The 2023 candidates: Sahtu

Election day in the Northwest Territories is Nov. 14, and CBC North wants to give you the information you need to make an informed vote. We sent all the candidates a questionnaire asking them about themselves and where they stand on big issues.

Read their responses below, in alphabetical order by first name. If responses or photos are missing, it's because the candidate has not yet sent us their answers. We will add answers as we get them.

Responses have been edited for clarity, but reflect the candidates' own words and views.

• Daniel McNeely
• Delphine Pierrot
• Paulie Chinna

DanielMcNeely

Why are you running for office?

As a long-time, born-and-raised Sahtu resident, I see a huge need for progress.

What experience would you bring to the role of MLA?

Private sector, hands-on experiences and experiences gained from being an MLA in the 18th assembly.

What is the biggest issue facing the territory right now?

There are several, in this order:

1. Mental health.
2. Economy.
3. Cost of living.
4. Climate change.

What is the biggest issue in your riding?

Same as above with addition of point 5: Education.

What needs the most improvement in how the GNWT operates?

Territorial leadership in experiences.

If you could accomplish only one thing while in office, what would it be?

Progress in all five points mentioned earlier.

What would you do as MLA to improve the GNWT's relationship with Indigenous governments?

Continue bilateral talks with settled regional land claim organizations and the intergovernmental council to seek common mandate issues.

What should the territory do to address the impacts of climate change?

Climate change is here. We need strategic planning for "adaptation."

What should the GNWT do to grow the territory's economy?

• Review current project funding commitments and move to procurement.
• Review the resource development strategy and devolution.

Tell voters more about yourself. What languages do you speak?

English.

Do you live in your riding? If not, why did you decide to run there?

Yes, I live in my Sahtu riding.

If elected, will you seek a cabinet position?

Yes.

Would you consider the premiership, if elected?

I will consider.

Delphine Pierrot

Why are you running for office?

I have a strong voice and I can advocate on issues that are important for the Sahtu region residents.

I am very kind, open and approachable. As a sober, passionate and educated Indigenous woman, I am confident that I can strongly represent the Sahtu residents in the 20th Legislative Assembly.

I live in the community, and I know the issues and concerns well as I am a resident of Fort Good Hope.

What experience would you bring to the role of MLA?

I bring with me a wealth of knowledge, leadership experience and a strong voice. I have had a career with the GNWT for the past 19 years, and I understand the policies and regulations of the GNWT. My background is in social health and I have worked as a social worker, probation officer, chief, mayor, addiction counsellor and regional supervisor of a social health program. I also sat on several boards and committees, and represent the Sahtu on the NWT Status of Women Council.

What is the biggest issue facing the territory right now?

Climate change is one issue that is the biggest challenge to the territories and the way we respond to emergencies. We need to reorganize our departments. Also the cost of living, which increased because of the wildfires.

What is the biggest issue in your riding?

The biggest issue in the Sahtu would be the isolation. The Sahtu region is the last isolated region that is only accessible by fly-in and by the winter road season. This has a huge impact on the cost of living for all residents. The cost of heating fuel, gasoline, aviation fuel, food and airline costs are very high.

The region needs the Mackenize Valley Highway (MVH) built sooner rather than later. The MVH will bring down the cost of living dramatically. It will also bring many employment, training and tourism opportunities to the Sahtu region. It will improve housing issues, healthcare and resupply for all five communities.

What needs the most improvement in how the GNWT operates?

We must improve how the bureaucracy in the larger communities allocate funds and provide services to the regions in a fair way. You can see a disparity in funding and services in the Sahtu, for example, with capital planning to allocate funds for housing. Yellowknife receives most of the funds and Sahtu communities will only receive about 17 per cent of the funds. By the time the community receives the housing funds, there is not much left.

If you could accomplish only one thing while in office, what would it be?

I would push more housing units, proper home renovations and reduce the waitlist for public housing. The Mackenzie Valley Highway would also be a priority on the agenda, and better health care with more on-the-land healing camps.

What would you do as MLA to improve the GNWT's relationship with Indigenous governments?

I would improve the relationship with the regional leaders by ensuring active transparency, as well as open and honest communications. Our Indigenous governments should be recognized equally at all discussions.

What should the territory do to address the impacts of climate change?

Climate change is a global issue. It is massive. It's time to have a territorial gathering of scientists and the elders of this land, and seek recommendations from such forums.

How the GNWT reacted to the wildfires needs to be reviewed thoroughly. This year was an El Nino year. It's predicted that next summer will be another dry summer. We could face more wildfire. we need to be proactive, make sure all regions have an emergency plan in place. The Environment and Climate Change department needs to be ready for another super dry summer.

We also faced the lowest water level in the Sahtu region. The cancellation of the supply barges in the Sahtu region placed a huge impact on all residents, businessesand all services providers. The GNWT had no emergency preparedness plan. There was not enough support for all front line workers, no trauma response support for residents who were evacuated to other communities plus no plan to reimburse the community governments of the financial debt incurred.

What should the GNWT do to grow the territory's economy?

The GNWT should place a priority on finalizing land claim and self-government agreements for communities and regions that want them. These agreements can increase capacity and employment in small communities and bring large amounts of federal implementation funding directly to some of the communities and regions where it is needed the most. Recognizing the jurisdiction of Indigenous nations and providing them adequate resources to manage their affairs can put them in a position where they are growing the economy, i.e., it's better to have multiple governments addressing this issue than leaving it with the GNWT alone.

In order to finalize these agreements, the GNWT will have to review its negotiating policies and mandates in collaboration with Indigenous peoples to remove barriers and advance negotiations.

Tell voters more about yourself. What languages do you speak?

English and North Slavey (intermediate).

Do you live in your riding? If not, why did you decide to run there?

Yes, I reside in Fort Good Hope.

If elected, will you seek a cabinet position?

No, I would not seek a cabinet position. I would continue to stay focused on the Sahtu region issues, relationship with the leadership and residents' concerns for the next four years.

Would you consider the premiership, if elected?

No, I would not.

Paulie Chinna

Why are you running for office?

I just see a lot of enhancement that needs to be made around mental health andaddiction in the Sahtu. The response is there but it needs a lot more support, and myself also coming from a smaller community, I've been a part of that type of programming. So I would like to see the improvements being made on those progresses as we go forward.

What experience would you bring to the role of MLA?

I've been an MLAalready for four years. Fortunately I've been also a cabinet minister, my responsibility was Housing, the Public Utilities Board, Workers Safety and Compensation Commission and Homelessness. So really understanding the role of the GNWT and the direct relationships that are so important with the Indigenous governments.

I feel that moving forward with that experience and also coming from a smaller community, understanding our issues, directly understanding the effects of limited services, being in a smaller remote region. We don't have highway access, our communities are fly-in, we depend on the winter road and I feel there needs to be more improvement. The equal partnership as well toothat I've already been able to establish while in the role, butit's key to the success of the region.

What is the biggest issue facing the territory right now?

I would say mental health and addictions and also housing, and trying to elaborate and build within those two drastic needs pretty much a crisis that we need to work together in partnership throughout the Northwest Territories, including all nonprofit organizations, Indigenous governments, stakeholders, in order for us to work directly with the federal government to really improve these services. Also we have a limited amount of resources. That needs to be addressed. I'd like to work towardimproving what's already existing.

What is the biggest issue in your riding?

I would say right now would be the same as housing and addiction issues as well. They both need to be addressed. They both deserve the same amount of attention. We do have housing in the Sahtu, and that needsrenovations. We do have a lot of the units that are in very poor conditions. We've got mould issues that are here. We've got deteriorated homes.We've got environmental issues within these units as well. But then once again, there's also a limited amount of funding that comes to operate and maintain our social programming. So I would like to work towardand work with the Indigenous governments, which has been quite successful in this region.

There is a limited amount of resources in my riding to address mental health. But also there's a constant revolving of these positions, where people are not able to stay and provide consistent mental health support. It's also due to lack of housing where we're not able to have the professionals provide these services because of housing too.

What needs the most improvement in how the GNWT operates?

As an MLA you're not a part of cabinet decisions and conversations, so that would really eliminate the involvement with the intergovernmental councils as well in the bilaterals. As a cabinet minister, you'd be able to work directly with the Indigenous governments on specific issues, but as an MLA, I feel it would be about partnership building. It would be about bringing Indigenous governments and the GNWT together to elaborate and find solutions.

I want to highlight again housing and mental health.I just think that working with Indigenous governments is key. It's a relationship that has improved within this government. It was listed as one of the 21 priorities and I would like to continue working with the surrounding communities.I would like to bring them together and tackle specific issues that are rising in the Sahtu region.

If you could accomplish only one thing while in office, what would it be?

There are several issues within the Sahtu and within the Northwest Territories as well, but I often believe that a stronger voice is bringing us all together and speaking on the same topic. And in my riding I'm very fortunate that the Sahtu is a settled land claim area. So there is a lot of support and a lot of decision making by the Indigenous governments, and it's very fortunate we have sevenpresidents [of the Sahtuland corporations]. We do have a chairperson for the Sahtu Secretariat and we do have mayors as well. So there's quite a level of local governance in my riding.

I would really concentrate on the partnership that's already existing and depending on what the Indigenous governments decide. But as an MLA I would be bringing forward my concerns and what I actually was able to find at the ground level by speaking to people face to face.

Right now I want to say what I've heard so far is housing and supports for addiction and aftercare. That's the two that I would bring forward and I would like to ...work with the Indigenous governments to find solutions and how to best address these issues and to provide enhanced services in our region.

What would you do as MLA to improve the GNWT's relationship with Indigenous governments?

I would really like to enhance the relationship between the MLAs and the Indigenous governments first. I think having those direct discussions, I feel that meeting at least quarterly throughout the year and bringing those specific issues to those tables as well too. So the people of the Sahtu have a strong voice.

Majority of the issues that are brought in throughout the region are very consistent and the region has done a lot of work to address mental health and wellness. I would like to continue that advocacy. Right now it's quite a crucial topic to be speaking about. But I feel that if we have all government at the table, we work better together in partnership, we're stronger and we'd be better able to find adequate solutions to help and address the issues in my riding.

What should the territory do to address the impacts of climate change?

Working with Indigenous governments directly. I'd like to see a lot of the traditional knowledge reports and documents being highlighted. I see the effects in my riding. We have the deterioration of winter roads existing this year. We actually did experience the low water levels that were drastic to the Sahtu, where we had projects that had to stop. We had businesses that ran into a deficit. We had employees that had to be returned because these specific projects weren't able to continue, because the materials and supplies did not arrive on time or did not arrive at all. I feel that working with the Indigenous governments and the specific local governments as well too is something that the GNWT needs to repair and they need to work a lot more in partnership with.

What should the GNWT do to grow the territory's economy?

Once again I feel that this is a conversation to have with Indigenous governments. What are their specific areas of concentration? What is it that they would like to see? For my region, I would like to enhance and go forward with the Mackenzie Valley Highway. I feel that there's a lot of opportunity with the highway and even prior to the highway being constructed, and this should be a concentration of the next government.

Tell voters more about yourself. What languages do you speak?

English

Do you live in your riding? If not, why did you decide to run there?

Yes,I've been in the Northwest Territories all my life. This is my home.

If elected, will you seek a cabinet position?

Absolutely, yes.My ridingis a settled land claim area, we do have also self government that is currently at various stages. We do have Dln that has settled about four or five years ago, but having a cabinet minister in myridingis crucial. We were able to move forward and having those side-by-side partnership federal conversations and being able to clearly understand the needs of a settled land claim area in a self-governing region.

Would you consider the premiership, if elected?

I've considered the premier seat as well too. I feel that this government is ready for a premier from the Northwest Territories and I'm looking at that position. I would really concentrate on the set of land claim areas, as well asour number of agreements that we do have with Canada, but also addressing the drastic issues within the North andthe current issues that we do have.