Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I rise, once again, to discuss the situation in Iqaluit with regard to the town council. First of all, I would like to say that I'm pleased today to learn that the Honourable Silas Arngna'naaq has appointed Mr. Robin Beaumont, municipal administrator for the town of Iqaluit, the registrar and returning officer for the town.
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This is encouraging. Thank you. And he's got a wonderful new haircut as well, on top of that. This is very encouraging, Madam Speaker, to me, although I did note that the appointment remains in effect until December 31, 1994. The letter goes on to say, "or until such time as the municipal election process is concluded in Iqaluit, whichever comes first." So, it at least suggests to me that there is, hopefully, a good possibility of the May/June election, which I'm very confident the majority of my constituents in Iqaluit want to see.
Another promising sign that the situation of crisis -- as it was described by the then Minister of Municipal Affairs last November when the town council was dissolved -- has now subsided. I understand that Mr. Beaumont left today for a holiday in San Francisco.
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I'm sure this is a very well-deserved holiday on his part and I think the fact that he felt that he had the opportunity to take such a holiday suggests to me that the town's affairs must be under control.
There is more encouraging news, Madam Speaker. Yesterday, I received a copy of a letter from Mayor Pat McMahon, president of the NWT Association of Municipalities to the Honourable Silas Arngna'naaq, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs which informs him of the following motion: Motion 94-1, passed March 30 or 31 at their recent directors' meeting. "The NWT Association of Municipalities requests that the Government of the Northwest Territories establish an election date without delay in Iqaluit." The letter went on to say...My time is up.
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