Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue is clearly far more than numbers. This is a very significant political issue. It is based, on a large part, on a perception of communities outside of Yellowknife. The perception that for the last 32 years have evolved, where we have all witnessed an almost constant growth in our capital while most of our communities have struggled to, in fact, maintain their levels of service and even to just exist. It is seen as a grab for more political power by the centre when after 100 years, the aboriginal people are still struggling for their rightful place in Canada and in the north. When you combine this history with some of the more symbolic, smaller but equally important things, it makes you wonder. The Friends of Democracy come out with a button. What is it? It is a great big white button with a little red flag on it. I am not sure what the message was but to the people I talked to, I think it was a very serious symbolic cause of concern. Combine that with references by at least one of the members of this group, to ethnic cleansing and add that fact that they are trying to block an extension of time, trying to force this Legislature to either make a decision or cease to function.
It seems to me the people outside of Yellowknife are worried. They are worried because of history, they are worried because of what has happened around this to this date. All parties say we need a political solution, but a political solution requires time. I agree with what my colleague from Tu Nedhe has said. It is not reasonable to expect something of this nature and complexity to be resolved in 26 days. My colleague from the Sahtu who normally flits in and out of meetings like a hummingbird, came up with a fine suggestion that we should lock ourselves away for three days or however many days it takes, the leadership here and the leadership of the Aboriginal Summit to talk this through, to come to a solution. I think that is the kind of step that is going to be required here.
I agree that the judgement, in my opinion, was fundamentally flawed. I do not think the court by requiring unreasonable, totally unreasonable time frames, and then say they are going to bring a government to its knees, can do that to a duly-elected Legislature of this land.
There is no reasonable amount of time, Mr. Speaker. This alone, to me is a basis for appeal. The appeal would also be a political investment. We have talked from day one about partnerships, working with the aboriginal governments, to deal with revenue-sharing, royalties, moving ahead on a constitution. Yet, on this particular issue, where they have tried to work with us, we have consistently ignored the position that they have taken. Not only have we consistently ignored it in this case, we are coming up not with a minimum that would be required to meet the judgement of Judge de Weerdt, but the maximum, 19 seats.
Mr. Speaker, it is understandable in my mind, of the concern and the frustration and the anger of the aboriginal leaders. What exactly is going on? How serious are we about moving ahead with them when on this particular fundamental issue, we have ignored them.
Mr. Speaker, as we sit here debating this motion and later the second reading for a bill for 19 seats, we have to keep in mind the need to resolve this issue. That requires time. In this Assembly we have talked the talk for a long time about wanting to work in partnership with the aboriginal governments. We have the opportunity to appeal, I believe there are grounds to appeal. Now, that we have talked the talk, I think we should walk the walk, appeal this, let the courts say if they are going to give us a stay or not, but in the very least, we will have had the courage of our convictions to say that we have tried to work this out.
If, in fact, a government of this land can be brought down on the basis of this judgement, then I would say as a Northwest Territories, we are in very big trouble. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause