Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I’ve committed to the Member prior in question period, that I would undertake a review of this process of where it’s at today and be prepared to sit down with Members again once I’ve done that work. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and privilege to stand here today as the Premier of the Northwest Territories. I appreciate the confidence and trust Members of this Assembly and people across the territory have placed in me. Along with the members of my Cabinet, we commit to all northerners that we will take decisions with a view to the future, anchored in a profound sense of responsibility for the kind of society our children and grandchildren will inherit. I am confident we will tackle the difficult choices necessary to position our

territory to have a prosperous and sustainable future, which...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we’re unable to table that concession agreement, as we’re working with the parties involved. As I’ve committed on the 19th, the Minister responsible will sit with Members around this project. He has done that and provided some information. But the concession agreement itself we’ll not be tabling in this House. The issue of the P3 subject, we’re working with Ottawa to come up with the final parameters of their program and that’s the funding source that was being looked at in that area. For dealing with the Financial Administration Act and the documents that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge isn’t a new project. It has been in the works since the legislation was first brought in in the 14th Assembly. It has had numerous amounts of debate in this forum and, once again, in the 16th Assembly, we are having some discussion on that. I have committed to look at the process that was used and come back and sit down with Members and look where we go from there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as in my initial response as Premier, I will undertake to look at this matter of where we have gone at that point, sit down with Members to see what the next steps may be that we may look at as an Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated earlier, I have committed that we are going to have a look at this and that will be part of the review.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members are aware, the contracts that are being signed are not from the Government of the Northwest Territories; they are through the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation group as well as potential constructors of the bridge. There has been, from the work that was done previously, we know that there's a commitment to start some of the early earthwork process. But ultimately, no contracts or, from our government side, no liability is being held until we know, for example, they get the permits from the federal government as well as get an agreement on the final...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have committed that once the assignment of portfolios is done, the appropriate Ministers will get up to speed on the particulars within their departments and be prepared to sit down with Members to come up with where things are and answer those questions. When we come back for our next sitting, we will have that information available as to where things are today. More importantly, we need to sit down together as 19 Members to come up with where we think we should be as the 16th Legislative Assembly and that work needs to be done, as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we talk about accountability and transparency for the government, we're going to set high standards. But those high standards also have to be met with organizations that receive funding. When they know budgets are planned at the beginning of the year, they're going to have to work within that environment as well as we have to work within ours. I commit, as Premier of the Northwest Territories of the 16th Assembly, as your Premier, I will work with you to make sure we come up with the best possible solution to ensure that those most in need in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as well, I would like to thank the Members for bringing this forward. I believe it’s something we all have to live by and as we heard already, it’s not only saying the words, but it’s going to be living the words in the example we set to those who watch us and have given us the privilege of serving them in this institution. So I want to say I support this and I expect that as Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly, we are going to be showing people and walking the talk, so to speak, that we are going to live by what we said and that means there are times...