The minister responsible for transparency within the territorial government was grilled Wednesday evening during a meeting to gather input on developing an open government policy.

Louis Sebert appeared uncomfortable at the start of the meeting as he was questioned why GNWT employees aren't getting more information about matters, such as changes to government departments.

SA国际影视传媒淣o information goes to the public or employees,SA国际影视传媒� said Lorna Skinner, a GNWT employee who added there's work done behind the scenes and rumours circulate but little gets officially passed on.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think the government is already pretty open,SA国际影视传媒� Sebert said, adding several times that the seven members of cabinet are a minority compared to the 11 non-cabinet MLAs, so if regular MLAs are unhappy with the performance of ministers, they can unseat them.

SA国际影视传媒淲ell thank God for that,SA国际影视传媒� Skinner said.

She pressed the minister on comments by MLAs that they often find out information about government decisions through the media.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou have to read the newspaper to find out,SA国际影视传媒� she said, referring to situations, such as the bailout of Northwest Territories Power Corporation during low-water years.

Sebert said SA国际影视传媒渢here's a lot of informationSA国际影视传媒� shared with regular MLAs.

SA国际影视传媒淪o what youSA国际影视传媒檙e saying is that theySA国际影视传媒檙e lying?SA国际影视传媒� Skinner said.

SA国际影视传媒淣o,SA国际影视传媒� Sebert said.
Skinner was the first to open the discussion at a meeting in the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre auditorium Wednesday evening about developing an open government policy. Such a policy would guide how government releases information on items, such as reports and studies, how it engages the public and data it publishes, including making financial reports available in spreadsheets.

Mark Bogan, who has long advocated for fathers' rights in private and public meetings, called Sebert and other MLAs out for ignoring him. Bogan, who works at the Safe Harbour Day Shelter, said he had tried to secure meetings with politicians and some of the shelter's clients.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檇 say politicians in this jurisdictions are more open than anywhere else,SA国际影视传媒� Sebert said.

SA国际影视传媒淣o, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 not true,SA国际影视传媒� Bogan said, continuing to push the minister.

Sebert rolled his pen continuously in his hand as Bogan spoke, while staring at the floor and at times avoided looking directly at Bogan.

SA国际影视传媒淎s I say, I think weSA国际影视传媒檙e open to communications,SA国际影视传媒� Sebert said.

Issues around transparency and openness raised by some of the 10 people attending the event included making simplified information available for people without a high reading level, making more contract and bidding information easier to find and how to make more information available about lobbying of the government.

The meeting was one of 15 held in 13 communities to get input for the policy.

Near the end of the meeting, Sebert polled the small crowd of mostly government people whether they would be in favour of disclosing the salaries paid to public servants.

Only Bogan raised his hand.

Such a disclosure, routine in some provinces and city governments elsewhere in Canada, names people and what they earn by working for the government, usually above a threshold of $100,000. The GNWT only discloses salary ranges for position titles without linking those figures to names.

While there was little support in the room for salary transparency, Skinner and others urged an end for bonuses paid to civil servants.

Sebert told the crowd that the open government policy is expected to be put in place later this year.

SA国际影视传媒淚f we don't do anything (to make government more open), we're going to hear about it,SA国际影视传媒� Sebert said when asked how the policy would be enforced.