Thank you. Madam Chairperson, in the recent court case brought forward by the Friends of Democracy, Justice de Weerdt made a comment -- I do not have it here -- which inferred that in dealing with or defining Charter rights, they
did not have to be read in concert with section 25 of the Canadian Charter and section 35 of the Constitution Act. This is simply not the proper way to look at the Charter and the Constitution. While this might not be what he meant, it may be that he meant that in this instance he had not been supplied with enough information or evidence that this should apply. It may be left to interpretation that the Charter sections, like the right to vote and those types of things, are not to be read together with section 25 and section 35. We feel that it is very important for this to be clarified, and since the government did not appeal Justice de Weerdt's decision, they have no right to appeal to the Supreme Court in order to clarify this particular area. They would have to ask for a legal reference, and the only way it can be done is through the federal government. This government would have to ask the federal government to do it. This is what this is trying to do. This is trying to clarify this area of the law in the Northwest Territories and probably all over Canada, because I do not know if there have been any Supreme Court of Canada decisions exactly on this point.
Madam Chairperson, this is the intent of this motion. This was one of the large fears or a great deal of the impetus, I think, in appealing Justice de Weerdt's decision as well by the Aboriginal Summit members who did. I think that people are afraid that this particular court case will sit there, and whether or not this is what Justice de Weerdt intended, it is open for interpretation the way I explained. We would like to have that clarified. Thank you.