Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Justice. Last week, in responding to a question from my honourable colleague for Yellowknife Centre, the Minister indicated that his department was studying the potential implications of the Belczowski decision. Can the Minister now advise the House as to the status of this review?

Minister of Justice, Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I would have to tell the Member that it is still under way within my department. I could add that the matter was raised by the standing committee on legislation of this House at its meeting today, and I have been asked to get back to that committee on this very important issue related to their consideration of the plebiscite and other elections acts which are now before them. I would also note that the recent federal electoral boundaries commission also recommended that prisoners be permitted to vote in federal elections.

Mr. Speaker, my department is examining the federal ruling, and they are also examining just what kind of administrative procedures and changes would be required if we were to implement that ruling for territorial prisoners in facilities in the NWT and in the South. So the review is still under way, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Minister of Personnel, Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral questions. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Justice a question supplementary to the question that Mr. Gargan asked on another item relating to the elections. I wanted to know if the honourable Member is asking his department to review the matter of the residency requirement that is being asked in the Plebiscite Act.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do recall that this very same issue of the validity of the residency requirement for the NWT Plebiscite Act was litigated around 1982 when the last territorial plebiscite was held. I would be pleased to provide Members of this House with a briefing on that decision, which I understand basically validated the residency requirement and which, I believe, would state the law as it now exists on that subject. So I will provide the Members with a briefing on that decision and its implications on the Plebiscite Act.

Supplementary, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The honourable Member will recall one of the reasons for not invalidating the requirement for the three-year residency was the fact that it was prior to the coming into force of the Charter of Rights. I think there have been subsequent rulings. So I would ask the honourable Member if he could have the appropriate research done into that particular matter.

Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be pleased to have that done, and I believe that request was also made by the standing committee on legislation at its meeting this morning. So yes, I will see that it is done as expeditiously as possible.

Mr. Gargan.

I would like to direct my question to the Government Leader with regard to the hiring of executive assistants. In the process of the selection of executive assistants, have these people applied for the positions and have they been successful in getting those positions, or are those direct appointments?

Madam Government Leader.

Mr. Speaker, the executive assistants are chosen by the Ministers responsible because of their particular needs, and these are direct appointments.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Personnel with respect to this statement today on the sale of staff housing, which, by the way, I think is an excellent initiative. Should the current residents in the staff housing, government employees, not wish to purchase the units, has there been any consideration given in the policy to allowing others to purchase the units?

Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Nerysoo.