Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to proceed with my motion today concerning the terms of reference of the special committee on constitutional reform.

Mr. Speaker:

WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly has established by Motion 17-12(1) the special committee on constitutional reform;

AND WHEREAS, after consultation, the special committee has prepared its terms of reference;

AND WHEREAS it is required by Rule 95(2) that the terms of reference of all special committees shall be approved by the Assembly;

NOW THEREFORE, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that the following terms of reference for the special committee on constitutional reform be approved:

The special committee on constitutional reform may on its own authority:

1) review proposals for constitutional and institutional reform as outlined in the Government of Canada's document entitled "Shaping Canada's Future Together" and any additional national, federal, provincial, territorial and non-governmental materials, and any other related matters;

2) undertake or request any legal or economic analysis necessary to assist this committee in the development of recommendations for the Legislative Assembly on matters relating to the substance and processes for constitutional and institutional reform;

3) undertake such consultations, discussions or meetings that are necessary with such national, federal, provincial or territorial bodies that have responsibility to consider constitutional and institutional reform in Canada;

4) Undertake such consultations, discussions or meetings that are necessary with national, federal, provincial or territorial bodies that have responsibility to consider constitutional and institutional reform in Canada;

5) make presentations on behalf of the Legislative Assembly and the Government of the Northwest Territories to such bodies as the committee agrees appropriate;

6) prepare reports at times to be decided by the committee and as appropriate to the progress of the national unity debate;

7) review and recommend on any related matter referred to it by the Legislative Assembly; and

8) establish a quorum to be three Members, including the Chair.

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I should just go back and make a correction. The motion was to have been seconded by the honourable Member for the Kitikmeot. Sorry.

Mr. Speaker, I believe most Members in this House support the theme of the report, "Strength At Two Levels." Having said that, however, there are concerns among many Members regarding some of the recommendations, concerns that need to be addressed here in the House before the government moves to implement any recommendations from the report.

Ordinary Members have welcomed this government's pledge to include us much more in the decisions of government, but we have heard several statements in the past week which cause concern because these statements make it sound like the government is proceeding to implement some of the recommendations without any involvement from this side of the House. Statements like announcing that POL would be transferred to the NWT Power Corporation and that the Departments of Health and Social Services would be combined took us by surprise happening before we had the opportunity to even discuss the report in the Legislature.

The government appears to be trying to move quickly -- perhaps too quickly -- to implement recommendations from the Beatty report. Ordinary Members are concerned that their concerns about some of the recommendations might not be addressed before the government moves to implement them.

The purpose of this motion is to ensure that ordinary Members are given the opportunity to provide the sort of advice the government has said they would welcome, placing three ordinary Members on the committee planning the implementation strategy to allow the concerns of ordinary Members to be raised even if the House is not in session.

Given this government's commitment to more openness and accountability and their pledge to involve ordinary Members in government decision-making, I hope we will see the honourable Members on the government side also supporting this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.