Caucus retreat showcases Fort Providence
MLAs get the Deh Cho experience during meeting in hamlet
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, September 15, 2016
DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
MLAs from across the Northwest Territories headed to Fort Providence to attend a caucus retreat in the last week of August.
MLAs gathered in Fort Providence last week for the caucus retreat. In the back row, from left, are Yellowknife South MLA Bob McLeod, Hay River South MLA Wally Schumann, Inuvik Twin Lakes MLA Robert C. McLeod, Monfwi MLA Jackson Lafferty, Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart, Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Alfred Moses, Thebacha MLA Louis Sebert, Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne, Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green, Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson (obscured), Range Lake MLA Caroline Cochrane, Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh MLA Tom Beaulieu, Sahtu MLA Daniel Mark McNeely, Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly, Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy and Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli. In the front is Nunakput MLA Herb Nakimayak. - photo courtesy of Trisha Landry
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The retreat began Aug. 24 and ran through Aug. 26. Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli and Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson were both present for the event.
Thompson said one of the positive effects of holding the caucus meeting in Fort Providence was getting most of the assembly's MLAs out of Yellowknife, Inuvik and Hay River.
"It gives the other MLAs a great opportunity to see what is happening in the smaller communities," he said.
"(It also shows) people of the Northwest Territories that they matter."
According to the legislative assembly, caucus meetings are confidential but give MLAs an opportunity to "speak openly and honestly, and raise sensitive issues." Records and minutes are not kept of the meetings.
It also gives the Speaker, in this case MLA Jackson Lafferty, a chance to participate in discussions. Aside from regular meetings in the assembly, caucus meets only twice per year outside Yellowknife when the house is not in session.
Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart said what struck him about Fort Providence was how close its residents are to the land.
Driving from Yellowknife, he also gained a sense of how important infrastructure is for the community.
"Understanding the amount of economic opportunity a highway brings to a community is important when you're talking about remote or isolated communities," he said. "(Getting outside Yellowknife) gives us a clearer direction for policies, so we're not creating one-size-fits-all policies."
Testart said the visit highlighted how the territorial government needs to work with the federal government for funding.
"We need to make it clear to the federal government, that the North has needs that have to be a national priority," he said.
"There's a lot of work we need to do and limited resources to do it with."
Thompson described the caucus retreat coming to the Deh Cho as a "huge event" that gave MLAs a chance to take in the sights of Fort Providence as well as hold a frank discussion.
"The community opened their arms and treated us very well," Thompson said.
"They got to show us around their community and surrounding area."
He added the retreat enabled MLAs to lay down some direction for the Rules and Procedures Committee, which he sits on.
The assembly is expected to resume sitting on Oct. 13.
