Angry exchange leads to 2 points of order in N.W.T. legislature

An angry exchange between Health Minister Julie Green and Great Slave Lake MLA Katrina Nokleby during question period in the legislature Tuesday may lead to a debate over two points of ordertoday.

A point of order is made when someone draws attention to a rules violation in the legislature.

In this case, Green andNokleby accused the other of unfairly characterizing their motives.

Nokleby was pressing Green about mental health supports for children and youth, when Green disagreed with Nokleby's assertion that the territory is in a mental health "crisis."

"I recognize the member and I don't agree on this," Green said. "She's been soliciting horror stories on Facebook and apparently has been very gratified with that."

That prompted Nokleby to fire back.

"I'd like to state that I think it's disgusting that the minister would characterize my wanting to advocate for my constituents and residents of this territory as collecting horror stories that I find gratifying," she said, vibrating with anger.

"I find it disgusting and I find it disgusting that the minister does not accept that she is in the middle of a crisis, the the pandemic is only accelerating this crisis and that if she's going to continue to deny the problem we aren't going to see any solutions and we're only going to see things get worse."

Both members filed a point of order with Speaker Frederick Blake Jr. after the exchange.

Blake said he would take the points of order under advisement, and "hopefully" open the issue to debate today.

Nokleby was ejected from cabinet last summer after the premier and her cabinet colleagues accused her of "continual tantrums" and other displays of aggression while in the job.