Debates of Oct. 8th, 2015
This is page numbers 6827 – 6882 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was work.
Topics
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Minister's Statement 243-17(5): Intergovernmental Relations With Aboriginal Governments During The 17th Legislative Assembly
- Minister's Statement 244-17(5): Highway Corridor Planning
- Minister's Statement 245-17(5): Transboundary Water Management Agreement Reached With British Columbia
- Minister's Statement 246-17(5): Community Fuel Prices
- Minister's Statement 247-17(5): New Western Arctic Centre For Geomatics
- Minister's Statement 248-17(5): Success Of The Small Scale Foods Program In All Regions
- Appreciation For Constituents, Colleagues And Supporters
- 18th Assembly Priorities
- Appreciation For Social Programs Committee Colleagues
- Appreciation For Constituents, Colleagues And Supporters
- 17th Assembly Buzzwords
- “I Don’t Need Your Rocking Chair”
- Appreciation For Constituents, Colleagues And Supporters
- Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
- Acknowledgement 27-17(5): Jim Sawkins – NWT Fire Service Merit Award Recipient
- Acknowledgement 28-17(5): Sarah Erasmus – Sait Polytechnic Outstanding Young Alumni
- Acknowledgement 29-17(5): Peter Kay Sr. – 100th Birthday Congratulations
- Question 952-17(5): Accessible And Affordable Daycare
- Question 953-17(5): NWT Tourism Marketing
- Question 954-17(5): Secondary Diamond Industry
- Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
- Question 956-17(5): Sahtu Mineral Strategy
- Question 957-17(5): RCMP Prisoner Transport Policy
- Committee Report 26-17(5): Standing Committee On Economic Development And Infrastructure Report On Transition Matters
- Motion That Committee Report 26-17(5) Be Deemed Read And Printed In Hansard, Carried
- Motion To Receive And Adopt Committee Report 26-17(5), Carried
- Committee Report 27-17(5): Standing Committee On Social Programs Report On Transition Matters
- Motion That Committee Report 27-15(5) Be Deemed Read And Printed In Hansard, Carried
- Motion To Receive And Adopt Committee Report 27-15(5), Carried
- Committee Report 28-17(5): Standing Committee On Priorities And Planning Report On Transition Matters
- Motion That Committee Report 28-15(5) Be Deemed Read And Printed In Hansard, Carried
- Motion To Receive And Adopt Committee Report 28-15(5), Carried
- Committee Report 29-17(5): Standing Committee On Economic Development And Infrastructure Report On Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing
- Motion That Committee Report 29-15(5) Be Deemed Read And Printed In Hansard, Carried
- Motion To Receive And Adopt Committee Report 29-15(5), Carried
- Tabled Document 360-17(5): Follow-Up Letter For Oral Question 881-17(5): Support For Regional Tourism Centres
- Tabled Document 361-17(5): Government Of The Northwest Territories Department Of Health And Social Services Assessment And Review Of Withdrawal Management Services – Final Report – March 31, 2014
- Tabled Document 364-17(5): Follow-Up Letter For Oral Question 901-17(5): Mackenzie Delta Elders Facility
- Tabled Document 366-17(5): Inter-Activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 For The Period April 1 To June 30, 2015
- Tabled Document 368-17(5): Summary Of Members’ Absences For The Period October 27, 2011 To October 7, 2015
- Motion 51-17(5): Appointment Of Chair To The Northwest Territories Honours Advisory Council, Carried
- Motion 52-17(5): Appointment Of Languages Commissioner, Carried
- Motion 53-17(5): Language Training For Senior GNWT Managers, Carried
- Motion 54-17(5): Climate Change Planning, Carried
- Recorded Vote
- Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)
- Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
- Report of Committee of the Whole
- Bill 55: Mental Health Act
- Prorogation
- Assent To Bills
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions
October 8th, 2015

Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for Premier McLeod. They focus today on transparency and accountability. I hear from many constituents and colleagues that there are far too many decisions made by this government behind closed doors and in secret. Transparency can help our public become engaged and contribute to making progress on issues and becoming a more effective democracy. So I’m wondering in what ways does the Premier see that we can improve our performance in providing the transparency that people of the Northwest Territories expect from their government. Mahsi.
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we are a very transparent government. We have process conventions and protocols that we have negotiated with the committees and we’ve all signed on and we follow those processes, which lays out a process for sharing information and for making sure that we provide them on a timely basis.
Certainly, we also consult, consult and consult on all the legislation. We work with committees on legislation and we post just about everything we do. It’s posted on the website. We post the Minister’s mandate letters, we post ministerial travel reports, we post outside meeting reports and we offer and brief committees on a regular basis and we do travel to communities to do consultation. Thank you.
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions

Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thanks to the Premier. There are also many calls for improved accountability from our leaders. The promised, now cancelled review of the Deh Cho Bridge, the overdue energy efficiency discussion paper, the delayed junior kindergarten review, the failure to renew the Greenhouse Gas Strategy as promised in that document are examples that come to mind.
What are the Premier’s thoughts on how to improve the level of Cabinet accountability for our successors in the 18th Assembly? Thank you.
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
We’re accountable on a daily basis on everything that we do. At this late stage in the 17th Assembly, those items that the Member listed, we have a transition process. We have a joint transition committee and if those could be on the transition list, then they could be dealt with by the 18th Assembly. Thank you.
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions

Bob Bromley Weledeh
During the 17th Assembly we’ve moved far from the inclusive form of decision-making called for under consensus government, in the opinion of some, with Members commonly learning about significant decisions after the fact in the media or by word of mouth on the street.
What changes would the Premier recommend to the 18th Assembly in the area of including Regular Members more thoroughly in the decision-making process? Mahsi.
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
With the protocol agreements and conventions that we have in place, the Members are made aware of everything that we do. They’re provided with timelines and so on and I believe the 17th Assembly has followed it from day one. These protocols were introduced in the 16th and they’ve been reviewed and updated and we continue to update them on a regular basis to deal with issues like the Member is raising. Thank you.
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions

Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier. Many think this government has lacked imagination and progressive thinking in seeking new solutions to long-standing issues and to the public’s repeated attempts to be recognized. For example, impacts of a global economy with the majority of benefits flowing away from the NWT and the costing left to our people is something the people have been questioning for some time.
How does the Premier think this government could become more responsive to the changing realities that global forces now subject the North to and to the public’s voice and input? Mahsi.
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
We recognize that those changes are happening and we commit, as we go forward, the 18th Assembly will review those processes and consult with the people to ensure that we are on a program which we can deal with along with other provinces and territories. A lot of the changes are national and international, so we have to make sure that we also participate in those processes as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 955-17(5): Government Transparency And Accountability
Oral Questions
Question 956-17(5): Sahtu Mineral Strategy
Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI. I want to ask a question to the Premier in light of our economic opportunities in the North.
Knowing that oil and gas is not going to be looked at for a while due to the global world prices, has the Premier’s colleagues looked at a mineral assessment strategy in the Sahtu given that Selwyn-Chihong is going to be racking up their business with their mine close to the Yukon/Northwest Territories border? There are other areas in the Sahtu we haven’t looked at with regard to a Sahtu mineral strategy.
Question 956-17(5): Sahtu Mineral Strategy
Oral Questions
Question 956-17(5): Sahtu Mineral Strategy
Oral Questions

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the Sahtu has a rich history in mining. We think that with the downturn in the oil and gas, there is certainly potential in that area.
With the mineral strategy, there are opportunities to have regional mineral approaches. Certainly, this is something that we would like to pursue and work with the Sahtu government since they have the land claim settled. I think there are opportunities there that we can work together on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 956-17(5): Sahtu Mineral Strategy
Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu
The Premier is dead on with this exchange. Within the realm of our government, an election will be happening soon, and something the government can look forward towards, and maybe put together, is a Sahtu mineral strategy conference in region so we can have a good, accurate assessment of what is there in the Sahtu with regard to a mineral strategy.
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