Julian Morse, a former Yellowknife city councillor, is running for MLA in Frame Lake. He said that he decided to run because he is interested and invested in the future of the NWT.
“As a lifelong Yellowknifer and resident of the NWT, I care deeply about our future,” he said.
He said that he planned to continue the work did during his time on council, to advocate for economic diversity.
“I think that we’re entering a critical time for the territory, we’re entering a time of economic transition away from large scale diamond mines and I think that we need to be prepared for that.
“I’ve been pushing for many years, in my time on council for us to diversify the economy, start investing in knowledge economy, prepare our economy for that transition, and I want to continue that work at the level of the legislature.”
He said that his time as a councillor, making decisions and working with governments and colleagues, has helped him to be prepared for the position.
“It gives me a large amount of background about how municipal politics interacts with territorial (politics),” he said. “I’ve got a fair bit of political experience at this point and I’m looking to take my work to the territorial level now.”
Morse said that he didn’t want to go into more detail about his platform until it is closer to campaign season. Between now and then, he intends to prepare by engaging with the public about their concerns.
“I really believe in working collaboratively with residents,” he said. “I believe in working collaboratively with staff that are involved in the government you’re potentially leading, and so I really look forward to talking to people.
“I definitely am not the kind of person that goes into a role like this, thinking that I have all the answers.
“I much prefer to make evidence based decisions based on advice from experts.
“I think that’s the way politicians should act and so that’s how I plan to construct my platform.”
He admitted he was nervous leading up to his announcement to run for MLA.
“It’s always a bit scary putting your name out there,” he said. “I have to admit that when (my time on) council ended, there was definitely a lifting of a weight off the shoulders.
“Suddenly, you’re no longer scrutinized in the public eye and I was a bit less busy.”
He said that the tradeoff was being out of the loop and not being part of the decision making process.
“As someone that deeply cares about the way decisions are made in the territory, and the direction the territory takes, it is difficult for me to sit on the sidelines.”
Morse said the best way for people to reach out to him about their concerns is through his public Facebook page.
Morse served two terms as a city councillor between 2015 to 2022.