A new rule clarifies what will happen if the N.W.T.’s consensus government ever fails to pass a budget. The verdict: it won’t fall. 

But the rule is raising concerns that regular MLAs have given away the power to hold the government accountable. 

In the past, it’s been unclear what voting down a budget would mean for the N.W.T. In other governments across Canada, failing to pass a budget would signify a loss of confidence, triggering an election.

But, according to a new process convention, tabled at the end of the last session in the legislature, that won’t happen here.

“In other parliaments, a loss of confidence in the governing party may be triggered if a governing party fails to pass an appropriation bill,” the process convention reads. “In the consensus model, an appropriation bill not passing the House results in a different process not tied to confidence in the government.”

Since there’s no party system in territorial politics here, there’s no official opposition, or government in waiting. What would officially happen is that the speaker of the House would determine when the premier and their cabinet must come up with a new budget to vote on.

Shaun Dean is a former staffer for the territorial government and press secretary for two former premiers.

He said the new rule lacks accountability and was done with little to no public notice.

“There was no announcement, no effort made to explain this new decision,” he said. 

Dean said it’s important to have consequences tied to failing to pass a budget, because it can ensure politicians understand what’s at stake.

“The threat of losing your job by voting down a budget is a pretty strong way to discourage people from playing games with it,” said Dean.

‘We’re all responsible for the government,’ says MLA

Yellowknife MLA Shauna Morgan tabled the process convention. She said it’s in line with how a consensus government works. 

“We’re all responsible for the government,” she said. “The government can’t fall because it’s all of us.”  

Morgan says both the premier and cabinet can still be held accountable. At any time, regular members can pass a motion calling for their resignation, she gave as an example.

The process convention raises no red flags for former MLA Jane Groenewegen either. She’s one of the Northwest Territories’ longest serving MLAs.

Failing to pass a budget seems unlikely in the first place, Groenewegen said, because regular members work closely with the premier and cabinet on budgets, almost to a fault.

“The amount of time we spent reviewing budget before we ever got it to the floor of the House, and have the minister and the deputy minister sitting up in the front, I found it so painfully redundant,” she said. “There was nothing new. By the time it got to the floor of the House, there was there was nothing new to say. It had all been said.”

And even if a budget didn’t pass, replacing all of premier and cabinet with new MLAs, and getting them up to speed, wouldn’t necessarily mean progress either, Groenewegen added.

“I think it would signify chaos,” said Groenewegen. “It takes a long time to get in, to become familiar with the issues, to find your stride as a minister and you only have a four year term.”

The current assembly is about halfway through its lifespan. It passed its most recent budget in March. The next territorial election is in 2027.