Nadli, Thompson unite against GNWT budget
MLAs say cabinet needs to invest in the territory
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, February 9, 2017
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Regular MLAs are speaking out against the territorial budget, criticizing the GNWT for focusing on fiscal restraint and debt management instead of strategic investments.
Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod presents his budget address in the legislative assembly on Feb. 1. Premier Bob McLeod, left, and cabinet minister and Hay River South MLA Wally Schumann follow along with their copies of the budget. - Kirsten Fenn/NNSL photo
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On Feb. 6, Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli told the assembly he disagrees with the priorities of the budget and was disappointed in what he said was a lack of genuine effort by cabinet to work "in a spirit of collaboration."
"It is very hard for me to accept the argument of fiscal restraint when we've tried to work with cabinet and propose initiatives and are told, 'we'll look into it,' and the concerns of our constituents are somehow lost in transit," he said.
"What is more disappointing is when we are told we have limited resources for projects and then, later on, cabinet suddenly announces major investments in initiatives of their own. A case in point is the recent purchase of NTCL assets and expenditures of $7 million that just magically appeared like manna from heaven."
The $1.7-billion budget was released Feb. 1 and has been debated for the past week in the legislative assembly. Since its release, the budget has garnered widespread criticism from regular MLAs.
The budget would merge the departments of Transportation with Public Works and Services, Human Resources with Finance and the Executive with Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations.
Sixty-five government jobs would be eliminated as a result, although not all are currently occupied.
The territory says it will try to minimize the impact of job cuts by helping people find different roles within the GNWT.
Nadli said prior to the budget being tabled, regular MLAs presented requests to cabinet for "modest investments" in employment funding to small communities, road access funding, enhancement of home care services and a stimulus package for job creation and business growth.
"These modest investments would make a big positive impact for our residents without affecting one per cent of the GNWT's bottom line," he said.
"It is very hard for my colleagues and I . to believe that our concerns are being heard when the government tells us that they cannot afford these investments while finding big dollars to bail out flailing Northern business ventures."
On Feb. 2, when Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson addressed the budget, the first thing he questioned was the GNWT's approach to consensus government.
"True consensus government means the 19 MLAs working together for the benefit of all residents in the NWT," he said.
"Unfortunately, with cabinet solidarity, it does not happen a lot . With automatic cabinet solidarity on every single issue, I do not feel this is a true consensus government."
Budget deliberations will continue in the legislative assembly until March 10.
