Daily Routine Introduction of Special Guests Motions
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
June 12, 2009 HANSARD 4769 Yukon Legislative Assembly contributed to the attainment and development of representa- Dawson City, Yukon tive government in Yukon over the past 100 years. Friday, June 12, 2009 — 1:00 p.m. Thank you. Speaker: Prior to calling the House to order, we will Speaker: It has been moved the Hon. Member for have an opening prayer. I would now ask the Sergeant-at- Klondike, Mr. Steve Nordick: Arms, Mr. Rudy Couture, to escort Doris Roberts to the floor THAT the Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly of the House to offer the opening prayer. forward the following address to the people of Yukon: WHEREAS June 28, 2009 represents the 100th anniversary The Sergeant-at-Arms escorts Ms. Roberts to the podium of the election of the first wholly-elected Council of the Yukon Territory; and Ms. Roberts: [Hän spoken. Translation unavailable] WHEREAS the existence of strong, representative institu- Thank you for coming to Dawson City. tions of government constitutes a cornerstone of a just and de- One hundred years ago, legislation was held here. Wel- mocratic society; and come, Premier and people, and I thank you. Now I will say a WHEREAS Yukoners have for a century demonstrated prayer. their commitment to the institutions of representative govern- ment; Prayers NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Yukon Legislative Assembly, on behalf of all Yukoners, ac- Speaker: At this time, I will call the House to order. knowledges and commemorates the efforts of those who have Please be seated. contributed to the attainment and development of representa- tive government in Yukon over the past 100 years. DAILY ROUTINE Speaker: We will proceed at this time with the Order Mr. Nordick: Mr. Speaker, I would first like to take Paper. this opportunity to welcome everyone here to Dawson City, the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation. I INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL GUESTS would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who Speaker: Under the introduction of special guests, the has made the effort to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of Chair has the honour to introduce Commissioner Geraldine wholly-elected representation in the Yukon. Since being Van Bibber; Chief Eddie Taylor; Mayor John Steins; former elected as the Klondike MLA, I would like to give special Premier Chris Pearson; former Premier Tony Penikett; Mr. Jim thanks to Mr. David Millar, Mr. Art Webster and Mr. Peter Smith, former Commissioner; Mr. Ken McKinnon, former Jenkins for the service they have provided in the most recent Commissioner; Mr. Jack Cable, former Commissioner; Mr. years. Ron Veale, Senior Justice of the Yukon Supreme Court. To my I would also like to thank the citizens of the Klondike for immediate left are the former Klondike MLAs, Mr. Art Web- electing me to represent them, for it is an honour and a privi- ster, Mr. David Millar and Mr. Peter Jenkins. lege to have been able to do so for the last couple of years — Thank you all very much for attending this most auspi- especially here today as we celebrate the 100th year of wholly cious occasion for us and the Legislative Assembly. elected representation in the Yukon. The next item of business is motions. I would like to ask everyone to consider what it means to MOTIONS OTHER THAN GOVERNMENT MOTIONS have a democratic society and how the events that happened 100 years ago affected Canada and the Yukon. I, and I believe Motion No. 830 everyone here today, understand and appreciate what we as Mr. Nordick: Mr. Speaker, I move: Canadians, and locally here as Yukoners, have in place to en- THAT the Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly sure that the voices of our citizens are represented, heard and forward the following address to the people of Yukon: understood. I believe that decisions made that directly affect WHEREAS June 28, 2009 represents the 100th anniversary the Yukon should be made by citizens of the Yukon, and our of the election of the first wholly-elected Council of the Yukon future should not be determined by people who do not live in Territory; and the Yukon and call it home. WHEREAS the existence of strong, representative institu- When I think about what took place in this community 100 tions of government constitutes a cornerstone of a just and de- years ago and the effects this community and the Klondike had mocratic society; and on the Yukon and Canada, it makes me even more proud to be WHEREAS Yukoners have for a century demonstrated here today where it all started. their commitment to the institutions of representative govern- While pondering this motion, I considered adding a clause ment; to it that would return the capital city — I don’t even have to NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the continue. Like I said, I was thinking about adding a clause that Yukon Legislative Assembly, on behalf of all Yukoners, ac- would return the capital city to its rightful home here in the knowledges and commemorates the efforts of those who have Klondike, but I was a little unsure how the members from other 4770 HANSARD June 12, 2009 ridings would feel about this, and I thought I might be a little première fois les explorateurs européens, et alors les commer- outnumbered so I decided not to proceed. çants de fourrure sont arrivés et ont commencé des comptoirs In closing, the reason this day is so important to us is be- commerciaux d'établissement. Ils ont été suivis des mission- cause it is up to us as citizens of Yukon and elected representa- naires catholiques et protestants, et puis le grand afflux de la tives to record, acknowledge and celebrate our history for now fièvre de l'or. and future generations. By doing this, we ensure that the Mr. Speaker, we know the history. We know that, during knowledge and history of our past is not forgotten but used to the Klondike Gold Rush, the Parliament of Canada passed the help us and future citizens and leaders in the Yukon to advance Yukon Territory Act in 1898 and established Yukon as a sepa- this great territory positively in years to come. rate geographical and political entity within the Canadian fed- Thank you, Mr. Speaker. eration. This act established a Yukon government made up of a Commissioner and a Territorial Council of four, all appointed Hon. Mr. Fentie: Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honour by the Government of Canada, but by 1909, the Territorial to make representations here today at the original seat of re- Council was an entirely elected body of 10. One hundred years sponsible government for Yukon. Since that day 100 years ago, later, here now, a body of 18, soon to be 19. We have come a much has transpired in this territory. We, the Yukoners of to- long way in the last century, Mr. Speaker. day, owe a great deal to the many individuals who dedicated One thing has not changed about Dawson. It was built on themselves to building responsible government here in the gold and that remains the mainstay of the local economy today. Yukon. The Yukon placer industry keeps upward of 500 people di- There are points in time that are critical to that evolution, rectly employed. The placer mining industry has suffered its Mr. Speaker. In 1966, with the autonomy motion drafted by ups and downs over the last 100 years, but it still survives and Yukon’s MP, Mr. Erik Nielsen, changes were made to the thrives today. It brings to mind the words of Winston Chur- Yukon Act that truly gave us responsible government in the chill: A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An form of an Executive Council and established the Legislative optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. If you are a Assembly, in many of its forms, as we know it today. placer miner, Mr. Speaker, you are definitely an optimist, and Moving on, Mr. Speaker, there are times in history that are we are optimistic that the placer mining industry will still be very important to where we have come with our governance thriving in Dawson 100 years from now. here in the Yukon. The Minister of DIAND, Mr. Epp, gave I want to speak briefly today about just how important it is directions to then Commissioner of the Yukon, Ione Christen- that we have a fully elected Legislative Assembly in Yukon. sen, which would allow for the government leader and/or pre- We take it for granted that we will elect our representatives in mier to appoint a body known as Cabinet or Executive Council Canada, but as Canadians, we are among the minority of coun- to be able to develop policy, make decisions and take on re- tries that enjoy truly democratically elected governments. As sponsibility of governance for the Yukon. anyone who has read the history of Yukon will know, that And much more has taken place. In April 2003, Yukon wasn’t always the case in Yukon either. In this Assembly, we achieved devolution and we have truly become masters in our debate issues of public interest, and sometimes we do so with own house. So today is definitely a day to mark in time the great passion, but unlike so many countries around the world, evolution of responsible government and the building of we are free to do so with complete confidence in our freedom Yukon’s political, social and economic development. of expression and without any fear that there will be dangerous I am truly honoured and proud to be present today.