SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Consensus government may no longer be the best way to govern the territory, Jane Groenewegen, Hay River South MLA, said on the last day of the legislative assembly's winter session on March 4.

"There's a significant gap between that leadership we put in place for four years and the public, the electorate, the people who put us here," she said.

She challenged the idea party politics is too adversarial, saying, "consensus government is not the most congenial way of getting business done either."

Groenewegen asked Premier Floyd Roland how a consultation process on consensus government would start.

He said the issue has come up before, and he's discussed it with aboriginal leaders in relation to a possible constitution. He said if MLAs passed a motion to consider alternatives to consensus government, it could go to a referendum and the public could decide.

But Roland said consensus government isn't entirely different from other jurisdictions.

"Though there is no official opposition, it's always understood there's an unofficial opposition, which has worked rather well," he said.

Roland said one of the strengths of consensus government was the regular member's ability to get information from cabinet before it's made public, saying other governments admire the system.

Groenewegen said that worked in theory, but not in practice when regular members had information they couldn't make public, "knowing full well that that information that you share could be used as a stick to beat you with."

Local housing authorities to take over rental assessments by June

Communities with fly-in, fly-out income support workers are getting charged more for housing, said David Krutko, MLA, Mackenzie Delta.

He said he was concerned the switchover of the rental supplement from the Department of Education Culture and Employment to the NWT Housing Corporation meant that communities like Sachs Harbour and Tsiigehtchic were paying the price.

"People are still being charged economic rent. In some cases the whole community is charged economic rent until the income support worker arrives," he said.

He asked if a cheque could be cut at the regional offices.

Robert C. McLeod, the minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, said there were challenges with the transfer but they were being dealt with.

"If there's an opportunity for some leeway given to those that are getting charged full economic rent, the local housing authorities are usually pretty good at adjusting the rents once they get the proper documentation," he said,

Ulukhaktok elders need a place to go, too: Jacobson

Ulukhaktok shouldn't get overlooked for a seniors' facility because it's a small community, Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson said on March 2.

"Other communities that are smaller and not so isolated have received funding for seniors facilities," he said. "Elders deserve a place where they can go for entertainment, visiting, or just for healthy services."Jacobson said elders in Ulukhaktok deserve a facility just as much as elders in Inuvik and Yellowknife, and said they shouldn't have to travel to receive those services.

Sandy Lee, the minister responsible for seniors, said her department has been looking into long-term options for seniors, including facilities in Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok.

She said she'd work with the Housing Corporation to see what can be done in Ulukhaktok.

"I'm tired of the studies. I'm tired of the needs assessments that this government takes upon itself to do. This has to get done," Jacobson replied.