MLA calls out premier on lack of communication with regular MLAs
Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly said he first heard
of four important government decisions through the media
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife MLA has complained bitterly over the fact he's learned of at least four important government decisions recently through the media.
Premier Bob McLeod says new protocol is being worked on; refused to call communication shortfalls serious breaches. - |
Kevin O'Reilly, representative for Frame Lake, said this flies in the face of the principles of consensus government.
On the opening day of the current legislative session last Thursday, O'Reilly told the house only through the media did he learn about secret negotiations between the territorial government and Newmont, owners of the Robertson Headframe, to try to preserve the structure which is now slated for demolition next month.
"When I asked for details I was told that we could only find out what was going on after a deal was reached," O'Reilly said.
He added he read a public news release where the premier came out against a carbon tax despite promising to consult with regular MLAs and the public before taking a position. O'Reilly said he also read in the media that the federal government had put the GNWT proposal for extending the Mackenzie Valley Highway on the back burner, and another news story about proposed changes to the Yellowknife Airport, including increased fees.
O'Reilly quoted from a document known as the Process Convention on Communications between the executive council, ministers, standing committees and regular members, and signed by Premier Bob McLeod on September 8, 2014 that states: "Except under extraordinary circumstances, members of the legislative assembly should be made aware of and have opportunity to discuss significant announcements, changes, consultations or initiatives before they are released to the public or introduced in the legislative assembly."
He went on to say cabinet behaviour contradicts the ideals set out in the document he'd just read aloud.
"It's not clear to this member what extraordinary circumstances precipitated this flow of information without bothering to inform members on this side of the House," O'Reilly said, "I don't want to get into a debate about each of these examples I cited, but there is a disturbing pattern continuing, and this is not in keeping with consensus government."
In response, the premier denied O'Reilly's assertion.
"I wouldn't go so far as to characterize it as serious breaches," he said.
"I would just talk about the four instances that the member raised on the Robertson Headframe with Newmont. The proponent wrote to all the Yellowknife MLAs indicating that he had talked to our government. I do have e-mails from the four Yellowknife MLAs outlining their positions with regards to the Roberston Headframe," McLeod said. "So for him to say that it's a complete surprise that we were talking about the Robertson Headframe, I guess he considers that as very serious."
On the carbon tax, McLeod said it was a matter if interpretation. He said despite a news release from all three territorial premiers where they spoke about how harmful a carbon tax would be on the North, the premier said he is open to any number of methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
On the Mackenzie Valley Highway project, McLeod said we do not live in a perfect world.
"We have people that make mistakes. I wasn't aware that somebody was going to talk about the Mackenzie Highway," McLeod said.
"My understanding is the federal government is still looking at the Mackenzie Highway."
On the Yellowknife Airport, McLeod said they had requested to do a briefing on a number of occasions but had been refused.
"The media briefing was only provided at the request of the media and we only presented information that was already shared with committee," the premier told legislative assembly.
After hearing these explanations, O'Reilly wanted to know if the current cabinet has accepted and abides by the process convention on communications that the premier himself had signed.
McLeod responded by saying the protocol is in the process of being renegotiated.
"It'll be rolled out very shortly, and we stand by it," McLeod said. "Communications is a standing item of all of our cabinet meetings of every decision paper and we will continue to endeavour to fulfill those commitments that we've committed."
O'Reilly did not seem at all satisfied with that answer.
"Clearly when I continue to find out things that are going on through the media, there's a problem," he told the premier.
"What is he prepared to do to prevent poor communications from happening again and again?"
McLeod stood his ground and said he does not see it happening again and again.
"It's a constant process, we discuss it all the time," McLeod said.
"Every issue, every decision paper, every information item dealing, responding to the media, we endeavour to make sure that committees, especially the chairs of the appropriate committee and the MLAs, are made aware of it."
It is not the first time regular members have complained about being left out of the government process.
At least two Yellowknife MLAs complained during the last assembly they only heard Stanton Territorial Hospital was going to be replaced completely, not just added onto, as had been earlier proposed.
