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3TuesdayNovember52013SurpriseshufeputsAbernethyinHealthhotseatMid-sessionchangesseeministersswapportfoliosnewLandsministerByJACKDANYLCHUKAfterenduringmonthsofcriticismoveraddictionstreatmentintheterritoryHealthMinisterTomBeau-lieugotareprievelastweekasPremierBobMcLeodmademid-termadjustmentstocabinetduties.Wearemidwaythroughourtermandhaveaccom-plishedmanyofthetaskswesetforourselvesatthebeginningofthe17thLeg-islativeAssemblythepre-miersaidinannouncingthechangesthathaveBeaulieuandGlenAbernethyswap-pingportfolios.AbernethytakesoverHealthandSocialServicesSeniorsandPersonswithDisabilitieswhileBeaulieumovestoTransportationHumanResourcesandPublicWorksandServices.DavidRamsaywhilelos-ingtheTransportationport-foliocontinuesasministerofIndustryTourismandIn-vestmentandpicksuptheJusticedepartmentandthePublicUtilitiesBoardbothformerlyheldbyAbernethy.RobertC.McLeodwilltakeonthenewLandsdepartmentnextAprilandcontinuesasministerresponsiblefortheNorthwestTerritoriesHousingCorp.MunicipalandCom-munityAffairsHomeless-nessandYouth.JacksonLaffertyMichaelMiltenbergerandthepremiercontinuewiththeirexistingportfolios.Asthegovernmentread-iesfordevolutionMcLeodsaidwehaveanopportu-nitytocapitalizeonourpastsuccessesandtorefocusourenergiesforthetaskahead.ItwasthebestpossibleglossonthechangesbutregularMLAswhorepliedtoemailedquestionswerententirelyper-suadedbythepremiersspin.YellowknifeCentreMLARobertHawkinscensuredbySpeakerJackieJacobsonforcriticismsofBeaulieuintheopeningdaysofthesessionnoteditishighlyunusualtoshufeacabinetinthemid-dleofasession.Nopremierorgovern-mentlikestobetoldwhattodoandassuchtheshufeshouldspeakloudandclearHawkinssaidinanemailtoTheJournal.Ialsobelieveandcer-tainlycreditallmembersforhelpingkeepupthepressureonthiscabinetoveritslack-lusterperformanceduringthelasttwoweeksofsessionwhichwasenoughtoprovidethedirectionandinstructionneededfortheresultsweseeHawkinswrote.InactionaroundhereisaseriousproblemonmanyfrontsandthataffectsallNorthernerssoperhapsthiswillremindthecabinetthatasmemberswedemandactionresultsandaccountability.FrameLakeMLAWendyBisarowrotethatvotersaresmartenoughtoconnectthedotswhenaskedabouttheneedforashufe.Withoutgettingtoospe-cicmembershavehadcon-cernswiththeperformanceofsomeministersandasthepremiersaidsomewerearereadytotakeonnewanddif-ferentchallenges.Iamhopingthatwewillnowhavebetteraccountabil-ityandtransparencywithintheguidingprinciplesofthe17thAssemblyaswepre-parefordevolutionroll-outBisarowrote.SahtuMLANormanYake-leyacomparedthepremiertoacoachinsportshemustalwaysassesshisplayersandmakeadjustmenttomaintainawinningteam.Weshallseebytheendofourtermifthiswasagoodmoveonlytimewilltell.RangeLakeMLADarylDolynnyscommentsperfectlymatchedBisarosindicat-inghehopestheshufewillbringbetteraccountabilityandtransparencywithintheguidingprinciplesofthe17thAssemblyaswepreparefordevolutionroll-out.AstotheneedtochangeportfoliosanddutiesIbelievethevotersaresmartenoughtoconnectthedotswiththere-centcabinetshufehewrote.Iamhopingthatwewillnowhavebetteraccountabilityandtransparencywithintheguidingprinciplesofthe17thAssem-blyaswepreparefordevolutionroll-out.FrameLakeMLAWendyBisaroRegularMLAssaidtheywerenotsurprisedtoseesomeministersportfoliosswappedlastweekwithanirregularcabinetshufeintheLegislativeAssembly.PhotocourtesyofGNWTPoliticsTerritorialDeneNationalChiefcontestsaddinganotherYellowknifeMLAByMEAGANWOHLBERGDeneNationalChiefBillErasmussaysifYellow-knifewindsupwithanad-ditionalMLAasrecentlyrecommendedbytheNWTElectoralBoundariesCom-missionthatrepresentativeshouldbeassignedtodeal-ingwithAboriginalpeoplewhohavemovedfromthesmallcommunitiesintotheurbancentre.IftheywantanotherMLAinYellowknifemaybethatMLAshouldbetheretohelpthepeoplethatareAboriginalthatcomefromthecommuni-ties.Thatsthekindofdiscus-sionIthinkweneedinsteadofjustsayingYellowknifeshouldhaveanotherpersonEras-mussaidatlastweeksDeneNationleadershipmeetingsinFortSimpson.ErasmussaidmanyofthetransientDenepeopleinthecapitalgotothelocalYellow-kniveschiefsinNDiloandDettahlookingforhelpaftermovingtothecity.Theywantassistance.Wellwerenotinapositiontohelpthembecauseweretryingtotakecareofourownpeopleeveryday.SoweneedtothinkaboutthatErasmussaid.ThepeopleinYellowknifereallywanttoworktogetherbutweveneverhadarealconversationonhowthesmallercommu-nitiescanworkwiththemandmaybethisisthetimetodoit.InareportlastFebruarytheElectoralBoundariesCommissionrecommendedbringingthenumberofYel-lowknifeseatsinthelegisla-turetonineupfromthecur-rentsevenbutamendedthatrecommendationthisfalltosuggestjustoneadditionalMLAforthecapital.TheissueexpectedtobedebatedoverthenextweeksbytheLegislativeAssem-blyhasbeenadivisiveone.SomeYellowkniferesidentsareloudlylobbyingformoreMLAsinthecapitalwhichhouseshalftheterritoryspopulationincludingagroupcallingitselfFriendsofDemocracy.Thereareseriousconse-quencesforchronicunder-representationYellowknifeneedssupportindealingwithhomelessnesssubstanceabuseandothersocialprob-lemsBillAhothegroupsleadertoldTheJournalinSeptember.Additionallyopenresent-mentatfurtherpoliticalcen-tralizationinYellowknifehasbeenopenlyexpressedintheHousesincesessionbeganonOct.17withNa-hendehMLAKevinMenico-chebeingaskedtoapologizeaftersayinghewasgladtoseeYellowknifewasnotacentralfocusoftheNWTscapitalplan.ExistingYellowknifeMLAsWendyBisaroandBobBromleycomplainedtheremarkswereoffensive.Myconstituentsareof-fendedandalltheconstitu-entsinYellowknife.Almost50percentofthepopulationoftheNWTishereandIdontfeelthatthatcom-mentisonethattheywilltakelightlyBisarochided.PoliticsTerritorial