Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently the Prime Minister of Canada visited the Northwest Territories, and one of the discussions we have been having across the country and in this community is on democratic reform. Certainly, there are many constitutional challenges with some models of governance in the Northwest Territories, but today I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency if this government has a position on democratic reform that they've shared with the Government of Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency.
No, we haven't.
Thank you to the Minister. I'm thankful that we don't have a position because I didn't know about it and I don't think my honourable friends know about it as well.
Does the Minister feel that this is a discussion that we could bring forth to Northerners? Certainly, there are fewer constitutional challenges with proportional representation or alternative voting here in our jurisdiction. So is the Minister considering public engagement on democratic reform in the Northwest Territories?
As the Prime Minister found out, this is a real jungle. For hundreds of years we've had the first-past-the-post system, and I think it's served us quite well. I don't think the government wants to engage in that sort of massive overhaul of the voting system.
Well, Mr. Speaker, there's a big difference between a system that encompasses 34 million Canadians and a system that encompasses 40,000 Northerners. I think that we have options here, and national opinion polls show that the majority of Canadians want to engage in this discussion; they want to be consulted. This is an area I think that we've seen a lot of attention. So given that the Minister's job in this portfolio is open government, can he commit to at least starting to look at a discussion paper that could be shared with Members on this side of the House and with members of the public on options for democratic reform in the Northwest Territories?
This is a very busy government. All of the MLAs are very busy. People may want reform, but there doesn't seem to be any obvious solution in the sense that when asked people have many different ideas about what a new system of voting could look like, and I just don't think that this government feels that changing the current system, which has worked well for many years, would be a high priority or a priority at all.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister sits on the Standing Committee of Rules and Procedures; they're currently looking at a report that recommends 43 changes to our electoral system. Is the Minister saying that he categorically refuses to acknowledge any of those recommendations and will not be proceeding with any of those changes, or is he only talking about proportional representation?
I think it's clear he answers that question. I'm not asking him to be the Prime Minister of Canada here and address a national concern; I'm asking him to address issues here at home. We do have this report and he has seen it; he's certainly on that committee. So can he answer if he accepts that report, some of the -- and how much of that report he accepts? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, there can always be changes to and improvements in the manner in which we conduct voting in the Northwest Territories. The change that I think is suggested by the Member opposite would, I think, tie up the Assembly to such an extent that it would not be worth the effort.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
