Last November’s territorial election played out like a game-changer, with longtime Northern political fixtures toppled from power, in some cases by the slimmest of margins. While we wait for the shape of the 18th assembly to crystallize, EDGE got to wondering about some of those prominent figures who had been toppled, and what they are
At noon today, Dene Nahjo and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada are holding a panel discussion in the Yellowknife City Council Chamber to examine the under-representation of Indigenous Women in Senior Management in the GNWT. Nina Larsson, a France-born-and-raised half-Gwich’in/half-Swedish founding member of Dene Nahjo, and former executive assistant to the Speaker of the Legislative
There are many side issues in this controversy but we believe that the overriding factor in the cancellation of the workshop is a deliberate political attempt by the Executive of the Territorial Government, namely the Commissioner, to ensure that native people in the Northwest Territories learn and are taught only what the government wants to
Yesterday’s round of cabinet making confirmed that the two most powerful politicians in the territory share a last name: McLeod. That Michael and Bob, whose father used to chase politicians away when they’d come a knockin’ in Fort Providence, should become Premier and Member of Parliament has a folk-tale feel to it. (Even if there’s
After a final day of speech-making and ballot boxes in the political marathon that was 2015, we have a territorial government led once again by Bob McLeod though populated with new faces. The cabinet, elected yesterday by all 19 MLAs after three rounds of secret voting, is a unique blend of new and status quo:
On Monday, members-elect will share their priorities for the 18th Legislative Assembly. And then, two days later, they’ll select a premier and speaker. EDGE sat down with Wendy Bisaro, retired Frame Lake MLA and former chair of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning for the 17th Legislative Assembly, to talk about what pressing issues
The North got a fair bit of play during the federal campaign. We’d be more than just a military outpost. We’d be eligible for a big chunk of infrastructure investment dollars from the federal coffers. Our Northern Living Allowance would be increased by 33%. Hoorah! Today’s Speech From the Throne brought many broad promises of
Passing away won’t necessarily get you off the Elections NWT list There’s no doubt that voter turnout was significantly down this election, although perhaps not as much as the reported numbers suggest. According to two recently elected MLAs, the voters list contains far more names than actual voters – in some cases hundreds more. Kieron
It’s clear where territorial voters sit on this one. Whatever “change” has been wafting through the air during the recent triathlon of elections, the NWT clearly caught a specific territorial strain of it last night. Pick your well-worn metaphor. A landslide? A groundswell? Whatever we saw, it was dramatic. Certainly enough to dent, if not
Investing in green energy is a smart move, but not a new industry On EDGE | Political Opinion A couple of weeks back, Ollie Williams of MooseFM tweeted out a zinger that had those of us covering the election in stitches. “18 out of 28 territorial candidate interviews down. At the point where, if anyone
Power costs, the failed treatment centre, and an educational “slow death” are key issues in the riding “Experience” is a word thrown about in most election races, but perhaps nowhere much as in Hay River South, where two green candidates are trying to match their backgrounds to an incumbent with five terms under her belt. Brian
After a meal out in Ottawa, personal hotel bills and two car rentals totaling more than $1,200 in the span of three months, Speaker of the House Jackie Jacobson was cut off. The bills were racked up on a government credit card between November 2014 and January of this year, and came on top of
The race for Yellowknife Centre took a turn for the nasty last week, with suggestions of improper advertising being levelled against incumbent MLA Robert Hawkins by the media, and Hawkins in turn making accusations against his challenger Julie Green, at least two of which the CBC has reported as false or unsubstantiated. This is not
On EDGE | Opinion Over the course of several days last spring, I talked with Yellowknife street community member James Thrasher about mental health. He told me about his work, his family and his battle with depression and addiction. We spoke, in an oblique manner, about his time in residential school. And he recounted the
It’s unlikely that any currently proposed initiatives will bring 2,000 new residents streaming in overnight Ask any candidate in this election what their top priority is and the answer is virtually guaranteed to be some variation on “the economy and the cost of living.” This isn’t exactly breaking news. The general tone of recent discussion