Debates of March 10, 2005 (day 53)

Thank you, Ms. Lee. For general comments, on the list, I still have Mr. Roland and Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I have been a part of three elections now. The first one was October. The second one, we went in December. The most recent one was late in November. Some of the things we need to consider when we do look at this -- and I heard a comment about the North -- is one of the things about a November election day is usually the ferries are pulled out and crossings start to freeze mid-October. So that would be difficult for some of those communities. As well, by the time you get into November, it is usually pretty cold. People that open their doors don’t tend to open them very wide. Number three, it is getting quite dark, so people aren’t sure when you are knocking on the door. They might mistake you for a Hallowe’ener, I guess.

---Laughter

For that, I look at it as going the first Monday in October. I would like to move a motion to that effect, and then Members may speak to the motion if they are feeling that way.

Agreed.

Recommendation To Establish The First Monday In October As The Fixed Date Of The General Election, Carried

I move that this committee recommends that the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act be amended to direct each Legislature to request that the Governor in Council dissolve the Legislative Assembly no later than the first Friday in September in an election year;

And further, that the Legislative and Executive Council Act and Elections Act be amended to allow the first Monday in October every four years to be the fixed date of the general election of Members to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

I was just trying to help things move along, Madam Chair.

Well, thank you all. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The timing was indeed the topic that committee spent the most time exploring. In listening to Mr. Zoe’s point about more public consultation, I think that, with the efforts that were made, I don’t know that we would generate a lot more. I think there is a very broad acceptance of a fixed election date. Now, I think people are expecting us to work out the one that is the best for the most situations. Madam Chair, I would speak in favour of the motion, personally.

As Mr. Roland and I have had two elections now in the front end of winter, I don’t relish the thought of doing it any more or of asking any other candidates to do it. A campaign in September, I think, is a really good fit or the best fit we are going to get across the length and breadth of the North. Our business planning process, at least as we know it now, would be interrupted. But business planning processes are not locked in stone either. I would like to think that we can amend the way we go about our business planning process that would give the new Assembly some tools to better work that way. It should also be pointed out, Madam Chair, that this is going to shorten our term I think by three or four months. That is one thing to keep in mind for our own legislative program here. This is not the last piece of electoral kind of business that we or the public are going to deal with, because our laws, as they were set a couple of years ago, will compel us to have an electoral boundaries review. That has to begin within the next term of the next year, so there’s more of the same to come.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is for the first Monday in October. To the motion. I still have two more speakers at least recorded so far: Mr. Pokiak, Mr. Ramsay and then Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, like my colleague, agree that September is the time when people are out doing their subsistence hunt for geese. The third option, May/June, is the time again when people are out on the land.

I listened here today to people talking about the weather, but up north when you have to campaign, you go campaigning. It doesn’t matter what kind of weather it is. If you want to start campaigning, the option is the first Monday in November. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Okay. Then you aren’t speaking in favour of the motion. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to state that, of course, I am in favour of a fixed election date. When it is, is debatable. I can buy the argument that Mr. Roland makes, but I also listened to my colleagues here who have concerns about it being hunting season. Personally, I could campaign in cold weather, warm weather, it doesn’t matter. At this stage of the game, Madam Chair, I would agree to an election next week, it’s been that long of a haul here. So I will vote in favour of the motion. Let’s get it done.

Yeah!

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. To the motion for the first Monday in October, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am certainly in favour of not campaigning in the snow.

---Laughter

But I am not really in favour of a fixed election date. I won’t be voting for this motion.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Next on the list is Mr. Zoe. To the motion.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Although my previous comments said maybe we should wait until the next sitting in May to discuss this, I just was thinking about the process. This gives the government direction. If we give them direction, then hopefully they will start working on developing the required legislation or make amendments to the various legislation. That’s just a first step. Then once the bill is developed, it will go through the process, go back to committee and they will have public hearings. At that time, if they want the date to be changed, we will have a good, healthy debate and maybe we will have more public input at this time. Therefore, I will be supporting Mr. Roland’s motion.

Yeah!

---Applause

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Zoe. To the motion. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will be voting in favour of the motion. Although I personally prefer winter elections to show how hardy we are as northerners. I want to emphasize that I think Mr. Zoe is right; we will see this a few times, so it can be further debated later. Thank you.

Question.

Thank you. You raise a good point. This is good drafting instruction, so that the legislation can be drafted up. This will not be your last opportunity to speak to it. There is always the prerogative to change your mind. To the motion.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

---Applause

Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

---Applause

Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Yakeleya.

Just for clarification, when you say for participation for youths in schools, is this also for Aurora College and other institutions or just specifically for schools?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That’s a good question. As recommended to us in the report of the CEO, the problem is that young people are participating in elections in increasingly shrinking numbers. Like Canada’s federal Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Kingsley, in the last federal election quite an extensive nation-wide program was launched aimed at the young people. So while the program here is suggesting web-based for schools, educational institutions, it would have a big platform to jump elsewhere. So that was the focus, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Yakeleya spoke to the motion. Mr. Braden spoken to the motion. To the motion.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

---Applause

Thank you, Madam Chair. At this time, I believe I am moving the last motion. I move that this committee recommends that a comprehensive review of the Elections Act be undertaken by the Chief Electoral Officer and a revised act be presented to the Legislative Assembly for consideration;

And further, that the Plebiscite Act be repealed and that the provisions for the administration for plebiscite and referendum be integrated into the revised Election Act. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

---Applause

Does the committee agree that this concludes the consideration of Committee Report 12-15(3)?

Agreed.

Thank you. There is no further business before the committee, so I will now rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Committee Report 12-15(3) and would like to report progress with four motions being adopted, and that Committee Report 12-15(3) is concluded. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Do we have a seconder for the motion? The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Ohhh.

---Applause

The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried