Thank you, Madam Chair.
In Preparing for the 1999 Elections.
To vote as the elections in 1999 are still far in the distance. However, there is still significant work to be done to prepare for the elections for the election administration. This is made more complicated by the need for not one, but two separate election offices to support the elections in each of the two new Territories.
Some steps have to be taken to prepare for the first elections in the new Territories. The Legislative Assembly has considered legislation establishing Electoral Boundaries Commissions in both Territories. There is also ongoing work under the authority of the Chief Electoral Officer to prepare public education material for elections.
However, in order to ensure the smooth operation of the 1999 elections, there is a need to set up the election administration in 1997. While negotiations to transfer responsibility for elections to the NWT may not be complete at this time, the offices will still need to be established.
Recommendation 13
I move that this Committee recommends that the two electoral offices for the new Territories be in operation by April, 1997, with the appropriate interim funding in place by April 1, 1999.