With the federal election concluded, NWT political leaders are making their voices heard on a second straight Liberal minority government.
“We want to extend our hand in working with the new Liberal minority,” said Dene National Chief Norman Yakeleya, who congratulated all the federal election candidates. “(It takes) courage, sacrifice, and commitment to put their names forward.”
Yakeleya also sent a personal congratulations to re-elected NWT MP Michael McLeod and said he hopes for the best in their future working relationship.
“We have to make a better future for ourselves in our small communities,” he said. “Improving the quality of life in our homes, in our communities, and we want to rebuild with this government. We want to rebuild our own communities and nation.
“So, in closing, I want to congratulate Michael McLeod, our elected MP. We look forward to working with him and his ministers, his colleagues. Of course, Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau is also to be congratulated, as well as other party members who were in the race.”
Premier Caroline Cochrane also congratulated Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada on the election night outcome.
“I look forward to continuing to build on our strong relationship with the federal government as we work towards shared priorities that will benefit Northerners now and for generations to come,” said Cochrane.
Like Yakeleya, the NWT premier also offered her congratulations to McLeod on his third term as the territory’s MP.
“McLeod cares deeply about our territory and has been a strong and vocal advocate for the North since being elected in 2015,” she said. “I know he will continue to represent our interests in Ottawa with honesty and integrity to ensure we are able to continue to close the gap between the North and southern Canada.”
Cochrane also drew attention to the importance of the “connection” between the GNWT and the Government of Canada.
“The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to finding ways to make things better for NWT residents,” she stated. “In order to achieve this, we need to have a strong partnership with the Government of Canada. Collectively, we need to be able to take real action on priority areas where Northerners have said that more needs to be done.”