Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 24/99) - The date of the next election holds major implications for how the territory will be governed.

A spring polling date could mean the NWT will be run only by Premier Jim Antoine and his cabinet, with no ordinary members to keep them in check.

Legislative Clerk and Elections Officer David Hamilton said Thursday that the NWT Act states the current legislative assembly must end by Nov. 16. Also, because an election must be called by that date and because calling an election dissolves the assembly, ordinary members will not be able to perform their duties until they are either re-elected or other candidates are elected in their place.

The NWT Act also says that ordinary members will continue to receive their base salary of $36,748 during that period, but they will lose access to the money they normally receive for expenses like running their constituency offices, sitting on committees, telephone bills and furniture allowance.

"It's normal practice -- the constituency expenses are prorated so they don't get full access to their expenses," said Hamilton. "The act is designed to try to create a level playing field during the campaign period."

The problem is that the campaign period normally lasts around six weeks, but could turn into several months this time around -- a period when ordinary members will not only receive less pay, but also not be able to sit on committees or in the house.

"It's probably more than one-third our regular pay," said MLA Roy Erasmus on Thursday. "But if that's what happens, that's what we have to live with."

Hay River MLA Jane Groenewegen said the possible negative implications will not change the way the electoral boundaries bill is debated.

"Some suggestion has been made that this will be an impetus for some members to rush through Bill 15, and I don't agree with that at all," she said. "People will do the responsible thing."

Still, Groenewegen said the laws put the legislature in an awkward position.

"I think we want to deal with it as expeditiously as possible, but also don't want to let the government go into cabinet management mode," she said. "We want to do the job we're here to do."

Erasmus confirmed that a lot of unknown factors are still at play.

"I suppose, theoretically, anything could happen," he said. "If the premier, for instance, and the Aboriginal Summit were together to ask the minister of Indian Affairs to extend the life of the house so that can do some work on a Northern Accord, then who knows?"

Hamilton said only the federal House of Commons could extend the Nov. 16 deadline.