Nahendeh MLA blasts budget
GNWT operational budget passes with Thompson, O'Reilly opposed
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, March 9, 2017
DEH CHO
Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson was one of two MLAs to stand against the GNWT's 2017-18 operational budget in a vote on March 6.
The budget passed all three readings before the assembly with Thompson and Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly voting against it.
The proposed operational budget initially sparked strong opposition from the majority of regular MLAs, who said strategic spending was needed in order to bolster the economy.
Much of that opposition melted away over the course of the legislative assembly's sitting, after the government agreed to add $4.8 million toward social and industry spending.
Thompson delivered a speech to the assembly on March 6 to outline the concerns he still has with the budget.
"When somebody offers you something, you need to consider it further and look into it a bit closer," Thompson said.
His concerns include a lack of input on the budget with front-line workers, as well as job cuts in the region.
He pointed to the loss of four positions in Fort Simpson as a sign the government is still not taking the needs of small communities seriously - a criticism he and his predecessors have often levelled at the government.
"It saddens me when this government cuts positions in the first place, but it is very frustrating when they look first at smaller regional centres to make the cuts," Thompson said, adding the impact of four job losses would be the equivalent of 65 jobs lost in Yellowknife.
"If this government was sincere about making sure we had a strong NWT, they would seriously look at where cuts would have the least impact on all residents."
Thompson said that despite the GNWT agreeing to defer reductions to Aurora College for its social work and teacher education programs, he expects the programs will be eliminated anyway.
The deferral was one of the concessions the GNWT made to regular MLAs and means there will be a fundamental review of the college before any cuts are implemented. However, no new students will be admitted to the program while the review is under way.
"I can see the writing on the wall," Thompson said.
"I have witnessed this type of approach before. Stopping the intake of students while the strategic plan is done will cause students to lose interest in the program."
The end result, he added, would be fewer Northern teachers and social workers as students head south for their education.
