Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to make some comments on the plebiscite direction, particularly the public campaign that should be going on in the western communities. We are all aware that currently eastern MLAs are actively travelling to their communities, meeting with constituents and discussing the upcoming plebiscite.

In the West, as far as I know, very few of the western MLAs have had an opportunity to visit their constituencies and talk to the various groups in their communities regarding this plebiscite.

My concern is that the territorial government has provided funding to TFN to carry on the plebiscite and do a community information campaign, and a secretariat has been established to do a numeration process and do an information campaign for the whole territory. However, as a western MLA I feet that I may not have the same opportunity as eastern Members or receive the same type of information that they have in doing the work that they are doing.

We are about 32 days away from a vote, and many people in the West are just recently getting public information on what we are to vote about, but no public meetings or public discussions on what the issues are. I feel as a western MLA that I am in a very difficult position to provide information or advice to my constituents on which way to vote. As a person I am going to vote the way I feel best, but as a public figure and a leader -- people have a tendency to ask, and I really am in no position today to sway them one way or another. That is a real concern.

I raised some of these issues during question period, and I am just not sure as a western MLA how we provide adequate factual information to people in the Western Arctic on how to vote on the upcoming plebiscite.