NWT leaders under attack

The Northwest Territories government narrowly sidestepped being toppled on Feb. 6, fending off a no-confidence vote that could have seen Premier Floyd Roland and his entire cabinet overthrown.

Turmoil in the 19-member Legislature resulted from frustration by those outside the cabinet who accused the executive of withholding information and not including them in policy formation.

The NWT operates a consensus-style government, with all members choosing the premier and cabinet after every general election and having the right to dismiss the executive at any time in a similar vote.

The no-confidence motion was defeated 10-8, leaving a chagrined Roland promising a more conciliatory tone.

“We have to change the way we do business and I’m prepared to make a change,” he told the legislature before the vote.

Jane Groenewegen, a member of the legislative assembly who tabled the motion, refused to back down, even when it was apparent the mood was against an overthrow.

“I think the solution for this problem is for the premier to resign and let someone else take over the job,” she said.

Transportation Minister Michael McLeod, dealing with the issue of sharp divisions in the Legislature, said the future of consensus government was at stake.

“When it works, it works well, but when people don’t respect it, it won’t work well,” he said.

Groenewegen accused the cabinet of misleading the Legislature over contracts for a C$155 million bridge across the Mackenzie River. Roland initially said the government’s only financial exposure was a C$9 million loan guarantee, but it later emerged the NWT could be liable for much more if toll revenues from the bridge fell short of projections.

There were also concerns about a C$34 million bailout for NWT-based Discovery Air.

—Gary Park