Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak in support of the appointment of the next Supreme Court justice as the new Supreme Court judge for Nunavut. Now that Justice Mark de Weerdt has moved to the Supreme Court of BC, there is a vacant seat in our Supreme Court.
Mr. Speaker, I would very much like to see a judge for Nunavut put in place and working in the present NWT justice system well before Nunavut is actually implemented. This will help ensure a smooth changeover when Nunavut is put in place in April 1999.
Mr. Speaker, I know that Supreme Court judges are appointed by the federal government, but I also know that the federal government will consider the views of our NWT Minister of Justice and of a committee of the Law Society.
I know that when Mr. Kakfwi was Minister of Justice, he stated in this House that he would like to see the next Supreme Court judge a resident of Nunavut. That did not happen, Mr. Speaker.
I believe that the people of Nunavut are looking forward to the first resident Supreme Court judge in Nunavut. I know that, until very recently, the law required that our Supreme Court judges live in Yellowknife. This is probably why the last three appointments to the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories have been practising lawyers and residents of Yellowknife. However, Mr. Speaker, I hope that in looking for the best candidate for what will be the Nunavut Supreme Court, we could somehow make sure we get the best talent, wherever it is.
For example, I have met Judge James Igliliorte, who is an Inuk judge of the Provincial Court of Newfoundland and Labrador. The people of Labrador are fortunate that for many years, they have had the advantage of having a judge who understands them well.
I was very impressed to learn that Judge Igliliorte was a school principal who was sent to law school by the provincial government especially to become a judge. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with the spirit of the new Nunavut government, which I believe will be dedicated to serving the unique needs of its constituents...
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please.