Enough regular MLAs voted in favour of the NWT’s latest capital budget for it to pass, despite some saying cabinet had done little to address their concerns.
When the draft budget was tabled last month – detailing how the government plans to spend $339 million on infrastructure in 2025-26 – regular MLAs said they would not approve that plan unless it dedicated more funding to housing and healthcare.
On Thursday last week, ahead of a vote on the budget, finance minister Caroline Wawzonek said cabinet had “committed to renewed leadership” in those areas after two weeks of discussions with MLAs.
She said that included prioritizing the removal of at least 100 derelict housing units across the NWT; reviewing the rent scale, core need income threshold and rent for market and public housing units; and creating a three-year investment plan for housing with minimum funding of $50 million per year.
Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart said those promises were insufficient and lacked action. He described the government’s response to regular MLAs’ concerns as “just a plan that could show what could happen if it was funded” and “a status quo approach with a commitment to try harder.”
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“We need to do a better job on housing. We need to do a better job on healthcare and a whole bunch of other files,” he said.
“We need some deliverables that we can take back home to our ridings that matter to people.”
Minister defends budget
George Nerysoo, representing the Mackenzie Delta, said he could not go back to his community if he supported the capital budget.
“I can’t go back to my community and say that, you know, everything’s going to be OK. Because it’s not,” he said.
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Wawzonek, defending the capital plan, said it is “extremely challenging to shift already-insufficient resources.”
She said she was “confident” in the government’s ability to work with regular MLAs to “ensure that our resources are directed in a manner that reflects all of the Legislative Assembly’s priorities.”
The minister added that the budget was “not flashy nor showy” but would advance key infrastructure projects in the territory.
She pointed to a fire centre in Fort Smith and replacement of the Frank Channel Bridge in Behchokǫ̀. She said the budget would also support advancement of the Mackenzie Valley Highway, long-term care facilities in Fort Simpson and Inuvik, the Taltson hydro expansion and the Slave Geological Province corridor.
Five MLAs vote against budget
Several MLAs said they wanted regular members to have a greater say in decision-making.
“We can’t keep doing the things we’ve always done and expect a different result,” said Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Denny Rodgers.
“We want you to take some bold steps and do some bold things and change the course.”
Other MLAs said while the capital plan failed to include everything they were asking for, they would still vote in favour of the budget as it would support several much-needed infrastructure projects in communities.
“I look at … what’s in it for the Sahtu, and the people that put me in this chair. I think to myself, yes, I support this, but I also look at the future years and try to accommodate the need and a balanced fiscal position,” Sahtu MLA Danny McNeely said.
The budget ultimately passed with 11 MLAs in favour and Testart, Nerysoo, Robert Hawkins, Julian Morse and Shauna Morgan voting against it.
