N.W.T. MLAs vote to keep legislature at 19 seats

After almost five hours of debate, the Northwest Territories legislative assembly voted 10-7 to keep the existing number of MLAs.

This means that before the next election, the electoral boundaries will be re-drawn.

An independent commission recommended re-distributing the population in Yellowknife ridings. It also recommended adding Ndilo and Dettah to the Tu Nedhe riding, which currently comprises Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. Ndilo and Dettah are currently part of the Yellowknife riding of Weledeh.

The report said electoral boundaries need to change, in part, because the percentage of voters is too high in Yellowknife ridings. 

In 2006, MLAs debated a report by another independent commission and chose not to make any changes. 

The CBC's legislative reporter, Elizabeth McMillan, live tweeted the debate, starting at 1:30 p.m. MT, where MLAs considered three scenarios, for 18, 19 or 21 seats in the legislature.