Scrutiny of expenditures in the NWT Legislative Assembly.

• Author: Zoe, Henry

In the parliamentary sense, the most notable difference is the lack of political parties in the NWT. After a General Election, voters know who the 24 MLAs will be. But we have no idea who will be in the Government. There is no "winning Party" from whom the Government will be chosen. The "Government" side of the House is decided through an election among the MLAs when they first meet after the General Election. Eight cabinet ministers are chosen, including one chosen separately who becomes the Premier.

Although, we do not have a formal party structure, the cabinet essentially functions like a minority governing party. Due to cabinet solidarity, there will be eight "yeas" for every Government issue. But the cabinet then has to ensure that at least a few "ordinary MLAs" are also on their side when any bill - especially the budget - comes before the House.

But ordinary MLAs are not bound by party lines, either. Their stands will vary with regional, cultural, and local issues. The cabinet cannot count on a particular group of four to six ordinary members to stand with them all the time. The practical result is what we call "Consensus Government". The cabinet has to form a consensus among most members on every important issue, since it is politically undesirable to risk alienating some members by "converting" only a few to the Government side.

With "Consensus Government", we avoid much of the contention and discord often seen in other legislatures. All members work together to arrive at a consensus on different issues. Much of the work involved is done behind the scenes - in committee meetings, in caucus (which includes all 24 members), or in private discussions among members.

The cabinet cannot "force" a budget through the House, as is perceived to be the case in legislatures with one political party having a majority of seats. Cabinet has to curry the favour of most, and preferably all of the other members when budget time rolls around.

This is done by including all MLAs in the budgeting process quite early. This is especially true of the Capital Budget, although consultation also occurs with the Operations and Maintenance Budget. But the Capital Budget is perceived as having the greatest direct impact on communities, so it is the target of more attention in some ways.

Typically, the Government distributes the Capital Plan to communities - and to MLAs - about a year before the beginning of the fiscal year in question. Communities are asked to...