With a new slate of MLAs chosen in Monday's Northwest Territories election, a number of groups are now taking a closer look at who will be dealing with their concerns in government.
Six of the 19 MLAs are new to territorial politics, but four of them bring lengthy resumés in either public service or municipal politics. The remaining 13 MLAs were re-elected or acclaimed, including four cabinet ministers from the previous legislative assembly.
Aboriginal leaders say they hope the new government will pay more attention to aboriginal issues such as land claims, self-government and treaty processes. Some, like former Yellowknives Dene chief Darrell Beaulieu, said candidates did not seem to have much in-depth knowledge of the issues during the campaign.
"It's very important that they understand the process and where aboriginal people are coming from," Beaulieu, who is now president of Denendeh Investments Inc., said Tuesday.
"The intent of [treaties] was to co-exist and everybody work together. Now, if you don't understand one party, it's going to be very, very difficult."
Get Métis involved, leader urges
Bill Enge, president of the North Slave Métis Alliance, said he felt the territorial government ignored many of their concerns in the past or tried to deal with them without consultation.
For example, the last assembly tried to secure a devolution and resource-revenue sharing agreement with the federal government without input from the Métis, he said.
"We need to come to some better understanding between us in terms of our aboriginal rights and our interest," Enge said.
"We can't stand back and allow our interests to be jeopardized for the sake of an agreement. This new government needs to come to terms with the fact that the North Slave Métis are here. We have rights and they need to be respected."
Enge's organization may receive some support from first-time MLA Bob McLeod, who was elected in the Yellowknife South district. Métis himself, McLeod has served as the N.W.T.'s deputy aboriginal affairs minister in the past.
But other aboriginal leaders who sought seats in Monday's election did not fare so well: two well-known chiefs, Keyna Norwegian and Jonas Sangris, lost in the Nahendeh and Weledeh districts, respectively.
Examine major projects, groups say
The Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce wants the new government to take a critical look at major projects started by the previous assembly, from whether to proceed with proposed large-scale hydroelectricity projects, to whether to build an all-year bridge across the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence, N.W.T.
"What we have to do is have a decision on the actual cost of the bridge, and what it's going to add to our cost of living and who's going to pay for it," chamber president Don Yamkowy said. "That discussion has to happen."
Yellowknife city councillor Shelagh Montgomery, who is also a spokesperson with the social justice advocacy group Alternatives North, said she would like to see the new government re-examine an agreement that outlines the benefits the N.W.T. will receive from the proposed Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline.
While the agreement is designed to provide jobs, business and training opportunities for northerners, Montgomery said it is not enforceable.
"Those members of the legislative assembly that were responsible for that agreement, some of them who supported it are still there and that's disappointing to us," she said.
The new MLAs are expected to meet for the first time Oct. 9-12 for orientation and selection of the premier, house speaker and cabinet.
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