Mr. Speaker, the events that have caused us to be here today are unfortunate. My revoking of the Minister's portfolios, and this motion, were decisions not made lightly, but they are necessary ones. The inability to work with and have confidence in the professionalism and integrity of Minister Nokleby ultimately made the decision clear. As set out in the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, and in our Members' handbook, the Premier has the authority for the overall management and direction of the Executive branch and the responsibility to take disciplinary action with respect to the conduct of Ministers. The removal of portfolios does not circumvent the authority of the Legislative Assembly to remove membership on the Executive Council. It is about taking the steps necessary to protect the reputation, proper functioning, and management of government.
I know that the public wants to hear the rationale for my decision. While it would not be appropriate to provide information to the same extent that I have shared confidentially in Caucus, I will share some of that information at a higher level. I am trying to balance the need to provide Members of the Legislative Assembly and the public with sufficient information to provide context for my actions while also trying to respect the Minister.
When Regular Members brought the previous motion of non-confidence in the Minister, it was agreed not to proceed with the motion in exchange for commitments from the Minister to improve in specific areas and the expectation for myself, as Premier, to ensure that the commitments were fulfilled. Although Minister Nokleby has stated many times that she learned from the first non-confidence motion, she has also continually stated since then that these are not her issues, that they are either untrue, the department's fault, or mine, directly or indirectly. I have not seen the kind of self-reflection required to find improvement, and I still don't believe that Minister Nokleby is ready to accept any responsibility.
The areas of concern that determined my final decision include interactions with civil servants; interactions with myself, Cabinet colleagues, and MLAs; and the failure to manage her office. After many unsuccessful attempts to address concerns directly with Minister Nokleby repeatedly turned into an exchange where I and/or staff were subjected to a rude and disrespectful Minister, who was yelling, angry, and using vulgar language, I provided Minister Nokleby with a detailed letter that outlined my concerns and expectations. I also expressed my willingness to discuss matters further in order to find ways to improve and restore my confidence if she agreed to accept and work on the expectations. The initial reaction of the Minister to the letter and subsequent meeting was extremely inappropriate. Recognizing that the Minister lacked the necessary respect for me to provide any feedback, advice, or guidance, I also attempted to engage a former Premier to offer advice and mentorship to Minister Nokleby. That effort was also unsuccessful.
Some of the areas I raised with Minister Nokleby included concerns that she targeted staff for discipline based on unsubstantiated rumours. I emphasized the importance of following processes to ensure that people are treated fairly and avoiding acting on rumours. The Minister also openly expressed negative, degrading, and potentially harmful personal opinions about various public servants, both to the individuals and to others. This put the government at legal risk and is also unfair to the staff, who are unable to defend themselves against someone with an unequal amount of power, and also undermines the morale among the public service.
I also attempted to address the inappropriate communications experienced by myself, Ministers, and MLAs. I reinforced the clear expectations that Ministers hold themselves to high standards of professionalism and a meaningful commitment to working together. I accept that we can all get frustrated and even angry. However, the Minister's continual tantrums in meetings, walking out of meetings, lashing out at others, and a refusal to hear from colleagues are not productive or reflective of the kind of relationships that we need to effectively look after the concerns and priorities of residents.
Another key area of concern was the failure of the Minister to manage her office. This may seem like a small factor. However, failure to be responsive and be transparent can have serious consequences. Failure to respond meaningfully and promptly to concerns from the public and MLAs will occasionally happen, and I appreciate that we faced extraordinary demands with the pandemic, but replies should not be waiting months without an interim response. The Minister's failure to respond in a timely manner can and did cause significant intergovernmental harm.
I also made clear the expectation that the Minister and her office disclose all meetings with outside parties and that she include departmental officials in all meetings to ensure transparency. Unrecorded meetings held without officials or any staff present is a significant danger to the essential trust and public confidence in the integrity of government decision-making.
During our final face-to-face meeting, Minister Nokleby again did not take any responsibility for any of her actions, blamed me for all of the problems, would not listen to any of my comments, and made an extremely inappropriate statement about a public servant, which confirmed my lack of confidence and the decision to immediately pull her portfolios.
Although I have not disclosed everything leading to my decision, at the end of the day, it is clear to me that allowing Minister Nokleby to continue to hold portfolios would significantly disrupt and frustrate our ability to do business together and make progress on the Assembly's priorities. She has not given any indication that she is sincerely willing to improve. On the contrary, she has continued to suggest that none of her failings are her fault and that responsibility for them all lies with others, including myself. I believe that keeping her as a Minister will damage not only Cabinet but will harm the Assembly, the GNWT, and ultimately, the residents we serve. I gave Minister Nokleby ample opportunity to improve. Minister Nokleby has made it clear to me that she disagrees with my judgment and does not accept the standards I set and my efforts to help her meet them. I was left with no choice except to remove her portfolios.
Mr. Speaker, there is not one single incident that resulted in this need for this action. This is a result of a pattern of behaviours that have continued despite efforts of MLAs, Ministers, and myself. This motion, while necessary, is both regrettable and distracting. We all recognize unprecedented challenges we have faced and the challenges yet to come. We owe it to the residents to have a strong, united Cabinet, and I believe all of us need to show more of a willingness to work together and stand together as a whole Assembly. I look forward to putting this issue behind us, Mr. Speaker, and instead of focusing on questions of non-confidence, putting our collective energies towards meeting the needs of the people we serve.
Mr. Speaker, I will be requesting a recorded vote on this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Member for Range Lake, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Frame Lake, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Monfwi, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Yellowknife South.
All those opposed, please rise.
The Member for Great Slave.
All those abstaining, please rise.
The Member for Nunakput.
The results of the recorded vote: 16 in favour, one opposed, one abstention. The motion is carried.
---Carried
