Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by saying that I appreciate the positions that my colleagues have taken. I think some of them I don't agree with, but I appreciate their efforts to make themselves understood.
Mr. Speaker, make no mistake. This is a political discussion, and we are making a political decision. This is a place in which politics happens. We are here to demonstrate leadership in the most pressing issue facing our territory at this time. It is my take on my role that I can express this leadership by forwarding this motion.
From a legal point of view, we have been advised by people who are lawyers that the fact that there is no binding arbitration in the Public Service Act is not an impediment to entering into binding arbitration. It is one of the options. It is important to note that the Minister has not said that binding arbitration can't happen. He simply hasn't said anything about it.
Where I am at now is that I have lost confidence that the process that we are engaged in now is going to produce a result that both sides will accept and that it will result in a no-strike action on Monday. The timing of this motion is related to the soonest possible that we could debate it. This is not a stunt. I think, if there is one thing that I have been impressed by today, it is the sincerity with which people hold their beliefs. This is not a game. We are not playing poker here. We are talking about the future of our territory and the people who live in it. The stakes are incredibly high.
I want to say that the timing of the motion, I recognize that the motion is non-binding. It wouldn't matter if we had the motion today or Monday or next week or any other time. The effect of the motion is to give advice to the government. They are not obliged to act on it. I understand that, but I still feel that I need to provide that advice.
I reject the idea that we are in any way interfering in the current process. Mediation is happening now. I hope that it continues and is productive, but we have to think in terms of what happens next. As my colleague from Frame Lake said, we need the off-ramp. We need the off-ramp in place before the highway runs out.
I know that there are people here, my colleagues here who want to talk themselves out of the political leadership that they were elected to demonstrate, and I will leave that to them and their constituents to sort out.
Mr. Speaker, I would finally just say that I have a history in this House of doing what is right and not necessarily what is popular. I have been on the losing end of motions before, and I am prepared to be in that position today because I sincerely believe that we need to do everything possible to avert a strike and its disastrous consequences. With that, I would like to request a recorded vote.
The Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Frame Lake.
All those against, please stand.
The Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Great Slave, the Member for Yellowknife South, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Yellowknife North.
All those abstaining, please stand.
The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
