David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, October 22, 2007, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Glen Abernethy, and the honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bob Bromley, be appointed as deputy chairpersons of Committee of the Whole. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Mahsi.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The last government, for all intents and purposes, really didn’t have an even distribution of workload and I’m wondering if the Premier can state today that he’s going to do everything in his power to ensure that there’s an even distribution of workload amongst Cabinet Ministers? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the commitment and the expenditure of public funds, I don’t think there is such a thing as confidential. Let’s be realistic about that. They are public funds. They are going to be expended in an area. I don’t believe that’s confidential, Mr. Speaker. Is the Government of the Northwest Territories past the point of no return on the Deh Cho Bridge? Are we proceeding with the Deh Cho Bridge when we don’t even know what it’s going to cost us? Are we past the point of no return, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to get back to questions on the Deh Cho Bridge project. I wasn’t left with a really good feeling after hearing the Premier talk about how his government is going to operate differently than the last government on providing this House with assurances on how the project is moving along. I am talking about information and information sharing. How is his government going to be any different than the last one, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for that, but I'm trying to understand how the process is going to work. I haven't seen one contract; I haven't seen anything that's been signed by the Government of the Northwest Territories. I'm wondering if this government is going to be any different than the last government. Are they going to share information with the Regular Members of this House on the role out of the Deh Cho Bridge project, or is all going to be done in secret like the last government was doing? That's the question I have for the Premier. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the previous government made a spending decision, a decision to spend an additional $2 million a year on the Deh Cho Bridge project; a decision that wasn't ratified by this House, the Regular Members on this side of the House. I wasn't going to ask questions, but today I'm going to ask the Premier what is the status of the Deh Cho Bridge project, Mr. Speaker? A lot of people would like to know. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, like my colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes, would like to use my Member's statement today to speak about my expectations of the new Government of the Northwest Territories.

The people in our communities and us, on this side of the House, are waiting to see which portfolios will go to which Ministers. I'm watching closely, Mr. Speaker, on what happens over the next few days, because the questions, the concerns and the issues are accumulating and the session, for the public's knowledge, doesn't start again…The next sitting of this House doesn't start again until...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS there is a requirement for the naming of two Members to hold the positions of deputy chairpersons of Committee of the Whole;

AND WHEREAS it is desirable to appoint two Members;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Glen Abernethy, and the honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bob Bromley, be appointed as deputy chairpersons of Committee of the Whole.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I fully support the motion in terms of the Members’ Conduct Guidelines and support what my colleagues have said here today. I think it was mentioned earlier this week that we want to, as a group of 19 MLAs, we want to end up four years from now with the same 19 Members that are assembled here today. I think that’s a goal that we should all try to get to.

There are some things being Members of the Legislative Assembly, we come here and on the floor of the House there are certain rules that are in place that protect Members. You can speak on behalf of your...