Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Published Friday, August 31, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - While a whirlwind of thrown paper took centre stage on the last day of the 15th legislative assembly, there were handshakes all around over what had been achieved in the last four years.

"The agenda you set for yourselves has been ambitious," said NWT Commissioner Tony Whitford while closing the assembly.

"Ultimately your work has served to improve the North's general condition and have a positive effect on the lives of Northerners."In all, NWT MLAs passed 11 bills, tackling issues as wide ranging as student loans, public health and liquor laws.

Among the more notable changes, the Liquor Act will see minimum penalties of $500 added for providing liquor to a minor.

The Change of Name Act, meanwhile, is meant to cut some of the red tape surrounding the process - moving it from the courts to the department of Health and Social Services. A provision was added to the bill, removing all charges if the government was responsible for changing the name in the first place.

The Supplementary Appropriation Act - the legislative assembly's spending bills - was the source of intense controversy, as regular members protested $100,000 set aside to send the premier on a trade mission to China.

A motion was tabled, and then defeated, attempting to have the amount deleted.

Missing from this list is Bill 7, the controversial Safer Communities and Neighborhoods Act. The act would have given courts broader powers to evict drug dealers and bootleggers from their homes. Regular members on the committee overseeing the bill refused to endorse it, saying it needed more work before it would work for the NWT. It was sent back to committee.

In his closing speech before assenting to the bills, Commissioner Tony Whitford marked some of the achievements of this assembly. These included a new formula financing agreement, continuing work on devolution, a territorial recycling program and a "significant increase in senior high school graduates, particularly among aboriginal students," among others.

Whitford paid particular attention to the Deh Cho Bridge.

"Some of us have been around for 40 years and have been talking about (the bridge) for 40 years."

The ground-breaking took place in Fort Providence Aug. 24. The bridge, which is expected to clock in at over $150 million, sparked furious debate and a formal recommendation from regular members that the bridge be delayed until the 16th legislative assembly.

The recommendation was ignored.