Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed, if any? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 3 has had second reading and will be placed on the agenda of the committee of the whole. Second reading of bills. Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to get unanimous consent to go back to Item 14 to deal with Motion 31-12.

Unanimous consent has been requested by Mr. Gargan. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Proceed, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Members too. Mr. Speaker:

WHEREAS the voting age requirement in the NWT is 19 years of age;

AND WHEREAS the government initiatives for the future will impact on all the young people of the NWT;

AND WHEREAS at 18 years of age you can vote in federal and most provincial elections, leave school without the permission of your parents, and are considered an adult in our justice system;

AND WHEREAS the right to vote is guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

AND WHEREAS the population of the NWT is comprised of a larger number of young people;

AND WHEREAS the youth are well educated and should be in a position to exercise their democratic right;

NOW THEREFORE, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Legislative Assembly adopts that the voting age at an election in the NWT be changed from 19 to 18 years of age;

AND FURTHER, that the Legislative Assembly requests that the Executive Council introduce the necessary amendments to the Elections Act, Local Authorities Election Act and Plebiscite Act to give effect to any change in the voting age.

The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am bringing this motion forward after much discussion with young people in my constituency and in the Western Arctic. The intent of the motion is to give more young people a voice in the important political decisions that will be made over the next few years; decisions that will define the very nature of the Territories we live in.

I must stress to Members that lowering the voting age is not a radical suggestion. It would merely bring our legislation into line with most other jurisdictions in Canada that have already recognized the important contribution that young people can make in a political process.

Changes in legislation proposed in the motion will allow persons 18 years of age to vote in municipal and territorial elections and to run for office in these elections. It would also allow them the opportunity to cast their vote on the issue of division should a plebiscite ever occur.

We have heard often in this House about the important contributions that our youth can make. I have heard the Government Leader and many Members of the Executive Council tell this House how they consulted with young people on important issues. The current constitutional commission has recognized the contribution young people can make by going to high schools across the Territories to get their views on the constitutional development process in the Western Arctic. Young people have more to contribute than ever before.

As Mr. Lewis has stated in the House, young people have an understanding of the complexities of the modern world. They want satisfying jobs; some of them want to be businessmen; some of them want to build things; they are not happy with just getting a job; they want to make accomplishments; they want to make a contribution; they want another level of satisfaction that is far beyond what the elders were looking for many years ago.

Political Awareness Increases With Educational Level

The motion would go further than consultation. It would allow more young people to have a direct voice on these important issues by exercising their right to vote. Mr. Speaker, our youth are attending and graduating from high school at an ever increasing rate. As the Minister of Education has stated, our schools can hardly keep up with the demand. Increasing numbers of Dene, Metis and Inuit youth are graduating from high school and going on to post-secondary education programs at Arctic College, universities, college and trade schools. As the level of education increases for our youth, the level of political awareness increases proportionately. Young people are increasingly becoming involved in the political process through presentations to and meeting with constitutional commissions, participating in youth forums and serving on youth justice committees, and they are actively participating in aboriginal organizations.

I know that many of the people that have served in this House became politically active at a very young age. For example, Mr. Morin has told us that he was the president of the first Metis local at Pine Point at the age of 17.

The decisions we make over the next several years are decisions that will shape the lives of many of our youth. One way to ensure that more of our youth have a greater say in these decisions is by lowering the voting age to 18, as most other jurisdictions have done. I should note that I was concerned when I was considering this motion about the effect of changing the voting age on other age requirements in territorial legislation. I was particularly concerned with the effect it may have on the legal drinking age. The research I have done shows that amendments to the election legislation would not affect this requirement. In fact, in most other jurisdictions the voting age is lower than the drinking age, and that is how it would be here.

The fact is that the youth of our Territories are better educated, more politically aware and active and have a larger stake in the political decisions that shape our future than ever before. It is for these reasons that I am proposing this motion to give them a larger voice in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to mention that before the conclusion of the 11th Assembly, I did discuss the matter of changing the voting age at that time, before the election, but I did not think it would have been supported. The reason I would like to bring it up at this time is that there are people that are 15, 16 or 17 years of age that are listening to us probably right now with regard to this. They will be 18 years of age when the election comes in 1994, so perhaps if the Members care for their political years, they might consider supporting it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Gargan. Seconder of the motion, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the motion proposed by my colleague, I fully support his endeavours to lower the age of the youth concerning territorial elections. I certainly believe that many of the youth in today's society are becoming more aware of the political development of the North and want to participate more with regard to political development. I think I can give you some examples. As we recognize, the commission that is touring the Territories, is getting a lot of participation and more comments from the youth than they had initially anticipated. You can certainly tell that the interest is out there.

I know and have observed through the campaign period that there are many youth that do want to know, that do want to be involved and want to find a way to get involved, even though they are not eligible to vote. They were very interested in the process. I want to indicate that through my campaign period there were a lot more requests from the schools to explain the process and why we were running, starting at a very young age. People are becoming more aware; the youth are becoming more interested and aware; and I believe that if we can give them opportunities to vote, if they show an interest -- and they are showing an interest --I think it is only fair.

Various Responsibilities Youth Can Undertake Before Present Voting age

If we look in the Territories at what youth can do at the age of 18, we all know that many, even young individuals, can receive a social insurance number. At 16 years of age, they can get married even without the permission of their parents, and yet we are depriving them of the right to vote. You can vote in other jurisdictions. There are other jurisdictions that allow youth to vote, but when you look at youth in the Territories, even at 16 years of age, they are allowed to partake in different responsibilities in our society. They are able to take, hold and participate with certain privileges in our society.

Take, for example, obtaining a driver's licence. They are eligible to obtain a driver's licence at the age of 16. They do take on certain responsibilities at a young age.

Once students reach the age of 16, they can, if they so wish -- and it is very difficult to stop them -- drop out of school. I believe that students are now recognizing the consequences of dropping out of school. Certainly, as an MLA, I would encourage every student to get as much education as they can.

These are the types of decisions that youth can make when they are at the early age of even 16. There are many other responsibilities, as I have stated. I will not go into detail with many of them, but I know that youth are willing to take on certain responsibilities and they are willing to participate now more readily and want full participation within our society, and I think it is only fair to give them that opportunity. Therefore, I would request the Members to give serious consideration to lowering the territorial voting age to 18 from 19. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Question.

Question is being called. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would support the motion because when I was at that age I could hardly wait until I was 19, eligible to vote and eligible to run for organizations that tried to improve my community. As soon as I was able to vote, at the age of 19, I got into the community council and I started from there. I think there are community young people at the age of 17 or 18 who are very willing and capable and have a lot of energy to help their community. I just want to tell you that I am in full support of this motion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Allooloo. How times have

changed! Now we can hardly wait until we get the old age pension.

---Laughter

Question.

Question has been called. Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Speaker, just to mention to the Members that during our last territorial election -- I realize that students can vote by proxy when they are away from home, but a lot of students did not exercise that opportunity. In the event that this motion does pass, I would like to ask that provisions be made to the NWT Election Act so that we allow students, for example in Iqaluit or in Akaitcho Hall, to have booths so that they could vote for their respective constituencies. I would like to ask the Members to support my motion, and I request a recorded vote.

That concludes debate. A recorded vote has been requested. All those in favour of the motion, please rise.

Motion 31-12(1), Carried

All those opposed to the motion, please rise. All those abstaining, please rise. The motion is carried unanimously, with 17 votes in the affirmative.

---Carried

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I wish consent to go back to Item 11, tabled documents.

Unanimous consent is being requested to return to Item 11 on the orders of the day. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Proceed, Madam Government Leader.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table Tabled Document 25-12(1), Northwest Territories Power Corporation Act Rate Structure Regulations, proposed amendment.

Tabling of documents. Item 16, second reading of bills. Item 17, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Ministers' Statement 2-12(1), Living Within Our Means; Ministers' Statement 5-12(1), Community Transfer Initiative; Tabled Document 3-12(1), Strength At Two Levels; Bill 4, Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act; Bill 1, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92; Bill 2, Borrowing Authorization Act; and Bill 3, Adoption of the French Versions of the Statutes and Statutory Instruments Act, with Mr. Pudluk in the chair.

The committee will now come to order. Member for Thebacha.