A pair of Yellowknife MLAs are engaged in a political spat over decorum in the legislative assembly.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins and Yellowknife North representative Shauna Morgan went back-and-forth on Nov. 1 after Morgan spoke about Indigenous-led conservation initiatives.
She went over her time limit and required unanimous consent from all other members to continue. A statement lasts two minutes. The added time only lasts 30 seconds.
It was 30 seconds too much for Hawkins, who was the only one to vote nay. He also gave his statement following Morgan's.
Coming back from a subsequent break at the assembly, Hawkins made an announcement that didn't reflect well on Morgan.
"While during the break I was walking to my office, I was confronted by the member for Yellowknife North," he said. "She said, 'I know you're mad at me.' I interjected and I said, 'I'm not mad.' She continued to say, 'I would never be that petty to nay your consent.'"
Hawkins argued he's following the rules when it comes to his nay say. Implying that he's being petty is a form of intimidation, he asserted.
"Hurling insults at members could be understood as an attempt to intimidate colleagues and unduly constrains them in the extraction or retribution against them in the performance of their parliamentary duties," Hawkins told his colleagues in the House.
Speaker Shane Thompson gave Morgan a chance to reply to Hawkins' comments.
"What I was trying to point out was that I felt that the action was petty, but I was not accusing him or calling him any names in that regard," said Morgan.
That wasn't enough for Hawkins.
"By saying, 'I would never be petty' implies I am being petty," he replied, adding he thinks the most honourable thing is an acknowledgement the phrase targetting him was inappropriate. He added that he would accept an apology.
Thompson said he'd provide a ruling at a later date, which may not come until February, when the legislative assembly resumes.
NNSL Media reached out to Hawkins, asking why he voted nay.
"Doesn't it really matter, does it?" he said. "I'm just following the rules."
He mentioned that Premier R.J. Simpson throws out nays too and stressed this wasn't personal against Morgan.
Morgan, in response to what Hawkins told NNSL Media, said nays in the assembly rarely happen, though every member has the ability to do so.
"There's no rule that says anyone has to nay someone's request," Morgan added.
She would not comment on whether other MLAs approached her after the incident with Hawkins. She referred to an earlier statement she gave to NNSL Media, as to whether she found this incident strange. In that statement, Morgan said she has no interest in a feud with any of her colleagues, and said MLAs need to focus on what is most important to their constituents.
"My intention in speaking privately to Mr. Hawkins was to assure him that I did not want to participate in a tit-for-tat pattern of using small (“petty”) actions to block each other from speaking in the House or to block each other’s advocacy work," Morgan wrote. "I remain quite puzzled as to how he would have found me intimidating."
