Territorial Leadership Committee
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19th Assembly TERRITORIAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE Friday, October 18, 2019 Pages 1 – 54 Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories Members of the Legislative Assembly ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Frederick Blake Jr. Mr. Kevin O'Reilly (Mackenzie Delta) (Frame Lake) Mr. Rylund Johnson (Yellowknife North) Mr. Ronald Bonnetrouge Ms. Lesa Semmler (Deh Cho) (Inuvik Twin Lakes) Mr. Jackson Lafferty (Monfwi) Ms. Caitlin Cleveland Mr. R.J. Simpson (Kam Lake) (Hay River North) Ms. Frieda Martselos (Thebacha) Ms. Paulie Chinna Mr. Rocky Simpson (Sahtu) (Hay River South) Ms. Katrina Nokleby (Great Slave) Ms. Caroline Cochrane Ms. Diane Thom (Range Lake) (Inuvik Boot Lake) Mr. Steve Norn (Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh) Ms. Julie Green Mr. Shane Thompson (Yellowknife Centre) (Nahendeh) Mr. Jackie Jacobson Ms. Caroline Wawzonek (Nunakput) (Yellowknife South) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Officers Clerk of the Legislative Assembly Mr. Tim Mercer Deputy Clerks Committee Clerks Law Clerks Mr. Glen Rutland Mr. Michael Ball Ms. Sheila MacPherson Ms. Kim Wickens Ms. Cynthia James Ms. Alyssa Holland Ms. Jennifer Franki-Smith __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Box 1320 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Tel: (867) 767-9010 Fax: (867) 920-4735 Toll-Free: 1-800-661-0784 http://www.assembly.gov.nt.ca Published under the authority of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories TABLE OF CONTENTS CALL TO ORDER .................................................................................................................................................. 1 PRAYER ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 REVIEW AND ADOPTION OF AGENDA ............................................................................................................... 1 OPENING REMARKS BY THE CLERK OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ...................................................... 2 NOMINATIONS FOR PREMIER ............................................................................................................................. 2 CANDIDATES' SPEECHES ................................................................................................................................... 3 Ms. Cochrane's Speech ................................................................................................................................... 2 Mr. Lafferty's Speech ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Ms. Martselo's Speech ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Mr. R.J. Simpson's Speech ............................................................................................................................ 11 QUESTIONS BY MEMBERS ................................................................................................................................ 16 ADJOURNMENT .................................................................................................................................................. 53 October 18, 2019 TERRITORIAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE Page 1 YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Friday, October 18, 2019 Members Present Mr. Blake, Mr. Bonnetrouge, Ms. Chinna, Ms. Cleveland, Ms. Cochrane, Ms. Green, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Martselos, Ms. Nokleby, Mr. Norn, Mr. O'Reilly, Ms. Semmler, Mr. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Rocky Simpson, Ms. Thom, Mr. Thompson, Ms. Wawzonek th Call to Order from the past. Your predecessors from the 18 Legislative Assembly divided the process for the selection of Premier from a one-day process to a CHAIRPERSON (Mr. Mercer): Good morning, two-day process. As you have agreed, the process Members. As Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, it is for selecting a Premier for the 19th Legislative my duty to call this first meeting of the Territorial Assembly will be divided into two distinct stages. Leadership Committee to order and to preside over Today those Members wishing to allow their names the nominations for Premier, the subsequent to stand for Premier will each identify themselves candidate speeches, and question period. Please publicly and make a speech of up to 20 minutes. rise as Elder Paul Andrew leads us in a prayer and Following these speeches, each Member will be contemplation. entitled to ask up to two questions to each candidate for Premier. Your questions should be Prayer addressed equally to all candidates, and I ask that you keep them short and specific. Likewise, I ask ---Prayer that candidates limit their responses to no more than five minutes. CHAIRPERSON (Mr. Mercer): Thank you, Elder Paul Andrew. Members, please be seated. Following this question-and-answer exchange, the Territorial Leadership Committee will adjourn for Members, before we begin, I would like to take this roughly one week until Thursday, October 24, 2019, opportunity to recognize a number of people in the at 9:00 a.m., when you will first select a Speaker. visitors' gallery today. First, Mr. Norman Yakeleya, Following this, each Member will be provided the former Member, former Minister of the Legislative opportunity to ask one final question to the Assembly, currently National Chief of the Dene candidates for Premier. This final exchange will be Nation; and also, Ms. Wendy Bisaro, former followed by the secret ballot election of the Premier. Member of the Legislative Assembly. Welcome to you both. Later that afternoon, you will proceed to identify, hear speeches from, ask questions to, and elect Review and Adoption of Agenda Members of the Executive Council according to the 2-2-2, or north-south-Yellowknife, custom that has been used by previous Assemblies. As mentioned, this is the first meeting of the Territorial Leadership Committee for the Members th Now, with regard to technical matters, Members of the 19 Legislative Assembly. All Members have should be aware that you are not required to turn a copy of the agenda in front of them. Are there any on your microphones when you rise to speak. That additions or deletions to the agenda? Seeing none, will be done automatically for you. Also, in front of is the agenda adopted? Members and built into your desks are the timing mechanisms. When speeches are being made, the SOME HON. MEMBERS: Agreed. clocks will count down the time available to you, CHAIRPERSON (Mr. Mercer): Agreed? Thank and you are asked to be mindful of the time limits you, Members. that have been set and agreed to by all Members. I wish to make Members aware that today's Opening Remarks by the Clerk of the proceedings are being broadcast live on the Legislative Assembly Legislative Assembly Television Network and on social media. Our proceedings today are being Members, and those following along in the public simultaneously translated in the following gallery and at home, you have previously confirmed languages: in booth 2 on channel 2, Tlicho; in booth a process to select a Premier that varies somewhat 3, Chipewyan; in booth 4, South Slavey; in booth 5, North Slavey; in booth 6, Inuvialuktun; in booth 7, Inuktitut; and in booth 8, French. Page 2 TERRITORIAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE October 18, 2019 I would also like to remind Members that, although Like many, my life was not always easy. I this is a less formal committee than the House experienced the hardships of family addiction, itself, Members are please asked to stand while violence, and homelessness. As a single parent of speaking. two young children, I understood that education was the key to not only my future, but also for Nominations for Premier theirs. I returned to school and obtained a degree in social work. The next item on the agenda is item 5, nominations Before entering this Legislative Assembly, I for Premier. The Premier nominations and dedicated 20 years to supporting the needs of our candidate speech guidelines are in your packages most marginalized populations. I understand from a on your desks in front of you. personal and a professional perspective that we As per the guidelines, my first duty is now to ask all need to weigh in the needs of all sectors in defining Members who wish to allow their names to stand our priorities, direction, and actions. As we move forward, I have confidence that you will find that I for the position of Premier to please rise in their places. Thank you. Nominated for Premier, then, have a balanced perspective; I am open and are Mr. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Cochrane, honest; and, above all, I consider the needs of all and Ms. Martselos. Thank you. You may be seated. people and all communities. th We will now proceed to the speeches by the four On October 9 I listened to all MLAs who spoke on candidates for Premier. Each candidate is permitted the needs of their constituents. I heard the need to to make a 20-minute speech, and the speeches will consider the sustainability of the earth and the be made in alphabetical order by surname. As impacts of climate change; the need to consider the such, I will first call upon Ms. Cochrane for her housing, health, and education wellness needs of speech. Ms. Cochrane, you have the floor. our people and our communities; the need for addressing