The quartet are back in the legislature, which began its fall session earlier this month.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Jake Ootes said constitutional development weighs heaviest on his mind.
If the government expects Ottawa to approve a new constitution in time for territorial division in 1999, he said people have to get involved - and fast.
He said the public must start learning about what the constitutional working group has been doing and what the draft - expected to be tabled in the legislature this fall -- will contain.
"People need to know why this issue is before us, why we're working on it ... and we need the public consultation process to begin," said Ootes.
The challenge, he said, is in coming up with a document that recognizes aboriginal right to self-government yet is equitable to all residents.
"Finding a balance is not always easy, but it's necessary," said Ootes.
His other top priorities are reducing social program spending while making programming more effective, job creation and negotiation of the Northern Accord.
Yellowknife Frame Lake MLA Charles Dent also sees the constitution as a top priority.
"The reality of it is that self-government agreements throughout the NWT will be, or have already been, negotiated and those agreements are protected by the Constitution of Canada," he said.
"If we're going to have one overall government that provides services and programs for the (western) territories," we must compromise and work together toward that government, said Dent.
"Otherwise we'll all be squabbling with the federal government over the same money to run the same programs."
Money is also high on Dent's priority list, and because the federal government won't be increasing transfer payments to the NWT any time soon, he said the government must look at more spending cuts across the board.
But Dent also wants the government to take a close look at revenue-generating opportunities, such as more mining -- as long as they're carried out responsibly.
8888Callout "The NWT is not open for business at any cost, but if development is undertaken responsibly, I'm all for taking a look at it," Dent said.
Yellowknife South MLA Seamus Henry said he is most interested in ensuring that government, BHP and aboriginal peoples come together to get construction of the proposed mine under way.
"We have to put it to bed so people can settle down and get down to business. When that happens, we'll see the economy pick up and more jobs will be created," he said.
Henry's second priority is making sure government pays heed to his campaign to stop, or at least curtail, the spread of fetal alcohol syndrome.
"It's such an unbelievable problem across the Northwest Territories. It's not a problem that's fixable, but it can be prevented for future generations," he said.
Henry said he would like to see funds redirected from other programs into the fetal alcohol syndrome awareness, education and prevention programs already in place across the territories.
He would also like the government to take a closer look at community transfer plans.
It's not that Henry is opposed to giving communities more control over social programs, but he said he doesn't think the government has thought out the initiatives fully.
Yellowknife North MLA Roy Erasmus said he wants to ensure Northerners benefit most from the BHP mine.
"I understand that local business people are already starting to question where BHP is taking its business," said Erasmus.
"I don't think a large corporation like BHP should have to keep looking at its rock-bottom line ... if Northern businesses are offering close to the same price for goods and services as southern companies, the North should always get preference," he added.
Erasmus is also keeping an eye on cost and job reductions across the North and said he doesn't like the fact that some communities, such as Hay River, have been nearly untouched, while other communities - including Yellowknife - have suffered the bulk of the cuts.
A third priority on Erasmus' list concerns the now-defunct territorial personnel department.
8888Callout "Who is going to ensure that nepotism and favoritism is not being carried out in the government's hiring practices?" he said.
Each department is now looking after hiring and firing and Erasmus said that spells trouble.
"Already I've heard that the percentage of aboriginal students hired over the summer went down disproportionately this year," he said.