Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been over a week since municipal Election Day. As with any competition, there were some winners and there were some losers. I offer my hearty congratulations to the newly elected mayors and councils and a sincere thank you to all of those who ran, winners or not.
In my Member’s statement prior to the elections, I encouraged residents to get out and vote, and to get out and vote in large numbers. Well, that didn’t quite happen, but we did have an increased voter turnout in at least three of the six communities where elections were held. Previous years' election data couldn’t be confirmed for three of the communities, so that number could be higher. The percentage of voter turnout on October 19th ranged from 42 percent in Fort Simpson -- the highest they had ever seen, apparently -- to 67 percent in Norman Wells. That is not fantastic, but on average one of every two registered voters in the NWT came out to vote and that is pretty good.
Those results got me thinking about how we could increase interest in municipal elections and in community affairs. A very real impediment is the residency requirement for voters. Our eligibility requirement states that a voter must, and I quote, “...at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the day on which the person votes, been a resident of the electoral district.” In municipal elections, that electoral district is not the Territory but the community. All Canadian provinces only require six months residency in the province, many with no residency restriction in the community at all. Ontario has absolutely no residency requirement except that a voter has to be a resident in the community on the day on which they vote.
Our 12-month requirement eliminates many residents on voting in municipal elections. And we are a fairly transient population. People move into the Territory on a regular basis and people frequently move from community to community within the Territory. Much more interest would be generated in our elections if the residency requirement was shortened. I suggest six months. That residency should apply to the Territory, not the community. If we must keep a 12-month residency requirement, make it apply to the Territory with a six-month community residency requirement. We will attract more voters, many of them young, and we will get greater interest in local politics, not just at election time but all year long.
Amendments to the Local Authorities Elections Act were contemplated earlier this year. MACA produced…
Ms. Bisaro, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you to my colleagues. Amendments to the Local Authorities Elections Act were contemplated earlier this year. MACA produced a discussion paper and held consultations. I hope that the residency requirement was addressed through that process. I look forward to seeing the results. I will have questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs later on. Thank you.
