It was a coronavirus-themed day at the Legislative Assembly on Friday. Nearly all regular MLAs had a COVID-19 question for cabinet. Earlier in the sitting, Speaker Frederick Blake Jr. announced the rest of the winter session would be suspended to deal with coronavirus concerns. Still no confirmed cases As of…
The Legislative Assembly is suspending its winter session due to the “growing concerns surrounding COVID-19,” said Speaker Frederick Blake Jr. However, Blake will be convening a one-day session on Monday, March 16 for MLAs to pass an interim budget. The interim budget would allow for “routine government expenditures” for the…
“For speaking the truth, I will not apologize.” That is what Monfwi MLA Jackson Lafferty said when he was told to apologize to Premier Caroline Cochrane. Speaker Frederick Blake Jr. then kicked out Lafferty for the rest of the day’s sitting. Blake called on Lafferty to apologize following his comments…
This morning, Premier Caroline Cochrane announced which cabinet members will lead each department. Below is the full list: Paulie Chinna (Sahtú) – Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister of Housing, Minister Responsible for Homelessness Katrina Nokleby (Great Slave) – Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Minister…
Unlike the last assembly, the new government’s list of priorities fits on a single page. While they are not presented in a particular order, the top priority reads, “Settle and implement treaty, land, resources and self-government agreements.” The second calls for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the…
While much of the political banter has been focused on the federal election, the territorial government has been plodding along its transition to the 19th Legislative Assembly. One of the most important decisions the new MLAs will make is coming this week: selecting a new Premier. On Friday, the four…
Stalled negotiations, lost trust, inconsistency—these are all issues new MLAs are inheriting from the last territorial government. And they’re only some of the concerns more than a dozen Indigenous leaders from across the territory told MLAs at a public meeting at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre in Yellowknife. The…
The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly said it had been years since he had seen so many people in the public gallery. Hundreds of friends and family members were gathered for the swearing in of the new MLAs on Friday, October 11. Following the brief ceremony, the newly-sworn-in MLAs were…
This morning, the new 19th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories kicked off its priority-setting process. The newly-elected MLAs will be discussing their vision for the territory over the “next four years and beyond,” according to Tim Mercer, clerk of the Legislative Assembly. Each MLA will have a change to…
The members-elect of the brand new Northwest Territories 19th Legislative Assembly will hold a roundtable discussion on Wednesday in the chamber of the legislative assembly building in Yellowknife A news release from the assembly states that the meeting marks the formal start of the priority setting process for the 19th…