Currently, MLAs choose premier and cabinet in a secret ballot vote. Some Northerners have expressed reservations about this practice, calling it undemocratic.
Nahendeh incumbent Shane Thompson publicly declared his choice for Premier.
We asked MLAs-elect the following questions:
If elected, will you publicly disclose who you will vote for to be Premier and on Cabinet before the vote in the legislative assembly?
Why or why not?
Are you interested in running for either the Premier or a Cabinet position or speaker? Which one?
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ANSWER: I don’t agree that the process deserves to be labelled as “undemocratic.”
Consider that the prime minister will choose who gets into cabinet with no required input from any of the elected MPs, let alone those elected from parties other than his or her own.
That said, I think we should remain alive to the possibility of finding better ways of governance.
I understand that one of the first orders of business for the newly elected MLAs is to consider some of the conventions that are used to select the premier, speaker and cabinet.
If all of the MLAs agree to make this a public vote, then I am not opposed.
I am hoping to be considered for a Cabinet position.