Thank you, Madam Speaker. The motion I'm going to present today has to do with the establishment of the Special Joint Committee on Division.
WHEREAS, Parliament has approved the creation of a Nunavut territory by 1999;
AND WHEREAS, division of the Northwest Territories will mean the creation of two new territories in the east and the west;
AND WHEREAS, the current Legislative Assembly and Government of the Northwest Territories will participate in preparing for the implementation of the Nunavut administration in the east and reforming public government institutions in the west;
AND WHEREAS, the Legislative Assembly and Government of the Northwest Territories have agreed to establish a mechanism which will provide for information exchange and effective joint decision-making on division issues;
AND WHEREAS, this mechanism must recognize the existing responsibilities, roles and mandates of the Legislative Assembly, its standing committees and caucuses, the Executive Council and the GNWT administration, as they may relate to the creation of two new territories;
AND WHEREAS, the Executive Council established a deputy minister level division review committee and a division review secretariat to coordinate the Government of the Northwest Territories' planning for and implementation of its obligations relating to the creation of two new territories;
AND WHEREAS, a caucus working group on division, composed of Members and Ministers, was established to make recommendations on the most effective approach to information exchange and decision-making on division issues;
AND WHEREAS, the caucus working group has reported, in December 1993 and again in February 1994, that a special joint committee on division is the preferred mechanism, given current circumstances;
AND WHEREAS, rule 88(2) authorizes this Assembly to increase the permanent membership of the special committee beyond the five Members which are provided in the rules because of its real or anticipated work load;
AND WHEREAS, rule 94(2) requires that the terms of references of all special committees be approved by this Assembly;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that this Assembly establish a special committee with equal representation from the east and west, to be named the Special Joint Committee on Division;
AND FURTHER, that, notwithstanding rule 88(2), that the special joint committee consist of eight permanent Members, comprised of six ordinary Members and two Ministers;
AND FURTHERMORE, that there be six alternate Members, comprised of four ordinary Members and two Ministers appointed to the Joint Special Committee on Division;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the following provisions be adopted as the terms of reference for the Special Joint Committee on Division.
Madam Speaker, at this point, because the remainder of the motion is very lengthy and was read into Hansard on Wednesday, February 23, I would request unanimous consent to consider the remainder of Motion 14-12(5) read and printed in Hansard.