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PoliticsElections15TuesdayMarch182014BuffaloExpressAIRToll-free1800465-3168salesbuffaloairexpress.comwww.buffaloairexpress.comYourdeliverysolutiontoandfromtheNWTYourdeliverysolutiontoandfromtheNWTTheNWTsLARGESTcouriercompany.Overnightdoor-to-doorservice.Yellowknife-867873-2084HayRiver-867874-3307Edmonton-780455-9283ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAYellowkniferesidentispetitioningterritorialMLAstoreducetheirtermbyayearinresponsetoamotionpassedbytheLegislativeAssemblylastMondayaskingfortheabilitytopostponethe2015territo-rialelectionbyuptoayear.ThepetitionauthoredbyPaulFalvowentonlinewithinhoursofthedecisionbyMLAsMondayafternoontoaskthefederalgovernmentfortheabil-itytoextendtheirtermsbyuptooneyearinordertoevadecomplicationsthatcouldarisebyhavingtheterritorialfederalandNWTmunicipalelectionsalltakeplaceinOctober2015.Falvospetitionasksthecur-rentLegislativeAssemblytoamenditslengthoftermbyreducingitbyoneyearratherthanextendingitsfour-yearmandatetoveyears.Whilehedoesntexpectthepetitiontoresultintherequestedchangehesaidthepointofthedocumentistohighlightcon-cernsaboutthelackofpublicinputthatwentintolastMon-daysdebateandpointoutalternativestotheone-yearYellowknifemanpetitionsforearlyNWTelectionPetitionwantsMLAtermsshortenedinprotestofMondaysvotePhotoBillBradenextensionproposedbyHayRiverMLAJaneGroenewegen.ImveryunhappyaboutthatmotionFalvotoldTheJournal.Ithinktherewereanumberofwaystheycouldhavesolvedtheproblem.Theypickedonebutthereareotherbetterwaystheycouldhavesolvedit.Hesaidelectionscouldbecombinedintoonepollingsta-tionasawaytosavemoneyandincreaseefciencyforvotersortakeplaceafewmonthsorweeksearlier.InsteadhefeelsthemotionwasundemocraticandperhapsanexcuseforMLAstostickaroundlongerduringthedevolutiontransfer.Itshowscontemptforpeoplebecausetheyresayingweretoodumbtogureouthowelec-tionsworkortheywanttobedoingthisworkondevolutionregardlessofwhatthepeoplesayFalvosaid.RegardlessofthereasonIthinkitdoesntmatter.Yourmandategoesuntilacertaintime.Thoughthepetitionfi-nallyappearedontheLeg-islativeAssemblyswebsitelastMondayeveningFalvohadintendedittobemadepublicbyFridayallowingresidentstohaveasaybe-forethedecisionwasmadebyMLAs.Iwouldhavepreferredtohavedoneitbeforetheymadetheirvotebutthatspartoftheproblemherehesaid.Theydidntgiveanybodyanynotice.Therewasntpub-licconsultationitwasjustarbitraryandImsuretherehadbeendiscussionsgoingonbehindthescenes...Theyweresurelytalkingtothefedsortheywouldnthavebeensocondentputtingthisforward.Themotionpassedwithavoteof11-7withmostreg-ularMLAsobjectingtotherequestandallofcabinetvot-inginfavour.SeveralMLAswhospokeinfavourofthemotionsaidtheywantedtheauthoritytobeabletoamendthelengthoftheirtermsbutwouldnotnecessarilybeinfavourofanextension.CurrentlytheNWTistheonlyjurisdictioninCanadawhosegovernmentdoesnothavethepowerstoextendthetermsofitselectedrepresenta-tives.Themovefromafourtove-yearassemblyisincludedintheNWTDevolutionActwhichiscurrentlyawaitingroyalassentbutwouldonlyapplytofutureassemblies.Thoughtheoriginalmo-tionaskedforanelectiondateofOctober2016thatwasamendedbeforethevotebasedonconcernsfromcon-stituentsthatexibilitycouldmeandelayingtheelectionbyweeksormonthsratherthanafullyear.Itsthatpotentialexibil-itythatFalvosaidcouldalsoworkintheotherdirectionresultinginanearlyelection.Hesaidhesnotsetonhavinganelectiontakeplaceexactlyayearearlierbutwantstomakeapoliticalpoint.Asofpresstimethepetitionhadover230signatures.Peo-plecansignthepetitiononlineuntilApr.14athttpepetition.lant.public-i.tvepetition_corecommunitypetition2660TherequestbyMLAstoobtaintheabilitytolengthentheirtermshascausedgreatdebateamongNWTresidentssincethemotionwasintroducedlastMondayintheLegislature.