N.W.T. MLAs vote today on whether to oust minister from cabinet. Here's what to expect
After two emergency sittings completed in record time, N.W.T. MLAs will finally debate a motion to remove Katrina Nokleby from cabinet.
Until last Wednesday, Nokleby was minister of infrastructure and industry, tourism and investment. That's when, in a surprise move, Premier Caroline Cochrane stripped her of her portfolios, saying she didn't have confidence in Nokleby's ability to "fulfil her responsibilities."
But while the premier decides ministers' portfolios, only a vote of 10 of 19 MLAs can remove them from cabinet.
On Wednesday, MLAs will vote on a motion tabled by the premier — and delayed by Nokleby herself — to do just that.
Here's what to expect:
How will the vote proceed?
As the motion goes to the floor, the premier and MLAs will each get a chance to speak to the motion and outline where they stand on Nokleby's removal from cabinet.
It could be the first time MLAs speak directly to the reasons for her removal.
Cochrane will need the support of nine other MLAs to eject Nokleby from cabinet. It's not clear yet if the six cabinet ministers besides Nokleby will be voting in solidarity on this motion, as they normally do.
If the motion succeeds, Nokleby will become a regular MLA, and work will begin to select her replacement.
What happens next?
The assembly will likely adjourn at this point until Thursday, when all 19 MLAs can meet as the "territorial leadership committee" and select a new cabinet minister in a secret ballot.
Candidates will nominate themselves, give a speech, and take questions before the vote.
Once the new minister is chosen, they'll need to be sworn in before the legislature can adjourn until Oct. 15 as planned.
By convention, cabinet is composed of two ministers from northern ridings, two from the south, and two from Yellowknife.
As Nokleby represents the Yellowknife riding of Great Slave, she is most likely to be replaced by another Yellowknife MLA. But it's not immediately clear which of them may want it.
Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly, Yellowknife North MLA Rylund Johnson, Kam Lake MLA Caitlin Cleveland and Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green could all replace her.
Of the four, only Johnson has ruled out a bid for cabinet.
Both Johnson and Cleveland have both publicly criticized the premier's decision to remove Nokleby, while O'Reilly has praised her for her "decisive action."
What if Nokleby wins the vote?
If Cochrane's motion were to fail, Nokleby would remain in cabinet as a minister without a portfolio — and put the premier in a very difficult spot.
The bar to defeat the motion is actually lower than it is to pass. Because the Speaker is obligated to vote for the status quo in the event of a tie, Nokleby must secure only eight votes from her colleagues to remain in place.
If that were to happen, MLAs could then table a motion of non-confidence in the premier, or give her time to patch things up and find a new role for Nokleby in cabinet.
Why is this all happening?
The premier and other MLAs have repeatedly refused to speak publicly about the reasons behind Nokleby's dismissal. But her short time as a minister has not been without controversy.
Nokleby's departments have been the subject of intense criticism from Indigenous governments who say the territory's procurement process is broken, and from tourism operators who accuse her department of unreasonable delays.
She has also been accused of taking a combative tone in discussions with fellow MLAs, according to Northern News Services Limited.
But in the wake of her dismissal last week, industry leaders have lined up to voice their surprise at the premier's move, telling Cabin Radio they had few issues with Nokleby's performance.
Nokleby has already survived a confidence motion advanced and then withdrawn without explanation by regular MLAs in May. At that time, Cochrane said she had "complete confidence" in the minister.
Cochrane, Nokleby and all regular MLAs have refused repeated requests for interviews from CBC.
Instead, on Friday, Cochrane posted a five-minute video to a Facebook page with 600 followers in which she said she was "reluctant" to offer her reasoning out of "respect for conversations held in confidence."
