Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today to speak about an issue dear to all our hearts: territorial elections. Madam Speaker, historically NWT Legislative Assembly elections have taken place every four years during the fall season. This 12th Assembly was elected October of 1991; the 11th Assembly, October of 1987; 10th Assembly, November of 1983, and so on.

However, on April 1, 1999, there will be the creation of two new territories as a result of the enactment of the Nunavut Act. This means that an election for the Members of the Nunavut Assembly must take place before April 1 of 1999. Ideally, the Members for the new western territory should also be elected around the same time.

Based on past historic election time frames, this Assembly would dissolve in the summer of 1995 with an October 1995 election of the 13th Assembly. This would leave the 13th Assembly with a maximum mandate between October of 1995 and March of 1999, of less than three and a half years.

Madam Speaker, as we all know, the next Assembly will have the monumental and historical task of working out the fiscal and administrative framework to support two new territories in 1999, over and above the already difficult task of governing our existing territory with limited and diminishing financial resources. In recognizing the heavy workload required of the next Legislative Assembly and their reduced term as a result of the requirement for at least one and probably two Assemblies to be established by April of 1999, I wish for Members of the 12th Assembly to consider holding a spring 1995 general election in order to allow a full four year term for the next and last NWT Legislative Assembly as we know it.

Madam Speaker, this Assembly has the authority to decide on an election date. I hope we can seriously consider using our authority for the benefit of all northerners by allowing the next Assembly a full four year mandate in order to ensure the fair and smooth establishment of two new territories in 1999. Qujannamiik.

---Applause