Sebert scores upset in Thebacha
Fort Smith lawyer defeats long-serving MLA and cabinet minister Michael Miltenberger
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, November 30, 2015
THEBACHA
Veteran Fort Smith lawyer Louis Sebert has scored a shocking election victory in the riding of Thebacha.
Sebert beat five-term incumbent MLA Michael Miltenberger in the territorial election Nov. 23. He garnered 401 votes to Miltenberger's 363. Newspaper publisher Don Jaque finished third in the three-man race with 173 votes.
"It was a very interesting race. There were three very good candidates ... I think there was voter fatigue out there - federal election, municipal elections and now territorial. I was thinking there would be a turnout of 1,200 or 1,300 but it was between 900 and 1,000," Sebert said.
He said that he hasn't really thought through yet whether he'll be seeking a cabinet post.
"Everybody feels they might qualify. If I were to pursue a cabinet position, Justice is the one I would be interested in. I've been a practising lawyer for 40 years," Sebert said.
"I'm looking forward to getting going. There are a lot of issues that we're going to have to deal with. Michael has very ably represented this riding for 20 years and he set a high bar."
The first time Miltenberger and Sebert faced off in a territorial election was in 1987, where they finished fourth and fifth respectively in was then called the Slave River riding.
Sebert served for 14 years on Fort Smith town council, the last three as deputy mayor. He also has been a part-time instructor at Aurora College for the last 30 years. He campaigned on a more transparent and open government and said he would strongly support the appointment of an ombudsman. He also called for proper funding of municipalities and affordable daycare, which he said is a necessity in a modern progressive society.
He also said he believes in funding sustainable development with an emphasis on green technologies.
Miltenberger thinks that at least part of the reason that he lost is that the vote was split three ways.
"The practical reality is that there was very low voter turnout and the split - there were three of us running - and the vote split. It's the first time we had a candidate run who went after the same base that I had. So it took away enough between those two to contribute to the final result. I don't think it was a plan, it's just the way it worked out - the dynamics of the three of us," Miltenberger said. "I'll keep moving. I've been through this and I've been in this business a long time. It has peaks and valleys. I've taken all my signs down and I'm thinking about what I am going to do next. You don't dwell."
Miltenberger said he has not had an opportunity to think about what he would like to do next.
"I've been doing all the routine things that come with the end of an election and the losing. I'll be going up to Yellowknife ... to look at the transition there. I have an apartment and some other things. So in the next week or so I'll be transitioning out of my life as an MLA."
It is Miltenberger's first loss as an incumbent. He was seeking an unprecedented sixth term having first been elected in 1995. He has held several high profile cabinet portfolios over the years including stints as the minister of Finance, Environment and Natural Resources and Health and Social Services. He was also minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC).
Miltenberger said his proudest accomplishments include working through division with Nunavut, surviving the economic downturn of 2008 and devolution.
Miltenberger said he was not shocked to see such a dramatic changing of the guard across the NWT with 11 new MLAs. He saw the same thing happen before Nunavut became its own territory.
"Back in 1995 when we got in, there were well over a dozen, 14 or so out of 24 that changed. That was 20 years apart. So it was fairly significant replenishing of the MLA gene pool."
He pointed to the vote for change that saw the Liberals elected federally last month as just one of the reasons so may incumbents lost in this territorial election.
Jaque said that he had a sense that there was an appetite for change in the riding.
"Many people told me they supported Michael Miltenberger in the past, but after 20 years it was time for someone new - and they had yet to make up their minds between myself and Lou Sebert," Jaque stated in an e-mail.
"The choice for change the people made was Lou Sebert over me."
