When you look back through history, a political party that stays in power in the 10-year range is long-serving. For many reasons, most of them self-inflicted, it is very difficult for the ruling party to keep the support of the voters longer than that.

In my working life, I can remember the Brian Mulroney years, the Jean Chretien years, the Stephen Harper years and the current Justin Trudeau years. It appears from all the polls, the auguries and political chicken entrails being studied, we are once again at that inflection point in our political history where the incumbent, long-serving political party - out of energy, ideas, their vision unclear yet filled with hubris - is summarily sent packing by the electorate to be replaced by a new ruling party with a different vision of Canada, fresh energy and ideas of what to do and how to do it.

After a decade of a Liberal government with a focus on the environment, global climate crisis, sustainable growth, social issues, reconciliation, ever bigger deficits and a burgeoning bureaucracy, there is a hard right turn coming with a focus on ramped-up carbon intensive resource development and strong support for the corporate and business sector with little interest in the environment, the global climate crisis, social issues or reconciliation.

The practical question is what does this mean to us in the North? The NWT gets 75 per cent of its revenue from the federal government, so we pay close attention when a long-serving government leaves office. We have been through this before, but 10 years is a long time. People forget and the world is a lot darker place than it was 10 years ago. As we are watching in real time in the U.S., the minute the winner is declared, things start to change as the transition process starts.

Let me offer some observations in regards to a change in government:

Elections are democracy at work. Once the decision is made, we will adjust at every level and forge new relationships. Spending will be frozen and program reviews started at every level because of new priorities.

This will be a time of maximum stress for social issue NGOSA国际影视传媒檚. They will have to learn the language of the new government that will focus on the economy, jobs, employment training and job readiness, self-reliance and incentives to work.

I remember when the Harper government came to power. Reviews started and funding was frozen pending the outcome of the reviews, which went on for months. NGOSA国际影视传媒檚 were in political limbo. No one was told no or yes. Left with no revenue, many were unable to keep their doors open. The attrition rate for NGOSA国际影视传媒檚 across the land was huge.

In the NWT, the territorial government stepped in to make sure the NWT Literacy Council survived. Most provincial and territorial governments did not have the capacity to cover off the absent federal funding. This approach will probably be used again as new government priorities are brought into play.

There will also be opportunities. Harper came to the North every year, often with his cabinet. He was a big supporter of development in all its forms. His strong support enabled the Inuvik-to-Tuk highway to be built. The long-sought-after devolution agreement was agreed to on his watch, as was the NWT water strategy titled Northern Voices, Northern Waters. There was a critical increase to the GNWT borrowing limit.

I was the Finance Minister, as well as Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, at the time and I had a good working relationship with federal ministers Chuck Strahl, who co-signed our water strategy, and Jim Flaherty, the finance minister who approved the important increase to our borrowing limit. Both have passed on, but both were good to work with. We focused on issues of common interest and/or concern, working to get things done.

In the NWT, with our system of consensus government, we have learned the value of collaboration and co-governance. The NWT works with the federal government in Ottawa, finding the issues of common concern, focusing on common interests and the opportunities they present.

Every election comes with its share of angst and heartburn. I know this well from personal experience. The voters make their decisions and the result is final. We all wake up the day after the election and collectively pivot, adjust, and keep moving forward. It is what we do.

Michael Miltenberger is a former longtime MLA and cabinet minister residing in Fort Smith.