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What is Hansard? Hansard is the name of the daily near verbatim transcript of the Legislative Assembly’s proceedings. All Canadian provinces and territories, and the Canadian House of Commons, produce their own Hansard. Why do we have Hansard and who uses it? Hansard provides a public, accessible, permanent, and near word-for-word transcript of proceedings of what the Members of the Legislative Assembly discuss while they’re in Session. Through Hansard, NWT residents can review House proceedings, including commitments from the Cabinet and Regular Members, questions asked by MLAs on behalf of...

The Legislative Assembly is the seat of elected government in the Northwest Territories. Members are elected every four years as independents from each of the 19 ridings to serve in a unique consensus government that is studied and admired the world over. It is essentially a parliament led by a permanent minority; members elect seven Cabinet ministers and a Speaker from their own ranks. As one of Canada’s youngest legislatures, the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories changed frequently in its early years. Members were added and the Assembly’s responsibilities grew, but it was...

Members’ Attendance at Committee Meetings Section 33 of The Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories Members’ Guidelines states that quorum for all committees is a majority of committee members. Members are contacted in advance of a meeting and must commit to attend for the duration of the meeting. If a Member is unable to attend for the full duration of the meeting, and quorum for that meeting cannot be achieved, an alternate is contacted to attend for the full duration in their place. Alternates are called for committee meetings as required on a rotational basis. It is the...

Accountability for Performance • Caucus (all Members) determines its priorities at the start of each Assembly; the 18th Assembly also developed a detailed, public mandate much like a party’s platform. The Premier and Cabinet may be held accountable for implementation of the Mandate in various ways, with the help of various tools. Ministerial mandate letters developed by the Premier have been published since 2012, and include specific priorities by which performance may be measured. Public reporting on progress in achieving priorities began in November, 2013. In 2016, a website was established...

​ Accountability Mechanisms in Consensus Government Accountability in a consensus government is very different than in a system with party politics. Unlike a party-based legislature with a majority supporting the government in power, there is no guaranteed outcome for any vote in a consensus government. The government, elected by the Assembly, is accountable to it with every vote. The Premier and Ministers essentially serve as long as the majority of Members retains confidence in them. The defeat of even a budgetary item may, or may not result in a change of “government.” This page outlines...

Accountability Statutory Officers • Conflict of Interest Commissioner: MLAs and the public can file complaints about any Member. The Conflict of Interest Commissioner may investigate and recommend discipline, if any, to the Assembly (via the Speaker) for consideration and/or action. • Auditor General of Canada: The Auditor General audits the GNWT's annual consolidated financial statements and the public accounts of some of the GNWT’s larger public agencies. The Auditor General also makes recommendations in its departmental and program performance audits, which are reviewed by the Standing...

Add a petition To Add a Petition, use the box to the right to login first. If you are a new user, click Register (choose a user name and confirm your details, you will then be sent an email with a confirmation link). Login with your new details after pressing this link.

The Legislative Assembly Annual Report outlines the financial and operational activities of the previous year. 2024-25 Annual Report

Annual Report Respecting Members’ Indemnities and Expenses The Speaker is required to table a report before the House that sets out, in detail, the indemnities and allowances paid to Members and the expenses incurred by Members, in the previous fiscal year. The information provided for each Member includes: a) the total amount of basic indemnity (annual salary) paid to each Member for the fiscal year; b) the total amount of additional indemnities paid to each Member holding an additional office, for the fiscal year; c) the total amount of allowance for expenses paid to each Member for the...

The Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly self-guided audio tour is available in English, French, and Tłı̨chǫ. The audio tour is available on the “Smartify” App for mobile phones. To take the tour, users download the Smartify app and can find the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly audio tour in Smartify’s tour inventory. The tour touches on Northwest Territories history, the Mace, the architecture of the building, the basics of consensus government and even includes a story or two. The audio tour aims to inform the public about the Legislative Assembly while also giving them a...

Status of Bills

The Legislative Assembly's Board of Management is established under the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. The establishment of the Board emphasizes the responsibility that Members have for the general administration of the Legislative Assembly and confirms the independence of the Legislature from the Executive branch of government. The Speaker has the primary responsibility for the services and programs required by the Assembly and its Members. Its responsibilities include, but are not limited to: compiling and approving the annual budgetary estimates for the operation of the...

The Great Hall Host your public gatherings in the exquisite Great Hall, a prestigious space offering unparalleled ambiance. Use of the Great Hall requires the support of a Member of the Legislative Assembly and confirmation from the Office of the Speaker. Government departments must have the support of their Minister to book this space. Please complete the application form and submit to @email. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirited People (MMIWG) Monument Site Located just outside the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, the MMIWG Monument...

Live Broadcast Session Our website Monday - Thursday 1:30 pm Friday 10:00 am Facebook and Youtube Live Broadcast Committee Meetings Our website (see events page for upcoming meetings) YouTube: Public Accounts Social Development Accountability and Oversight Government Operations Procedure and Privileges Economic Development and Environment Facebook: facebook.com/LegislativeAssemblyNWT Channel Listing Bell ExpressVu - 513 Shaw Direct: Classic Line-up - 181, 489 Yellowknife - Channel 209 Official Language Schedule The Legislative Assembly will post House proceedings in the official languages of...