Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to quote something here.

Mr. Speaker, we, as elected representatives, have a responsibility to find a solution to this very difficult, diverse issue. I appeal to you, my honourable colleagues and to all parties in this debate, to reach out for a solution that will bring us together, reach out for a solution that will bring us together.

That is a quote from Hansard, March 24, 1999, by the Premier of the Government of the Northwest Territories. He goes on to say;

"My Cabinet colleagues and I are committed to using the time to work with aboriginal and community leaders to find a solution that can be supported in the west. In our view, building understanding of the issue and reaching a political resolution is critical if we are to move beyond this issue as a unified new territory."

Speaking to the Western Boundaries issue. That is what this government said on March 24, 1999. Our committee went out and tried to work not only with this government but the people in the western Arctic to come up with a political solution. I had the opportunity today, Mr. Speaker, to stand outside this Legislative Assembly with one of the leaders of the Aboriginal Summit while he spoke to the Premier of the Government of the Northwest Territories. What I would like to know now, Mr. Speaker, is what is the Government of the Northwest Territories going to do with the Aboriginal Summit's request, and what was that request to your government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Aboriginal Summit have made it very clear to this government through the Premier that they want an electoral boundaries and reform constitutional committee formed so something can happen. We cannot go round any longer promising people that you are going to do something in the next Assembly. You have the ability to do it now. Mr. Speaker, I quote from Hansard on March 24, 1999, the government, the Premier, on behalf of the government.

First it gives us an opportunity to find a solution to this issue. It is not the intention of the government to try to ram this legislation through even if we could. We know there is no consensus at this time to resolve the major constitutional issues. Taking the time to build this consensus is important. We do not have consensus with our aboriginal leaders or with our communities leaders. In our view, building of the understanding of the issue and reaching a political resolution is critical.

Reaching a political resolution is critical. We have given you that opportunity. You still have today and tomorrow to reconsider your point of view, to reconsider the stand that this government took yesterday in this Legislative Assembly, passing the buck to the 14th Legislative Assembly. I ask you on behalf of all the people in the western Arctic, try to keep the western Arctic together, be a leader, be leaders, that is what you are there for, all six of you. Stand up and form a reform commission that will look at the constitution for the western Arctic and give everybody a fair government, not just the capital city of Yellowknife. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in this same session, last winter, once Justice de Weerdt's decision had become public knowledge and after a motion passed in this Legislative Assembly urging the government to appeal that decision, the Premier, speaking on behalf of the government stood in this Legislative Assembly and said he would not appeal because of the advice that he received from this government.

At that time, the government said they were looking for political solutions. I said at that time that this government abandoned the aboriginal governments of the western Arctic and I feel more strongly about that today, Mr. Speaker, that this government abandoned the aboriginal governments of the western Arctic.

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, July 28, 1999, July 28, 1999, is a dark day in the history of the 13th Legislative Assembly because now what this government has chosen to do is abandon the rest of the people of the Northwest Territories. Why do they choose to do that? Because they choose not to take action. They choose to pass the buck to the 14th Legislative Assembly, the next Legislative Assembly. There was plenty of time left in our mandate, Mr. Speaker, to carry out a constitutional commission for this Assembly to develop it and carry it out. What does the government choose to do? The government chooses to do nothing. Why are they here? To do nothing, to do nothing for the people of the western Arctic. That was the last hope that you could deal with it on the same level as Bill 15 is being dealt with. Bill 15 will be considered in this House, that should be considered in this House as well. It is an equal level playing field.

Mr. Speaker, walking into this Assembly today I had the opportunity, right out these doors, to talk to a member of the Aboriginal Summit, the Premier was there as well. What is the clear message from the Aboriginal Summit? They want this government to adopt the recommendations that our committee put forward. They want this government to do something. They will not live on borrowed time or broken promises or hollow promises.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I move we report progress.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Madam Chairperson, I can clearly remember the debate in this Legislative Assembly on urging the government to appeal Justice de Weerdt's ruling. I can clearly remember the government's view, and we quoted the government's view in our report. It was one of the most troublesome and diverse issues that we had to deal with in this Legislative Assembly. It was one of the hardest things for the government and Members to deal with. A complete change in the political structure of the Northwest Territories is what we are dealing with. I can remember very clearly this government saying, we need a political solution, we need a political solution, we need a political solution. Where is the political solution? Do you know where the political solution is for this government, Madam Chairperson? We will pass the buck to the 14th Assembly. A great political solution. It completely astounds me that elected people to the Legislative Assembly, our government -- you are supposed to be leaders. Is that how you lead? You pass the buck.

No wonder many people are calling this a lame-duck government, that will not make a fundamental decision on the basic principle of a political solution. You have the opportunity to supply the glue, the fabric to hold the Western Territory together. I have never been so disgusted in my life to see people sit on their hands and offer no solution. We are Ordinary Members. We have very limited resources. We have very limited staff. Yet we went out and tried to create a political solution. We knew from day one that you cannot change Justice de Weerdt's ruling, and this government knew it too. But what we also knew was there was a political commitment by this government to look for a political solution. So what did we tell the people of the Northwest Territories when we went out to see them? We said, we have come to hear you, we want your advice. We are looking for a political solution that we can take back and offer. But the bill is in the House. The judge made his ruling, they said. Can you really do something. Oh, the government has assured us. They assured us publicly that they were looking for a political solution. But all they were looking for was time in order to pass the buck to the next Assembly, so you have to make no decision, no decision.

There are those, Madam Chairperson, that criticize the Members for going to listen to the public. They said it was a waste of time and a waste of money. Well, you know what? Today I say I agree with you and I apologize to them. I apologize to the public of the Northwest Territories because I misled them. I went out there and told them that government was going to listen to them. I went out there and told them that the government was looking for political solutions to this issue. But alas, it was a waste of time. It was a waste of money because the government was not looking for any political solution. All they were looking to do was pass the buck to the next Assembly.

I apologize, Madam Chairperson, to all those people that took the time to come and make presentations to our committee, and I am deeply sorry that we wasted their time. I was being paid to do it, they were not. I honestly thought, when the government stood up and said they were looking for political solutions, they meant it. But alas, they did not. All they wanted was time so that could pass the buck, and that is what they are doing. There is no other process. Intergovernmental forum, this is going to go through an intergovernmental forum to buy us time so we do not have to make a decision, is basically what you are saying. This is a dark day.

This is a dark day in the history of the Northwest Territories and a dark day for this 13th Legislative Assembly. But it is going to be very clear to the people of the Northwest Territories what this government stands for. It stands for doing nothing. It stands for passing the buck. So I hope you are all proud of yourselves that you stood up for what you believed in, passing the buck. With that, I will request a recorded vote. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. One of the common themes up and down the Mackenzie Valley when Justice de Weerdt made his ruling was that we have to come up with a political solution. These are items of constitutional change for the Northwest Territories that have to be decided by politicians, elected people and the people. That is the reason why this committee motion is in place. No one needs a history lesson around this, some have made a livelihood on the development of a constitution for the past 20 years. Politicians of the day have all tried, including the leaders of the aboriginal governments, to build a constitution that truly reflects all the people's needs in the Northwest Territories. What people have said up and down the valley is that we need something else. We total disagree with Bill 15 but the judge has said you have to do that. We need something to accompany that. Bill 15 is legislation. You need companion legislation. You need something else that is as powerful as that to convince us that you want to work with the people of the Northwest Territories to build a constitution. That is the reason this committee has brought this motion forward. You cannot leave this up to the 14th Assembly.

There is nothing stopping the 13th Assembly from doing this to show the people in the Northwest Territories that they are committed to building a constitution and a new Western Territory. The government are the only people that can do this. They have the resources, they are mandated to bring forward legislation. We cannot bring forward an ordinary Member's bill. Only the government can action this request by the people. I will hear soon whether the government decides to action the request by the people or reject it. I will hear that soon when the Premier speaks, but I would encourage, for once, to listen to what the people are saying and action the request. It is a process that involves all the people in the Northwest Territories. Some will say, I know that already, and it is too costly. It is going to cost money. Well it is going to be far more costly to do nothing. Far more costly.

You will get such division, so much mistrust, that when you talk to the aboriginal governments there is no way they are going to work with you unless you show some good faith. Madam Chairperson, one of my jobs through this process was to consult with the aboriginal leadership, that was my job, to phone every one of them to see if this was an acceptable solution and they have all said yes, it is acceptable. The Aboriginal Summit is going to meet tomorrow as well, to discuss this, and they made it very clear that they are surprised when the Premier mentioned through the media this week that this intergovernmental forum is now taking the place of constitutional development. No one knew that. This is the forum, this is the process. It you are going to develop a constitution, you cannot do it on an ad hoc basis. This is the first time in our history that we are actually putting a timeline, you are getting people to buy in and they are trying to meet it. So with that I would be interested in hearing the government's comments as well as other Members, but my time is up.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

I move that this committee recommends that the government introduce legislation for passage during the 13th Legislative Assembly to establish a Northwest Territories Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission.

And further, that the Legislation give the commission a broad mandate and require the commission to develop a comprehensive constitutional and electoral reform proposal for consideration by the public at a constitutional conference by June 30, 2002.

And, furthermore, that the legislation require that recommendations for reform be submitted for approval by all Northwest Territories voters in a binding referendum.

And, furthermore, that the legislation required that any electoral or constitutional legislative changes approved by the Northwest Territories voters in a referendum be introduced for passage prior to the dissolution of the 14th Assembly. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. It was interesting to listen to the father of open government, public government, open decision-making, bring it to the public forum, Mr. Ootes, talk about keeping the decision-making behind closed doors. That is what convention is, when you talk about convention. Everybody here fully knows what happens when the 14th Legislative Assembly comes back in. They are all going to gather up in the caucus room and make the deal up there. The public is not going to hear the debate or anything. They are going to come out, and we might have an eight Member Cabinet, a seven Member Cabinet, or a six Member Cabinet. No one knows, and not one person of the public will be able to hear any of that debate because it will be carried out in the caucus room.

It is interesting to sit here and listen to the government pass the buck to the next government. We agree, good principle, but we will not make a decision. We do not want to bind into the next Legislative Assembly. Well, why do we not all go home now? What are you drawing the pay cheques for? You have legislation on the floor right now that is going to bind the next Legislative Assembly. Not much substance, but an interesting comment. The reason our committee made this motion is to ensure that there is a public process. This only binds the 14th Assembly until they choose to change it. They can change it. They can come right into this Legislative Assembly and put a motion on the floor and say, no, we change our minds, the 13th Assembly, Members of the 13th Assembly were not quite in their right minds when they were thinking of this. They can do that. There is going to be 19 of them, five more of them. The majority of them will come from Yellowknife, but that will happen in the public.

Passing the buck to the 14th Assembly is totally unacceptable. Either you agree with it or you do not. It is very straightforward. You agree with the principle of regional representation into Cabinet, then put it in legislation. If you do not, then do not put the legislation forward. You are the government. You are the one that is going to be answerable to the people. This is a fair split. Six from the north, six from the south, and seven from Yellowknife. Nobody can have a constitutional challenge on that one. What it does, it is part of a political solution. Your government has talked about political solutions. Was that just talk? That is what I am starting to think, just plain talk, no substance to back it up. Was anybody really interested in a political solution?

I have seen Mr. Henry, I have seen Mr. Ootes stand up in this House and say we want a political solution. They did not even have the decency to go listen to the people to get a political solution. Then they sit there and say, well, committee report is this and this, it costs too much money. But at least we went out and looked for a political solution and were willing to take the political lumps that we will take when the voters go to the polls. Whether they are going to vote for you or not, at least you stand up and stand for what you represent. Everybody knew in this Assembly how much the previous convention was manipulated, how much it was. Everybody knows that. That is just a convention.

This committee motion would impel them to do something at least. It would make them do it in public. You are going to have 19 Members. The bigger communities are going to control this Assembly, control the Caucus. Is that what you want to come back to, without some legislation in there to protect our regions, to protect our smaller communities, or are we willing to sell those guys out too?

By moving ahead without coming ahead without coming up with political solutions, this government and this Legislative Assembly is not going to be known for the good things it has done. It is going to be known as a government in the Legislative Assembly that has torn the Western Territories apart. So I urge you to quit sitting on your hands, quit hiding behind your seats and at least get out there and do something so that we can have a public process. Everybody talks about it, but no one wants to do it. That is the bottom line. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Indeed this motion would cost the territorial government dollars for sure, but it is money well invested. The aboriginal governments cannot do this. Only this government can do this and with the federal government. If you believe in aboriginal people's rights, then

there should be no question that you would do that. It is publicly stated that this government supports the inherent right of self-government, that it supports aboriginal governments. Well, it should appeal to the federal government to take this issue and this question to court on behalf of the aboriginal people. There is too much of a cloud being left out there hanging over aboriginal people's heads because of a court decision made in the Northwest Territories. To clarify the issue, to be responsible as a government, you should go to the federal government. I have no doubt in my mind there will be a thousand reasons from the Justice department why you should not. Then it boils down to making a political decision again, your decision. It is a political decision. That is what you are, is politicians. You have to make a decision on whether you are going to represent all the people or just accept it and represent a few.