Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 05/98) - Last spring, a boundaries commission travelled around the Eastern Arctic soliciting ideas and suggestions for political ridings and names for Nunavut.

If Inuvik MLA Floyd Roland gets his way the West will get a similar commission this year.

"I think there's a realization we are very late in the game and if this is to go through we need to get it going. This is one of the last opportunities it can be brought forward with the timing of the session and all," said Roland.

Earlier this week, the MLA introduced a motion calling for a commission to be set up despite the fact that there's less than 300 days to division. It received mixed reaction from MLAs.

After division, 14 MLAs would be left in the West, which would not equally represent the territory, said Roland. The assembly would be made up of four MLAs in the northern part and 10 from the south.

During debate in the legislature Tuesday, all four Yellowknife MLAs supported the motion. The city has half the West's population but only four members in the assembly and could see its share grow under a redistribution.

Some MLAs from smaller ridings, including Don Morin, who represents the tiny riding of Tu Nedhe, object to the idea.

And earlier this spring, Beaufort Delta called for increased representation from such communities as Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk.

If the commission goes ahead a report will have to come back to the legislature by fall.

Some concern has been voiced about how can a commission be set up when a western constitution has not been decided. But Roland said the two are separate.

"Yes, there is some concern there, but the boundaries commission is purely on the existing system and representation within the system that we know," said Roland.

When the commission travels they won't be talking about politics, but about representation, he added.

There will be some scrambling to get people on the commission, which will likely consist of three people. One will be a judge, possibly NWT Supreme Court Justice Virginia Schuler, if she is a available.

The Working Group does not support or object to a boundaries commission. Instead, the two might be able to team up and travel together over the summer to cut down on costs.

"It may not be politically appropriate, but financially it might be good to have a boundaries commission meeting and then have a CWG meeting at the same time," said Patrick Scott, executive director of the group.

The two groups will have separate agendas, he added.

One thing Scott wants to ensure is that people understand that the boundaries commission deals with the existing assembly and the CWG is dealing with what it will become in the future.

"If we can tie some of the consultation together and save some money I think it would be worthwhile," said Scott.