Bon voyage to Bisaro, Bromley
Outgoing Yellowknife MLAs shake hands, shed tears on final day in the legislative assembly
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, October 12, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
With big smiles and a few tears a pair of two-term Yellowknife MLAs of the NWT legislative assembly bid adieu to their colleagues for the final time on Oct. 8.
Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley, left, and Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro are all smiles in front of the legislative assembly floor on their final day. Both members said tearful goodbyes to their colleagues on Oct. 8 during the final sitting of the 17th Legislative Assembly. Both politicians are retiring and are not running in the Nov. 23 territorial election. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
Both Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro and Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley left with mixed emotions as the 17th assembly sat for the final time. After eight years in office both are retiring and won't be seeking re-election in the Nov. 23 vote. Accolades, tributes and praise were heaped upon both MLAs from regular members and cabinet ministers alike as Bromley and Bisaro said their goodbyes on the assembly floor.
Bisaro made a point of encouraging the members of the next assembly to continue the work that was started and developed under her watch.
"The human rights commission has done a wonderful review of the human rights act. We need to make sure that amendments are followed through on," she said.
"(The Department of) Justice needs to bring forward legislation for an ombudsman - please. (The Department of) Health and Social Services is promising medical travel policy and program changes - follow up on those. (The Department of) Education infrastructure in schools is lacking and that includes the Francophone schools and the need to find some solution to the court case which has has been ongoing forever, Bisaro told the House. "It's a long list and it only covers my personal recollections of what needs to be done. To the 18th assembly, I say it's a lot of work to do it right but please roll up your sleeves and get it done."
Bisaro said one of her biggest regrets as she leaves as a politician is what she calls the ineffectiveness of the regular members on the priorities and planning committee.
"We were not cohesive ... and we were not together in terms of support for issues," she said. "There were members who felt we shouldn't be adding anything to the budget that was brought forward. We said, 'No, we are going to bring them forward anyway.' So we brought motions to the floor of the House and everyone was defeated because some regular members sided with cabinet and voted them down. That was pretty depressing."
Bisaro said the highlight for her during her time in office was a private members' bill that she brought forward in 2008 during her first term.
"I think that I'm most proud of the fact that the Donation of Food Act ... was passed in fairly short order. It has had a huge impact on the ability of Food Rescue to operate and they've expanded since the act went into place."
The act essentially removed liability from businesses and others that donated food, which in turn upped donations.
Food Rescue is a Yellowknife group that supports organizations that feed the homeless and other nutritionally and socially disadvantaged people.
Bisaro's eyes welled up with tears as she described her emotions on her final day in the assembly.
"I'm a bit sad. I would love my family to be here but they are not," she said. "My daughter (died) quite a long time ago and I've been thinking about her."
Bromley listed the failure of his motion on hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" as probably his main disappointment during his time as MLA. The motion called for a moratorium on the practice until more information could be gathered.
"To not get a commitment to get a comprehensive, public and transparent review of the risks involved and whether they're acceptable to the public (was disappointing)," he said.
Bromley said the highlight of his political career was simply helping all the constituents with the problems they brought to him over the years.
Bromley also choked up - just a little bit - on the floor of the House as he said his thank-yous and goodbyes. He said later that he was thinking about the support given to him by his wife Marianne and his mother Barb Bromley, who died earlier this year.
"It's been a huge privilege to represent the people of Weledeh and of the NWT - people who have my utmost respect and good wishes. I'd like to thank you all for the faith you have placed in me to speak on your behalf over the past eight years," Bromley said. "Being your MLA has brought me closer to people and their issues and the struggles we all engage in to provide for healthy families and communities. Mr. Speaker, to you and all my colleagues in this assembly, I say mahsi and onwards."
