Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to say a few words today about the constitutional process that we are going through. This has been about a year's project and soon members of the Constitutional Working Group have arranged to hold meetings in various communities. In my community of Yellowknife, this will take place on March 18. My area of concern with the consultation process is that we ensure that the Constitutional Working Group provide a facilitator to conduct these meetings and that resource people be available to answer questions and to explain the various proposals and principles that are being put forward, which we are seeking the public's feedback on. One of the other areas of concern that I have is that we not put forward the main proposal again to the public and say this is the main proposal and how do you feel about it. It is my impression from the public that I have dealt with, the main proposal has a lot of holes in it. We have to be able to put forward the other two proposals that were in the document and have explanations of how the various proposals were worked. I think that the other item that is of critical concern to the public is the ratification process of the constitution. By that I mean how the vote will be held in the western Arctic in order to approve or disapprove the constitution that will be put forward. I think that this is extremely important for the Constitutional Working Group to address before the group goes to consultation. Later on in this session, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking several questions of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs in this regard. Thank you.
Jake Ootes on Western Constitutional Process
In the Legislative Assembly on March 4th, 1997. See this statement in context.
Western Constitutional Process
Item 3: Members' Statements
March 3rd, 1997
Page 1070
See context to find out what was said next.