Premier Cochrane and Minister Nokleby issued the following joint statement on working in partnership with Members of the Legislative Assembly on behalf of all residents of the Northwest Territories:

“The 19^th Legislative Assembly is still a new government, with many new Members. It takes time for people to learn to work together effectively in new roles, and all Members of the Legislative Assembly were still in the process of figuring that out when COVID-19 hit.

“Everybody has found working remotely and meeting online challenging, whatever job they are in, and every workplace is struggling to find ways to keep people feeling connected and in the loop.

“This morning, we met with the Members of the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight to learn about their concerns and discuss how we can resolve them by working together. We cannot discuss details of that meeting, but what we can say is that all Members agree we need to put the people of the Northwest Territories first and make good on the promise to work together to deliver results and do government differently.”

Premier Cochrane added: 

“I have complete confidence in Minister Nokleby and can tell you that she and I – and all Ministers – are committed to working together with all Members on behalf of Northwest Territories residents, and will continue to find ways to improve our working relationships and collaboration.”

Minister Nokleby also added the following: 

“Since being elected, it has been my goal to ensure that efforts for change were being directed at the issues that matter most, and will have the greatest impact on residents of the Northwest Territories. That was my goal then, and remains true today. In my role as Minister, I can, and have been a loud and strong voice for our territory. It’s a voice and strength I have carried with me all my life, and one that I look forward to continuing to use in my role as Minister for the benefit of our territory and residents.”