Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Thursday, November 19, 1993, I gave a Member's statement on the issue of the unconstitutionality of a section of the Elections Act which prohibits inmates from voting. Today I would like to take the opportunity to speak on the issue of what I believe legislation should do to remedy this problem.

Mr. Speaker, now is the time for the House to address the issue of inmates voting. The courts have already addressed this issue by ruling that an absolute prohibition is unconstitutional. Mr. Speaker, the honourable Dennis Patterson stated on July 3, 1991, in response to my motion to refer this issue to the courts that we do not need judges to do politicians' work. With all due respect to my learned friend, the judges have done a portion of our work by ruling equivalent legislation unconstitutional. Now is the time for us to finish this job by considering various legislative options.

Mr. Speaker, I do not support the idea that every inmate should have the right to vote. Voting is a precious right in a democratic society. It is not a right which should be automatic to every citizen. The right to vote should also not be automatically or thoughtlessly taken away. The difficulty I have with our current legislation is that it prohibits all inmates from voting, regardless of the length of their jail sentence or the circumstances of their crime. This type of blanket prohibition without thought or rationale is what I, and the Supreme Court of Canada, found offensive.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that inmates convicted of the most serious offence against society and people in society should lose the right to vote. As my learned friend, Brian Lewis, stated on July 3, 1991, once you have broken the conventional laws of our society, you lose your right. I do believe, however, that the laws of the right to vote should only be for the most serious offences. It simply is not possible to compare long-term prison...

Mr. Gargan, your time has expired.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to get unanimous consent to continue my statement.

Agreed.

---Agreed

The Member is asking for unanimous consent to continue. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Gargan, please proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, honourable Members. It simply is not possible to compare long-term prison inmates to those inmates who are in prison for a very brief period of time. Yet, under the current legislation, both long-term and short-term inmates, regardless of the differences of their offenses, lose their right to vote.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government, in the most recent election, allowed those inmates who are jailed for two years or less to vote in the recent election. Inmates with sentences greater than two years are not allowed to vote. I believe that the federal government's approach on this issue is rational and reasonable and that their approach will withstand the scrutiny of the courts.

Mr. Speaker, two years ago Members stated that the courts should not deal with this issue, that this issue was a matter for this House to decide. I urge us all to have a debate in the near future on this issue that so many Members called for two years ago. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly believe in giving credit where credit is due and I want to just simply acknowledge the tremendous progress that has been made toward finally devolving some decision-making authority and some flexibility to the regions by the Honourable John Todd in the short time that he's occupied the portfolios of Economic Development and Tourism and Transportation.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, I've been urging this kind of decentralization of decision-making authority, so that regional staff can deal with regional problems in a flexible way, for many years. I hate to say it, but the trend even while I was in Cabinet, seemed to have been toward bringing things closer to the chest and bringing decision-making to headquarters. Mr. Todd, in a few short weeks with the support of his deputies, has moved the trend the other way and I want to acknowledge that and I want to congratulate him for that in both Economic Development and Tourism, and Transportation. Now, let's hope that the other departments will follow suit so that regional staff can deal with regional problems in a unique and flexible way, without having to run to Yellowknife every time they want to ask permission to go to the bathroom. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Order please. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 5, oral questions. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to a question asked by Mr. Arngna'naaq on November 22, 1993, concerning the date of introduction for supplementary appropriation covering bus funding. Mr. Speaker, the additional contribution funding of $268,000 to school boards for this year, for increased costs associated with student transportation, is included in Supplementary Appropriation, No. 2, 1993-94. This supplementary appropriation is presently being reviewed by the Standing Committee on Finance. This additional funding in 1993-94 will permit the application of the bussing policy across the territories, according to a consistent set of criteria. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell on November 19, 1993, about the date the alcohol and drug board of management was dissolved. The decision to eliminate the board was made on April 13, 1992. The last board meeting was held on August 12, 1992.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Thank you, Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the individual, the individual's knowledge, capability and past experience in certain areas, whether or not it was with this Legislative Assembly, so there's a number of issues that are there. They are varied. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, it depends on what you call equal, if you mean various portfolios to each individual. There are all kinds of factors that take place. Because I work with individuals on a day to day basis, I can determine whether a person can handle a little bit more, a little bit less. So, I suppose the word "equal" would be a subjective word that I would use. I know I work with these people every day and I know that certain people can carry a little bit more. Some people have had long experience. For example, Mr. Todd, who was with MACA years ago, has intimate knowledge of how it was set up...

---Laughter

So you consider these types of things. I think some people have more experience because of an opportunity in the past. Thank you.