Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the motion on the floor calls for dissolution of the 12th Assembly by August 31, 1995 in order to permit a general election to be held on October 16, 1995. Mr. Speaker, unless this motion is amended, I want to let the public know that I will be voting against it. I'm opposed to this motion as it is presently worded, Mr. Speaker, because I think it proposes an election timetable that is very wrong; an election timetable that will damage the ability of this House to respond to some of the most critical fiscal and leadership challenges that we have ever confronted in the Northwest Territories.

There are many reasons for arriving at this conclusion, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to take a few minutes to outline why I'm so opposed to the notion of delaying the territorial election until the fall, when it will be too late for real change and real leadership. But, first, I want to be very clear that I've come to my conclusions on this matter after a lot of careful consideration, research and discussions with many people, particularly my constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I know that my honourable colleague from Yellowknife Centre made a Member's statement on February 20th, during which he argued that: "Any move to have a spring election very soon would be seen as opportunism and an attempt by MLAs to catch the opposition with their pants down." Those are the words he used. He even said that the people of Yellowknife feel that Members who support the idea of a spring election are guilty of sleazy tactics.

Ohh.

Mr. Speaker, I did not appreciate those comments then and I still don't appreciate them. In fact, those comments are unparliamentary.

Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Point of order, Mr. Lewis.

Point Of Order

I'm very familiar with the use of the word "sleazy," Mr. Speaker. I know the English language very well and the word "sleazy," is only unparliamentary if a Member uses it in the context of calling another Member sleazy or, in fact,

dishonouring Members of this House by accusing them of that kind of behaviour. I have too much respect for the people in this Assembly to ever call a Member sleazy.

Hear, hear.

And, therefore, I would like you to consider my point of order, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. The Member for Thebacha has indicated that the word "sleazy" is unparliamentary but I think it is only unparliamentary if it's said to another Member. Mr. Lewis is correct. I cannot make a ruling on the point of order until I see the Hansard when Mr. Lewis made his Member's statement, then I can determine the point of order. So, I will take the point of order under advisement. Continue, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are some honourable Members interested in seeing this motion to hold a fall election defeated; in fact, I believe many of them, because they believe there are valid and pressing reasons to seek an earlier mandate from the people of their constituencies. But, how many have the resolve to stand up and risk being labelled as having questionable motives or risk having Yellowknife-based media interpret their stands as "running scared during an election"?

Ohh.

I just can't believe that. However, even in the face of these risks, Mr. Speaker, I'll be encouraging all Members of this House to have the courage to face the facts and to recognize that if this motion passes the new Assembly will be locked into an election timetable that just isn't in the best interests of the people of the Northwest Territories.

The facts are that more than at any time in our past, this House is facing a serious fiscal crisis that must be addressed. We need an election timetable that will not prevent us from making the decisions that have to be made. Mr. Speaker, we all know about the financial situation we're in. Since 1993-94, we have moved from an accumulated surplus of $56 million to a projected accumulated deficit of $38 million. With the release of Mr. Martin's federal budget last Monday, we know that the situation is only going to become more difficult. There will likely be cuts in our federal financing in the neighbourhood of $8 million this year, and next year there will be a reduction of over $50 million.

On top of that, the Standing Committee on Finance is suggesting the need for a balanced budget; legislation to come into effect in 1998. This means that in less than three years we need to find ways to trim $88 million from our current spending values.

Mr. Speaker, it's my belief that the Government of the Northwest Territories has never faced a challenge like this before. In my view, next year's budget process will be the most critical one that we have ever undertaken in the history of the government. Yet, if this motion passes without an amendment, we will be locked into a fall election and a new government will not take place until some time in November at the earliest. So that means that the new Cabinet will only have two months to finalize the most critical budget in northern history, a budget where they'll need to contend with a $58 million cut in federal funding.

Not only does it sound pretty dangerous, I don't think it's in the best interest of sound fiscal leadership. Mr. Speaker, what bothers me is that not only will it be my children and your children, but it will be the children of all honourable Members in this House who have to live with the consequences if we do not leave ourselves enough time to complete the thoughtful planning that now has to take place. The alternative, of course, is to hold the election in the spring. This timetable will put a new government in place. In a month and a half, the OPPLAN process will begin and will provide our new Cabinet the months of July, August, September, October, November, December and January to finalize next year's budget; the most important budget that has ever had to be developed in the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased yesterday when the Minister of Finance indicated that he would be consulting with community leaders and with the public at large to collect their ideas on spending and other fiscal priorities for the upcoming year. I applaud my honourable colleague for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine, for encouraging the Minister to do this -- even though CBC neglected to mention that the consultation process was his idea in the first place.

But I must wonder how on earth the Ministers plan to carry out these consultations in the midst of an election campaign.

Mr. Speaker, as I've said before, we have to face the facts. If the Minister undertakes these consultations immediately prior to the fall election, the process will be seen as a purely political exercise and I don't know if we'll be able to divide the attention of consulting on one hand and campaigning on the other. These consultations will be extremely important. In order for them to be credible, we must ensure that there is adequate time and that there will be consistency on how the process is followed through.

Mr. Speaker, a fall election as established in Motion 11-12(7) simply would not allow sufficient time for this process to be carried out properly. Mr. Speaker, honourable Members know that in this House we have other significant government initiatives on our plate as well. They know that supporters of this motion have suggested that a fall election is necessary because important work like negotiations of the northern accord negotiations of the federal/territorial discussion on formula financing could not be finished by the spring.

While I think, as I said before, facing the facts -- and the fact is that this is highly unlikely, probably even impossible, that the northern accord and a new federal funding formula will be concluded by the fall of 1995. Indeed, we have to ask ourselves whether it's better to have these key arrangements finalized by a government that has almost exhausted its mandate and will be unable to be held accountable after agreements are finalized.

Mr. Speaker, we shouldn't forget about the transfer of the responsibility of Arctic A airports, scheduled now to proceed in July. And we should remember that to give northerners more control over key transportation services, it will represent about a 30 per cent increase in the budget required by Transportation.

So we have to ask ourselves whether it is wise to initiate the implementation phase of this transfer under the Minister of Transportation, only for it to be interrupted three months later when a new Cabinet is selected by the 13th Assembly.

That is why this is exactly the situation that will be created if this motion passes and the election is delayed until the fall. This is more or less what happened in the health transfer, and we've been facing the consequences ever since. Did we learn nothing from the problems that we've experienced with health planning?

Mr. Speaker, there are many other reasons why a fall election is not in the best interest of the Northwest Territories. As I said in my Member's statement, we know there is presently a vacant seat in this House occasioned by the resignation of our former colleague, Mr. Arvaluk. We also know the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act requires the Commissioner to issue a writ for a by-election. The Commissioner has no discretion, it appears, in this matter. Section 9(1) states that she shall issue the writ unless it is provided in section 9(2) the Assembly is scheduled to expire within six months. This motion doesn't allow us to expire in six months.

Mr. Speaker, to hold a by-election in order to fill this vacancy would be expensive and I don't believe in the interests of the people of Aivilik or of the Northwest Territories. Yet, unless the Commissioner acts, the matter could be challenged and we could be forced to proceed with a by-election.

However, my constituents have told me that they're aware of these issues and they know the pros and cons of a fall election and of the springtime alternative. And they're telling me that when all is said and done, they feel that now is the time for the 12th Assembly to seriously consider a spring election. Some are telling me that there will be resistance because Cabinet Members may wish to fulfil their term. I know honourable Members who have already declared that they don't want to stand for re-election, and they may be concerned that they want to finish their term. However, I don't think those are reasons to base our election timetable on.

Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize again and again, that honourable Members of this House are here to do their best for the people of the Northwest Territories, not what's best for ourselves.

Hear, hear.

---Applause

Not to look at fulfilling the term with regard to payment and a nice summer break, as Members have said; a summer where we don't have to worry about...

Shame, shame, shame.

...where we can get a paycheque. Those are the types of comments I've been hearing from Members...

Shame.

...and I think that's shameful. You're right.

Terrible, terrible. Shameful.

However, Mr. Speaker, I believe that in the interests of sound leadership -- and we all call ourselves leaders -- we must ensure that there's sufficient time for the important fiscal course that will need to be set during our next budget cycle.

I'm not willing to delay a much-needed election until the fall, that's why I'm voting against the motion.

Point Of Privilege

I have a point of privilege, Mr. Speaker. I hear cackling across the room and Members have suggested that I resign. I've been elected as a Member to represent my constituents and I will fulfil that until the day of the next election. So I ask the Member for an apology. Thank you.

The chair didn't hear the comment nor am I aware if it's recorded as a comment, so the Member doesn't have a point of privilege. Continue, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard the comment and I find that shameful of the Minister to be speaking in that format. However, Mr. Speaker, I want to close my remarks by indicating that, as I had said, fiscally we're in an era where we have to go and ask people where they want cuts. Not a next election, but of what they want to see happen. With that, I would like to take the time to propose an amendment to this particular motion. Thank you.

Mrs. Marie-Jewell, you can proceed with your amendment.

Motion To Amend Motion 11-12(7), Defeated

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Baffin Central, that the motion be amended by deleting August 31, 1995 and substituting April 27, 1995;

And further, by deleting October 16, 1995 and substituting June 12, 1995. Thank you.