MLAs’ debate on wildfire inquiry is postponed at premier’s request

A debate among territorial politicians about whether to launch an independent inquiry into last year’s wildfires has been postponed.

Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart and Dehcho MLA Sheryl Yakeleya had advanced a motion seeking the creation of a four-person panel to scrutinize the GNWT’s handling of the NWT’s worst-ever fire season – and the evacuations that were triggered.

However, as the motion reached the floor of the House on Friday, Premier RJ Simpson stood with a motion of his own: to delay the debate until February 22.

Cabinet and two Yellowknife regular MLAs, Great Slave’s Kate Reid and Frame Lake’s Julian Morse, supported the postponement. All nine other regular MLAs opposed it.

Speaker Shane Thompson, asked to deliver a casting vote, said: “As the role of the speaker, we vote to encourage and continue to debate. So the debate will be scheduled for February 22 at that time.”

No reason was given on the floor for the postponement, but Premier Simpson – in an interview with Cabin Radio after this article was first published – said he believed MLAs collectively “need a bit more time to work together and come to a solution that everyone is happy with.”

While debating the motion on Friday would have led to a same-day vote, Simpson said he wanted to use the two-week postponement he has just earned to convince regular MLAs that there’s no need for an inquiry.

“I don’t think a public inquiry is the best way to go, not at this point,” he said.

“In the future, perhaps. But right now, ECC is undertaking a review and Maca is about to undertake a review.

“I think there are opportunities for us to work together with the regular members and with Indigenous governments on the reviews – on the Maca review, in particular – to get to the same point that we would get to with a public inquiry, but in a way that gives us a bit more control over the timing and the costs.”

Writing on Facebook, Testart said he was disappointed that the debate did not go ahead as planned.

“Personally, I don’t think we can wait any longer to get this process started and we have been collaborating with cabinet on this motion since the start of January,” he wrote.

Tłı̨chǫ Government wants inquiry

While the NWT government argues that two major reviews of its own are taking place and being carried out by third parties, some regular MLAs say those reviews are not fully independent as the GNWT still sets their terms of reference.

Earlier, the Tłı̨chǫ Government added its voice to calls for a public inquiry in addition to the reviews.

An inquiry “must be fully collaborative and include Indigenous government participation in all elements of the process, including the selection of panel members, development of the terms of reference, sharing of information and reporting back to Indigenous governments,” read a statement posted by the Tłı̨chǫ Government to Facebook on Thursday.

“The 2023 wildfire season created a huge crisis for Tłı̨chǫ citizens in all four Tłı̨chǫ communities and in Yellowknife. The crisis was magnified by a lack of coordination between the GNWT and Indigenous governments.

“We believe that only a fully independent, inclusive and transparent process can identify all the necessary issues and make recommendations for change.”

Asked how much weight he would give to that view, Simpson told Cabin Radio: “I’m going to the Council of Leaders next week and I’m going to speak with them about this, because I give their opinions a lot of weight. We have to all work together.”

Countering other criticisms that the GNWT could exert too much control over its own reviews, Simpson said he had offered to work with regular MLAs on setting those reviews’ terms of reference.

“The GNWT does not have to hold the pen on the terms of reference. That can be done collaboratively, and that is my ultimate hope,” he said.

“The debate is still scheduled to happen on February 22, so it’s not like we cancelled the debate. It’s just been deferred. And I didn’t want to have our first week in the House end with a motion where we have opposing views between the cabinet and the regular members.

“That’s not how we want to start this assembly. We want to be able to work together and find common ground on things.”