Mahsi cho. Thank you, colleagues, for allowing me to proceed with this very important motion.

WHEREAS the Constitutional Development Steering Committee (CDSC) was formed to design, implement and guide the process of developing a constitution and structure of government for the new western territory, which will be created upon division of the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999;

WHEREAS the first constitutional conference was very successful, resulting in 22 points of emerging consensus on principles for the structure of government for the new western territory and direction to the CDSC to continue and complete the western constitutional process;

WHEREAS it is imperative that the western constitutional process continue in order to ensure the development, ratification and implementation of appropriate structures of government for the western territory by April 1, 1999;

AND WHEREAS this is an urgent matter of major political significance in the western NWT;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE seconded by the honourable Member for Baffin Central, that this Assembly recommends that the following 12 draft principles approved by the CDSC be used as the basis to guide the western constitutional process.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to request unanimous consent to have the 12 principles that I read when I gave notice be considered read and printed in Hansard.