Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, rise today to express concern over the government's decision not to allow ordinary Members and, by extension, the voters of the Northwest Territories to participate in the Strength At Two Levels report.
Despite promises of more open government and promises of greater participation by ordinary Members, Mr. Speaker, this government is only now asking for our involvement after all the planning has been completed. The government had an opportunity, with the Strength At Two Levels report, to break with the past and demonstrate its commitment to more open government and greater participation by ordinary Members. Instead, they have chosen to continue to work behind closed doors. I say this, Mr. Speaker, because the government appears to be using the Strength At Two Levels report as the basis for changes to the government as proposed in the Government Leader's document, Reshaping Northern Government.
I have been told that Reshaping Northern Government is a working document and only a starting point. But, it is obvious that a detailed report such as this must have required considerable discussion and could not have been formulated without making some policy decisions. Now that all of the decisions have been made, the government wants ordinary Members to rubber-stamp its recommendations. Thank you.
---Applause