Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think there are a couple of emotions that are running wild in the House over this debate. I think the emotions are fear and fear. I would like to try and alleviate some of those concerns that people have. We have heard one concern about money, the cost. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The motion calls for the establishment of a Boundaries Commission. Some of the Members have talked about the cost. I think it is important to note that, as with the Nunavut government, the federal government will pick up the costs to have the people in the west give their opinion to a Boundaries Commission. To start off with, this will not cost the Government of the Northwest Territories any additional finances to find out what the opinions are of the residents of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember this commission will receive input and their responsibility is to make recommendations to the House. It is not their responsibility to increase the number of Members or take away Members from the House. Their only responsibility is to make the recommendations to the House. At that time, this Assembly will, through debate, if this motion passes, decide whether they will increase the number of Members. The Members of this House will be better enabled to have that debate when they have had the input from the commission which will have received input from the residents of the Northwest Territories. I appreciate Mr. Antoine, during his presentation, talking about the number of communities that he represents. I also listened to the Deputy Premier talk about the number of communities he represented. Mr. Antoine represents six communities. I am not sure of the exact number of residents in the communities. For myself in Yellowknife South, it is the largest riding in the Northwest Territories. It took me four months of four evenings a week to go around to every door in my riding. I just got to each door and I went out four nights a week. I suspect if Mr. Antoine went to his communities, it would not take him that amount of time to get around to each door. There is more at play than whether it is numbers. The ridings are one issue, but it takes a long time to give the same representation to Members in a riding. To me, it is not a valid argument about the number of ridings, but I appreciate the opportunity to talk to that. I think the question we have to decide here today, Mr. Speaker, is about fairness and equality in representation. Mr. Speaker, I will be supporting the motion. Thank you.
Seamus Henry on Motion 19-13(5): Establishment Of Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission
In the Legislative Assembly on June 2nd, 1998. See this statement in context.
Motion 19-13(5): Establishment Of Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission
Item 16: Motions
June 1st, 1998
Page 1569
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
See context to find out what was said next.