The GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 $2.1 billion 2022-23 budget was adopted by the Legislative Assembly despite significant opposition from members representing smaller communities.

At a sitting of the Assembly on Thursday, March 31, eleven members voted in favour of the budget while six members SA国际影视传媒� Jane Weyallon-Armstrong, Ronald Bonnetrouge, Katrina Nokleby, Rocky Simpson, Richard Edjericon and Frieda Martselos SA国际影视传媒� voted against.

Much of the opposition came from MLAs representing smaller communities who felt the budget was too Yellowknife-centric.

SA国际影视传媒淭he reality is that government is managed by a bureaucracy located in Yellowknife that may, through no fault of their own, not have a sense of small community living, amenities, and issues,SA国际影视传媒� said Hay River South MLA Rocky Simpson.

He pointed to the territorial funding Yellowknife has received in recent years for things like housing and wellness services and the day shelter. SA国际影视传媒淲hen the Hay River Ski Club requests $150,000 to support sports, physical fitness and mental health for youth post-COVID, they are told to go and fundraise at a time when residents just donSA国际影视传媒檛 have any more to give.SA国际影视传媒�

Thebacha MLA Frieda Martselos concurred: SA国际影视传媒淲e see time and time again that the capital region gets most of the funds and everyone else is left to fight over the crumbs,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

She compared the funding that was provided to the Spruce Bough transitional housing facility in Yellowknife to her own request for funding for a homelessness pilot project for the Salt River First Nation, which was not granted.

SA国际影视传媒淲hile I do wholeheartedly support funding for homelessness and wellness programs for the people of the NWT, I strongly urge our government to spread this same support evenly across the board to all communities and regions of the NWT.SA国际影视传媒�

Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek defended the budget, saying many of the most significant expenses, such as the one third of the total budget allocated to the Department of Health and Social Services, are investments that benefit all small communities.

She said smaller communities not getting funding for their projects is often a consequence of consensus government. SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 the kind of difficult discussions that weSA国际影视传媒檝e been having. They are hard. And theySA国际影视传媒檙e not perfect. And weSA国际影视传媒檙e still operating within a situation where we have limited funds where we have to still ensure that weSA国际影视传媒檙e providing every program and service in every community across 33 communities and across a huge geographic region.SA国际影视传媒�

Premier Caroline Cochrane also addressed the opposition to the budget, saying she was SA国际影视传媒渉eartbrokenSA国际影视传媒� by the response. SA国际影视传媒淚f I was only concerned about Yellowknife and my own riding and my own re-election, then I would be voting everything to stay in the capital city. But I have not done that. I havenSA国际影视传媒檛 done that in this Assembly, and I havenSA国际影视传媒檛 done that in the last Assembly.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚 know that whatever we say wonSA国际影视传媒檛 make a difference. I know that people make up their minds before; thatSA国际影视传媒檚 just how things go. But I do say that I do take offence, Mr. Speaker, on the implication that this Cabinet cares about the capital city more than small communities, because in my opinion from a personal standpoint and from all of the Members in this Cabinet, I have seen and experienced the opposite.SA国际影视传媒�