Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight has adopted as its vision "a strong, effective consensus government that has the confidence of the people of the NWT;"

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories strategic plan identifies enhancing the fiscal responsibility, effectiveness and credibility of governments through openness and transparency as a core value;

AND WHEREAS the Financial Administration Act requires that all Members of the Legislative Assembly be given 14 days' notice in advance of the Financial Management Board recommending guarantees or indemnities having maximum liabilities exceeding $500,000;

AND WHEREAS the Financial Administration Act allows the Financial Management Board to recommend to the Commissioner special warrants without any prior notice to Members of the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS to date for fiscal year 2004-2005 the government has submitted nearly $25 million in special warrants;

AND WHEREAS Regular Members have raised concerns with the government's broad powers to authorize expenditures through special warrants and the lack of opportunity for Members to debate the merits of the expenditures until after the fact;

AND WHEREAS there are few circumstances where expenditures are so urgently required that they could not be delayed long enough to provide notice to Members of the Legislative Assembly;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable member for Nahendeh, that the government bring forward amendments to the Financial Administration Act at the next sitting of this Assembly that would place a cap on special warrants, and that would require that all Members be given reasonable advance notice of special warrants prior to their issuance.

---Applause