Jacobson says illness kept him from NWT legislature

Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson reportedly says illness has prevented his attendance at the NWT legislature in recent days.

As Cabin Radio reported last week, Jacobson has not been in attendance at the legislature since February 25. He ultimately missed 14 days of the 19-day sitting that ended on March 31.

Some of that absence related to his daughter’s wedding. Jacobson, who did not respond to Cabin Radio’s request for clarification about his absence last week, told NNSL he also travelled to Alaska during the legislature’s two-week March break to watch his son compete in a dog-mushing contest.

Jacobson told the newspaper he had “the full intention to head back to the assembly after spring break” but tested positive at the Canadian border and was ordered to return to Fairbanks.

According to NNSL, Jacobson said he had only his phone with him and could not attend the legislature virtually over the past week, as some colleagues did.

Jacobson’s absence was neither mentioned nor explained by MLAs during assembly proceedings. As reported last week, one MLA said privately Jacobson’s attendance at his daughter’s wedding had clashed with sitting dates only because Speaker of the House Frederick Blake Jr had hastily rescheduled the session in January, citing the Covid-19 Omicron wave.

MLAs next sit at the legislature for seven days from May 26 until early June.