Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Published Friday, January 18, 2008
YELLOWKNIFE - Before Christmas, all 19 NWT MLAs gathered around the table to plan their priorities for the next four years.
The results were lengthy and not particularly easy to grasp.
The final document, named Northerners Working Together: Visions, Goals and Priorities, lists six main goals with 32 separate sub-goals.
They include "build community human resource capacity with an emphasis on trades and entrepreneurial skills" (under "a diversified economy that provides all communities and regions with opportunities and choices") and "work toward a common vision for the political development of the NWT" (under "a strong and independent North built on partnerships").
"Some people might think it's a bit vague," said Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy of the list.
He said the priorities are meant to be a "mission statement," that he and other MLAs can use to gauge cabinet's future strategic plans and budgets.
"I'm happy with it. I think it give us a lot of room to move forward."
Fellow Yellowknife MLA Wendy Bisaro - who chairs the caucus committee that produced the priorities - agreed. She said it falls to the ministers to decide how future spending and priorities meet these priorities, and to regular members to keep tabs on that process.
"That's where the checks and balances are," she said.
While it wasn't clear how a goal such as "achieve greater effectiveness, efficiencies and a more client-focused, service-oriented approach through better planning, co-ordination and communication between GNWT departments" could be clearly achieved in a four-year term, Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley said he had a clear marker for success.
He said decreases in greenhouse gas emissions in the NWT would be a good benchmark, as well as economic development that also has social and environmental benefits.
"That's the yardstick that I'll be holding up," he said.
Bisaro said the document comes at a good time, before any serious decision-making had been made on future plans and budgets.
"We worked hard to make sure this document is a foundation for whatever we're going to do over the next two years," Bisaro added. "And that's a good thing."
The visions and priorities are available on the legislative assembly's website.
