N.W.T.'s 2024 operating budget gets mixed reviews from MLAs, advocates

There were mixed reactions to the newly-proposed N.W.T. operating budget on Friday at the territorial legislature.

Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek tabled the 2024-25 operating budget earlier that day. She characterized the $2.2-billion plan as one that includes "difficult choices" to ensure the territory is financially ready for whatever the future might bring.

Sahtu MLA Danny McNeely said he approved of focus on fiscal sustainability in the budget, which includes $48 million in spending cuts compared to last year.

"It's sort of, in summary, to make sacrifices now for years of growth," McNeely said. 

But other MLAs and advocates were more critical.

Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan said she thinks the proposed budget doesn't do enough to advance the priorities of the 20th assembly, like improving housing and the economy.

She said that she was disappointed to see "nothing significantly new" in housing investments. She also wanted to see more investment in health care and education.

"We need to go back to basics and look at how we're allocating dollars to actually achieve the things we want," she said.

"If we're going to shift resources from one part of the government to another part of the government, we need to have a very clear vision of why, and what we're trying to accomplish — and I'm not satisfied that we've done that."

Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon also said he would have wanted to see more money allocated to housing initatives.

"What they announced today is just a drop in the bucket. They're going to have problems achieving the priorities of this government," he told CBC.

Many representatives from the Union of Northern Workers also attended the budget address on Friday. In an interview with CBC, union vice president Melvin Laroque was extremely critical of the job cuts included in the proposed budget.

The budget would cut 91 public service positions, 58 of which are currently staffed. The remaining 33 are vacant positions the territory will be eliminating. Sixty-nine of the proposed job cuts are unionized jobs.

"This has a major impact on the communities. There's no money spent in those towns so that brings the economy down," Laroque told CBC.