The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

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.

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.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

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.

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Premier McLeod.

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.

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.