City considers legal action against GNWT
Council to debate motion on taking territorial government to court over electoral boundaries
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 24, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City council will vote on whether to take the territorial government to court over objections to the electoral boundaries for the 2015 general election.
Mayor Mark Heyck said the city has spoken with both lawyers and community members about the issue and expects a motion will be brought to council for debate at its Monday meeting.
"It's either we take legal action now or we wait another eight years for the next electoral boundaries commission to do its work," Heyck said.
Last year, the commission forwarded its recommendations to the legislative assembly.
At that time, the city objected that it its underrepresentation in the legislature was not addressed.
When the territorial government approved the status-quo 19-seat reccommendation, council passed a motion asking the minister of justice to refer several questions about the boundaries to the NWT Supreme Court. That request was rejected.
"The status quo is essentially maintained," the mayor said.
During the Municipal Services Committee meeting Monday, Councs. Niels Konge, Dan Wong and Adrian Bell said they support bringing a motion to pursue legal action to the full council.
"I think we need to pursue this and take the next step," Bell said at the meeting.
The wording of the motion was not drafted by press time.
Heyck said the city seeks to resolve what it sees as chronic under-representation in the legislature.
"The effect of that is that Yellowknifers' votes are worth less than voters in many other regions of the territory. It's time that we be fairly and equitably represented in the legislature," he said.
Before voicing support for moving forward at the committee meeting Monday, some councillors wondered what launching a legal battle might cost the city.
Kerry Penney, the city's manager of legal services, said "it would be in the thousands" but couldn't provide an exact estimate.
Heyck said he's heard from people who would donate money to cover legal costs.
The mayor said Yellowknife might not be the only government challenging the boundaries in court. The Tlicho Government and Yellowknives Dene First Nation have also expressed concerns about their representation.
