Bay. When I was campaigning, Mr. Chairman, I had the opportunity to visit people in three communities. I talked to parents, I have attended some public functions, I talked to kids in schools, I went to shopping areas to meet people, as we all do when we are campaigning, Mr. Chairman. What struck my attention, Mr. Chairman, was some homes that I visited, the condition that they were in. In some cases where people were chronically depending upon social services there was no furniture in their homes. Some homes were overcrowded. There were elders in homes without proper care. There were kids not able to do homework because of the overcrowding at home. That really struck my attention, but as a new person who was campaigning that I have seen some hope in some of the people that I met. In some cases there was pain, fear, and in some cases there were chronic situations.

Mr. Chairman, as I got elected I began to see how the government worked. It took me a little while, perhaps about five years, I am much slower than most people that I know. I started dealing with other MLAs and Cabinet Members and there were many times that Members were very helpful. I learned from those Members and I appreciate their assistance.

Mr. Chairman, when I learned about the conflict of interest allegations, I did not really believe them at first. I will tell you why. In the eastern Arctic in the Nunavut area, when there is something going on in the government system we are the last to learn. Perhaps because of the communication. Perhaps because I am not up-to-date with my office. Perhaps because people like me are on the land out hunting and so on, sometimes I forget to check my fax or telephone or there are times I do not listen to news in the morning or what have you. Mr. Chairman, I have dealt with every Minister of this government from day one. I have travelled with most of the Ministers in the past. I have socialized with Ministers, in the past, under many circumstances and I have every respect for every one of them.

Mr. Chairman, in some cases I have made requests on behalf of my constituents in the Natilikmiot area, some times on behalf of the Kitikmeot Leaders Forum, the whole Kitikmeot region. I have tried to limit my contact with bureaucracy wherever possible, but deal with the Ministers. Mr. Chairman, I have been directed by Kitikmeot Leaders Forum to make a request or statement, and I have also been directed by the people in Pelly Bay, Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, when I visit those homes, to say something or talk to a Minister or say something publicly on their behalf. In many cases I have been successful in pursuing what the people of the Kitikmeot region want, especially of the Natilikmiot area. In many cases the requests that I made seem to have been ignored or the processes are long, cumbersome, sometimes tedious, it takes a long time.

You know, Mr. Chairman, I have people in three of my communities talking about daycare centres. People in my communities wanting to have a women's centre. I have one constituent that passed away not too long ago wanting to get a wheelchair. I have people in my communities that wanted to buy equipment so they could do some carvings. I have people in my area that wanted to get some hunting equipment. I have spoken on their behalf. We have, Mr. Chairman, an access road program in the government. In Pelly Bay we have been talking about an access road for many years and it has been under construction for about five years perhaps. When I hear through other MLAs and through the news, either newspapers or media, et cetera, that when someone approached the government and made a request to their business with and they are successful and in a short matter of time, I wondered, has my concern on behalf of the people that are disadvantaged, people who are down below the level scale. Why are we not able to make the government understand? Why are we not able to make progress as we have anticipated, while others that I find may be of less needy are given the speedy process. I question that aspect.

Mr. Chairman, when Premier Morin was asked to step down there was a motion. I did not support that motion because I believe in the notion that a person, any person for that matter, who has alleged to have broken a section of the Criminal Code or other laws, is innocent until proven guilty. Under that assumption, I did not support the initial motion requesting the Premier to step down.

After the report of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner was released, Mr. Morin did the honourable thing to do and he stepped down from the seat of the leader of the Executive Council. I believe, Mr. Chairman, that one should not punish another twice. I believe that when Mr. Morin stepped down that was reprimand enough for him to indicate that he had to step down. When we go through the recommendations like other Members talk about, I will either support or reject what is recommended.

I think this being my second language, Mr. Chairman, I have the opportunity, although to read the context of the report of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner, but I was not able to read it all. I went through it twice, perhaps three times, Mr. Chairman. Like most of my colleagues, people of the NWT, those who are close to Mr. Morin, that believe Mr. Morin, people who are distant somewhat from Mr. Morin, people who have some reservations about the credibility of Mr. Morin and Members of the Cabinet, I wish, Mr. Chairman, that I knew the truth. I wish that I knew what was in the truth, either coming from Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Morin, Cabinet Ministers, the lawyers, people that went through the process, bureaucracy that were in attendance during the business deals. I wish to God, Mr. Chairman, that I knew the truth, but I do not. Mr. Chairman, I also wish that we were living in a perfect world scenario. I wish I belonged to that association. Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, I do not belong to that club. I know so, Mr. Chairman. I know each and every Member of the Legislature plays to a degree on common sense. Everyone should know. Each and every one of the Members of the Legislature and bureaucracy, especially the elected. My colleague here should know that one has to respect the integrity of this government. We have to honour the public expectation.

Mr. Chairman, for the record, I am not a perfect person either, nor do I pretend to be. I have made mistakes in the past and tried to learn by them. I continue to make mistakes up to this day. Like I indicated before, common sense should play a big role even though we know the rules and everything else. Even, Mr. Chairman, if there was no policy, no roles in the Legislature, I am sure the first thing we would follow would be common sense that we were given. The same opportunity to recognize and understand the need to use our common sense. Mr. Gargan, the Speaker, has told me a couple of times when I sit in the Speaker's chair, although this is beside the point, to uphold the integrity of the House. I have learned a lot from the Speaker and I thank him for that.

Mr. Speaker, I consider Mr. Morin a friend. I am sure he considers me as a friend. Mr. Chairman, I consider each and every one of the Cabinet Members a friend, Mr. Ng, Madame Thompson, Mr. Antoine, Mr. Kakfwi, Mr. Dent and Mr. Todd, perhaps I am missing somebody, Mr. Arlooktoo. They are very close friends of mine, as I indicated earlier, because I work with them here in this forum. I work with them in each and every committee room that we have had in the past four years. I socialize with them in the Members' lounge, sometimes I talk to them on the street and so on. I wish, Mr. Chairman, that they would have treated me with favouritism, really. I prayed even to God some nights when people from my area came to me and made a request on their behalf for a project for services, programs, what have you. I wish they had a little more respect. In another term that is, ya, John, you are friend of mine. You are a friend of mine, I will give you the special treatment. I even prayed that, but they never did. On account of friendship did they give me anything special? No, Mr. Chairman, and I thank God for that, really. Perhaps it has happened to somebody else. It never happens to me. I wish it did, Mr. Chairman. I do not know the truth of all of this. I do not pretend to understand the entirety of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner's report. It would probably take me another couple of months to read it all and understand it, even though if I understand it, I am no lawyer. I guess I will never be, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, will the respect of the public diminish from here on any further? I do not think so. Perhaps it did the last few years, I do not know. You see, Mr. Chairman, people in my area, those are the people that I know, ordinary people living in Pelly Bay, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak, although they watch television, the proceedings of this House, do not really understand how we operate. They do not have the luxury, Mr. Chairman, to come here to this House, sit up there and watch the proceeding in person. Why? They do not have the luxury of buying a return ticket of over $1,500. Mr. Chairman, they do not have the luxury of spending money for the hotel in this capital city of NWT. What they want is what they request, basic things, Mr. Chairman. When we hear, I am sure that perhaps that some people of the public may or may not have been given special treatment. I am sure it is going to hurt a bit because the people that I represent, again I repeat myself, want something like community daycare centre, women's groups that we all represent want an office space so they could have their little get-togethers, perhaps a volunteer person working in that office space. Mr. Chairman, you noticed that I used volunteer, why?

In many cases we do not have the funds, money to carry on with a business by paying a person a salary. I find that people living in a city are so lucky. Many people tell me that at home. To be able to just walk across the street and talk to people that he wanted to talk to in the bureaucracy, sometimes to the Cabinet Ministers, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I hope I am not swaying away from the debate of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner's report. I do not think so. I am merely trying to explain that what some individuals seem to have been given, those individuals are not able to afford many things, seem to be given special attention or financial treatment, so on, it hurt me too as people at home that need the basic things in life seem to be forgotten. It hurts. Either the Cabinet Members, Premier Morin acted knowingly, intentionally, being used by some Members, or inadvertently, I do not know that, Mr. Chairman. Again, I repeat myself. I wish to God that I knew what is going on really. I do not know, Mr. Chairman.

The world in the NWT is much bigger than Lahm Ridge Tower. Mr. Chairman, we have people in the eastern Arctic that talk about the the high cost of living. I talk about high cost of living. Manitok Thompson as an Ordinary Member talks about the high cost of living. Sometimes she comes to me, even though as a Minister, talking about the high cost of living. I have heard people like Mr. Evaloarjuk talking about high costs of living in Igloolik. I am sure each and every one of you remember when he was talking about milk and other commodities that we sometimes take for granted living in a city like this.

You know, Mr. Chairman, there are times when I wake up in the morning and my time after a good night's sleep, Sunday morning especially, and I feel really lucky that I am able to buy groceries at a reasonable price here in Yellowknife. My wife and son and grandchildren in Pelly Bay sometimes have to buy something that costs much more than what we buy here in Yellowknife. Sometimes I feel guilty, Mr. Chairman, of having to have a fish store across from my apartment and sea food. Sometimes a glass of wine, Mr. Chairman. I know that my wife and children are not able to have that luxury at home.

The point I am getting at, Mr. Chairman, is sometimes we forget, we get overconfident. Sometimes, Mr. Chairman, we get careless, sometimes we forget the reality. Sometimes, Mr. Chairman, we forget who put us in here, the public. Sometimes when we are dealing with the people that are close to us, we become very nearsighted, Mr. Chairman. We do things sometimes without even thinking about it. I am forgetful too. Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I have to remind myself where I am, who I am. There are times when I stand up in this forum, Mr. Chairman, without a written statement and I say things I do not mean to say. Sometimes when I ask questions of the Ministers, many of you know me, that I will direct my question to a wrong Minister. I have done that a few times here in this House because nobody is perfect. The public should know that. It does not matter who the public is. It will be a judge, a lawyer, a Minister, a priest, a Premier, Mr. Ningark, whoever. We are not perfect, but we should know that we are now the representatives of the public in a big way, big time. What we do here, in our offices, is be scrutinized by the public.

I used to think once I left Pelly Bay, a small community of about 500 people, whatever I do, nobody is going to notice. Nobody is going to care. I can do as much as I want, privately that is and to a degree, Mr. Chairman, publicly. I learned pretty fast when I found out the first year I was an MLA that what I did here in Yellowknife, somebody knew back home what it was. I never even talked to my wife or sons or anyone, for that matter, or to my campaign manager. I was not being unfaithful, Mr. Chairman. Let me correct that. I did something in public in a way, but not here. I said something. It is a small world, is not it? Every one of us should treat it as such. It is a small world. The higher you get, the smaller it gets. We should know that by now.

Mr. Chairman, my respect of the government, the indicator of the government, Cabinet, Members, Executive Council, whatever term you want to use, has not diminished since the day the report of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner was tabled. No, Mr. Chairman. Why not, Mr. Chairman? Well, I had made a few mistakes in my lifetime. I have prayed to God and I am not overly religious. I am not a saint. When I make mistakes and I prayed, every time I prayed I seem to have been forgiven. When I ran again for the seat of the Legislative Assembly, some people complained about me back home that I was not representing their interests. That I was not voicing their concern, Mr. Chairman. That I did not visit their community as often as I should; that I failed to attend public meetings and public functions. I tried to explain myself. Although without the proof that my excuse was good enough, I was forgiven many times.

I believe, Mr. Chairman, that Mr. Morin has paid the price by stepping down from the office of the Premier. Either he did what he did, as indicated in the report, were intentional inadvertence, all with the knowledge that what he was doing was against the rules and procedures of the Cabinet, or without knowing that. He has indicated in many instances when he spoke initially that he had no, at any time, he had no intention of going against the rules, policies of the Executive Council. Is it up to me to try and impress upon the other Members to reject the report of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner or accept it in its entirety, when it is not up to me? I am not here to impress upon anyone to vote either. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.