Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to advise Members of the Legislative Assembly that the Honourable George Tuccaro, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories has been reappointed to his position for another one-year term. The appointment was announced by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada the Honourable Bernard Valcourt last week. Commissioner Tuccaro’s second term will begin on May 11, 2015 and end on May 10, 2016.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, February 27th, Provincial and Territorial Premiers and Ministers, Federal Ministers and National Aboriginal Organization Leaders will gather in Ottawa to discuss how best to collaborate and coordinate action to prevent and address violence against Indigenous women and girls.

The National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is an unprecedented gathering of partners from across Canada who collectively agree that concrete and identifiable actions are needed.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this final opportunity to welcome Members back to the Legislative Assembly. This will be the last sitting of the 17^th Legislative Assembly, and while our time together will soon be drawing to a close, the work that we began here does not end.

The successes we have achieved and the plans and strategies we have put into action – all of which depended on the input and support of Members – will continue, helping to shape the future of this territory according to the vision and priorities we first set out four years ago.

OTTAWA (January 29, 2015) – Northwest Territories Premier Bob McLeod announced that his government will explore the feasibility of an energy, transportation and communications corridor along the Mackenzie Valley to the Arctic Ocean at a reception in Ottawa today. NWT Aboriginal governments will be invited to participate in the study, which will identify options for creating a more prosperous territory and contributing to the national economy through the responsible development of NWT resources.

Honourable ministers; excellencies – honourable representatives of foreign missions; honourable senators; members of parliament; fellow Premiers, Aboriginal leaders, distinguished members of the press; ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Ottawa, NWT.

We’re pleased to be here with you tonight to share our vision of potential and prosperity with you, and we are pleased that so many people have joined us. We were so overwhelmed by the positive response the last time we were here in 2013 that we had to rent a bigger room tonight, just to make sure we all could fit.

OTTAWA (January 28, 2015) — Premier McLeod  met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to discuss ways the Government of Canada and Government of the Northwest Territories can work together to promote responsible economic development and infrastructure in the Northwest Territories.

YELLOWKNIFE (January 26, 2015) – Bob McLeod, Premier of the Northwest Territories, will lead a delegation to Ottawa for a series of meetings and events with federal ministers from January 29-31, 2015.

BEIJING (January 22, 2015 ) – As  a founding member of the Fur Institute of Canada (FIC), the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) advanced a proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the FIC and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC).

TOKYO (January 21, 2015) – Premier Bob McLeod and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment  (ITI) David Ramsay are concluding their trade and investment mission to China and Japan this week with a focus on tourism. On January 20, they hosted a “Rare in Nature” reception and fashion show at the Canadian embassy in Tokyo, showcasing the NWT’s magnificent aurora and highly prized luxury resources.

YELLOWKNIFE (January 7, 2015) – Premier Bob McLeod and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment David Ramsay will lead a delegation to China and Japan from January 10-21, 2015.