N.W.T. MLA will introduce bill to allow political parties, scrap consensus gov't

A Yellowknife MLA is introducing legislation that could change the Northwest Territories' political landscape.

Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart announced Thursday he wantsan amendment to the Elections and Plebiscites Act to allow territorial leaders to register with political parties.

Right now, the N.W.T. government is a consensus government, which means all candidates operate independent of political parties. In the legislature, MLAschoose among themselves who will form the executive, which is premier, speaker and cabinet. From there, regular MLAs, who outnumber cabinet, sit on one side of the room with the premier and ministers on the other. The speaker keeps order.

• What is consensus government?

"Voters should have the right to determine the political future of the N.W.T. through free and fair elections where all options are made available to them, including political parties," Testartsaid in a news release issued Thursday.

"These amendments will give Northerners more choice at the ballot box, clarity relating to existing legislation and enhance the democratic rights of our citizens."

MLAsare scheduled to debate the amendment on Oct. 29.

In 2015, Testartdropped out of the race to become the federal Liberal candidate for the N.W.T. He went on to run, and win, a seat inthe N.W.T. legislature that year when he ran in Kam Lake.

The proposed changesinclude:

• To allow political parties to register with Elections NWT with a minimum of 60 members.
• Candidates for registered political parties will be able to include their party affiliation on ballots.
• Candidates not running with a party will be listed as "independent."
• Registered parties would have annual spending limits of $30,000 for promotion.

Testart says the right to organize political parties is a right "guaranteed through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms."

As it stands now, the Public Service Act, Co-operative Associations Act and Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act make prohibitions against "territorial political parties," according to the news release.

The statement also states that the territorial government employee code of conduct prohibits employee involvement with territorial political parties.

The proposed amendment is scheduled to be read for the first time on Thursdayin the legislature.