Northwest Territories general election, 2007

The 2007 Northwest Territories general election took place on October 1, 2007. It was the 21st in the history of the territory. Nineteen members were elected to the Legislative Assembly from single member districts conducted under first-past-the-post

Plurality voting system

The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...

voting system.

The election was called on September 3, 2007, when the writ of returns was dropped by Chief Electoral Officer Saundra Arberry. This election was the first in Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...

history to be conducted on a fixed election date calendar.

The territory operates on a consensus government

Consensus government

Consensus government is a form of consensus democracy government in Canada in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, as well as Nunatsiavut, an autonomous area in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....

system with no political parties

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

; the premier is subsequently chosen by and from the Members of the Legislative Assembly

Member of the Legislative Assembly

A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....

(MLAs).

Election campaign

The final candidates list was released on September 7, 2007. Three incumbents were returned by acclamation

Acclamation

An acclamation, in its most common sense, is a form of election that does not use a ballot. "Acclamation" or "acclamatio" can also signify a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval in certain social contexts in ancient Rome.-Voting:...

. Four other high profile incumbents are not running for re-election including Premier Joe Handley

Joe Handley

Joseph "Joe" L. Handley, MLA is a former teacher and civil servant and was the tenth Premier of the Northwest Territories, Canada.-Early life:Handley was born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan...

representing Weledeh, cabinet minister and dean of the legislature Charles Dent

Charles Dent (politician)

Charles Dent is a former radio station manager, a volunteer fire fighter, a former municipal level politician and a long serving cabinet minister in the Northwest Territories territorial government.-Early life:...

representing Frame Lake, cabinet minister Brenden Bell

Brendan Bell (politician)

Brendan Bell is a Canadian territorial level politician and former cabinet minister.Bell was first elected to the Northwest Territories Legislature in the 1999 Northwest Territories general election. He won the Yellowknife South district defeating former Yellowknife Mayor Pat McMahon. He was...

and Private member Bill Braden

Bill Braden

Bill Braden is a politician and former news reporter in Northwest Territories, Canada and a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories...

brother of former Premier George Braden

George Braden

George Braden was a politician from the Northwest Territories, Canada. Elected as "Government Leader", Braden would retroactively become the second Premier of the Northwest Territories, after a motion was passed in 1994 to change the official title.-Political career:Prior to seeking election as...

representing Great Slave

Great Slave

Great Slave is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of seven districts that represent Yellowknife and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Glen Abernethy...

Premier retires

Joe Handley

Joseph "Joe" L. Handley, MLA is a former teacher and civil servant and was the tenth Premier of the Northwest Territories, Canada.-Early life:Handley was born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan...

the 10th Premier of the Northwest Territories, announced his retirement.

Rehab

Former candidate Peter Liske withdrew his candidacy shortly before the nomination deadline closed in Weledeh. Liske's campaign came under scrutiny after he promised to enter rehab

Drug rehabilitation

Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...

for alcohol abuse

Alcohol abuse

Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...

if he was elected. His campaign promise acquired international attention after the story was picked up by The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...

as part of the Headlines segment. The original news story Dettah chief candidates debate issues featured in the Headlines segment was published by the Northern News Service on August 6, 2007.

Criminal records

Four candidates that ran in 2007 have a criminal record. Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe

-Political career:Zoe was first elected to the Northwest Legislature in the 1987 Northwest Territories general election in the North Slave riding. He ran for re-election in the 1991 Northwest Territories general election defeating 2 other candidates to win his second term in office. Zoe did run...

, former MLA for North Slave

North Slave

Monfwi is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Behchoko, Gamèti, Wekweeti and Whatì.The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Jackson Lafferty.-Renaming:...

, has twice been convicted for spousal assault and resisting arrest. He resigned his seat over the latter charge in 2004. Hay River South

Hay River South

Hey River South is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of two districts that represent Hay River and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Jane Groenewegen....

candidate Greg McMeekin was convicted of assault, resisting arrest and making death threats, and has a warrant out for his arrest for violating his probation. Nahendeh

Nahendeh

Nahendeh is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, Trout Lake and Wrigley....

candidate Arnold Hope was convicted for drug possession in 2006 and unsafe storage of a firearm. Marc Bogan was convicted of the misdemeanor charge of mischief for releasing live crickets all over the Yellowknife Courthouse in 2005.

Conflict of interest

In the electoral district of Tu Nedhe

Tu Nedhe

Tu Nedhe is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Fort Resolution and Lutselk'e.The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Tom Beaulieu....

, incumbent Bobby J. Villeneuve

Bobby J. Villeneuve

Robert "Bobby" J. Villeneuve is a former member of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly and former retail manager....

finished a distant fourth in a field of six candidates. He was disciplined by the Conflict of Interest commissioner in June 2007 after swearing a legal oath that he lived in Fort Resolution

Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories

Fort Resolution is a "settlement corporation" in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada...

, Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

. Swearing the oath allowed him to gain access to a $25,000 a year living allowance for living accommodations in Yellowknife. The estimated cost to tax payers was $65,000. He was forced to reimburse $10,000 of it.

Disqualification

A complaint has been filed to the Chief Returning Officer Saundra Arberry over the disqualification of Tu Nedhe

Tu Nedhe

candidate Noeline Villebrun. The former candidate sent her nomination paperwork and endorsement signatures by facsimile from British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, a half-hour before the nomination deadline on September 7, 2007. The returning officer from Elections NWT disqualified the paperwork on the grounds that the paperwork was not in the original ink. Villebrun's official agent filed a complaint on the basis that, submitting paper work by fax is not forbidden under the Elections Act. Arberry upheld the decision of the Returning Officer and advised the Villebrun campaign to seek legal counsel. Villebrun was attempting her second run at office, she last ran as a candidate in the 1999 Northwest Territories general election

Northwest Territories general election, 1999

The Northwest Territories general election, 1999 took place on December 6, 1999, and was the 19th general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. This was the first election under the new boundaries that were created when Nunavut was carved out of the Northwest Territories...

in the same electoral district.

NWT Party

In past elections, political parties have popped up claiming to run slates of candidates. Yellowknife Centre

Yellowknife Centre

Yellowknife Centre is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of seven districts that represent Yellowknife and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Robert Hawkins....

candidate Bryan Sutherland has claimed to lead the NWT Party, and was the only candidate in this election representing the party in its slate. Sutherland is claiming that whether or not he is elected he will push for the party to be formally registered. The Northwest Territories has no laws recognizing or validating any political parties operating on the territorial level. Sutherland and his party are running under platform, that political parties will act a unified voice for pushing issues and ensure better accountability and qualifications for candidates that run in the field, and the democratic election of a Premier. Sutherland was defeated finishing a distant fourth in his district.

New Premier selected

On October 17, 2007 Inuvik Boot Lake

Inuvik Boot Lake

Inuvik Boot Lake is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.Together with Inuvik Twin Lakes, it is one of two electoral districts that represent Inuvik; both were created in 1999 from the previous monolithic Inuvik riding.- Geography...

MLA Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland

Floyd K. Roland, MLA is a politician from Northwest Territories, Canada. He was the 11th Premier of the Northwest Territories, having held office from October 17, 2007 to October 26, 2011....

was elected as the eleventh Premier of the territory by the Legislative Assembly. He ran for Premier against Thebacha

Thebacha

Thebacha is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Fort Smith.The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Michael Miltenberger....

MLA Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger

J. Michael Miltenberger is a former carpenter and a current territorial level politician from northern Canada.-Early life:...

. After being elected Premier, Roland promised to push the Government of Canada

Government of Canada

The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...

to give the Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

provincial powers enjoyed by other jurisdictions.

Election summary

Election summary	# of candidates		Popular vote
Election summary	Incumbent	New	#	%
Elected candidates	10	6	6,992	54.14%
Acclaimed candidates	3	0
Defeated candidates	2	34	5,922	45.86%
Total	55		12,914	100%
Voter Turnout %			Rejected Ballots

District and candidate results

District	Winner	2nd place	3rd place	4th place	5th place
Deh Cho	Michael McLeod Michael McLeod Michael McLeod is a current territorial level politician from Northwest Territories, Canada.-Political career:...
Frame Lake	Wendy Bisaro Wendy Bisaro Wendy Bisaro is a teacher and current territorial level politician from Northwest Territories CanadaBisaro began her political career in 1988 when she first ran for a seat in the municipal government as a School trustee, she served three terms and a total of twelve years in the position... 389	Chris Johnston 162	Jeff Groenewegen 137
Great Slave Great Slave Great Slave is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of seven districts that represent Yellowknife and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Glen Abernethy...	Glen Abernethy Glen Abernethy Glen Abernethy is a territorial level politician from Northwest Territories, Canada. He is a current member of the Northwest Territories Legislature serving from 2007 to present.... 336	Doug Ritchie 206	Christopher Hunt 103	Beaton Mackenzie 101	Mark Bogan 21
Hay River North Hay River North Hay River North is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of two districts that represent Hay River.- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-2011 election:-2007 election:...	Paul Delorey Paul Delorey Paul Delorey is a professional curler, a territorial level politician and current speaker in the Northwest Territories Legislature.-Curling:Delorey is an avid and professional curler. He represented the NWT/Yukon at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championships in 1987... 514	Vince McKay 329
Hay River South Hay River South Hey River South is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of two districts that represent Hay River and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Jane Groenewegen....	Jane Groenewegen Jane Groenewegen Jane Mary "Ostler" Groenewegen is a territorial level politician from northern Canada and a current member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.-Political career:... 423	Marc Miltenberger 384	Greg McMeekin 10
Inuvik Boot Lake Inuvik Boot Lake Inuvik Boot Lake is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.Together with Inuvik Twin Lakes, it is one of two electoral districts that represent Inuvik; both were created in 1999 from the previous monolithic Inuvik riding.- Geography...	Floyd Roland Floyd Roland Floyd K. Roland, MLA is a politician from Northwest Territories, Canada. He was the 11th Premier of the Northwest Territories, having held office from October 17, 2007 to October 26, 2011....
Inuvik Twin Lakes Inuvik Twin Lakes Inuvik Twin Lakes is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of two districts that represent Inuvik and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Robert C. McLeod...	Robert C. McLeod Robert C. McLeod Robert C. McLeod is carpenter and private contractor as well as a current territorial level politician and current member of the Northwest Territories Legislature.... 306	Denise Kurszewski 261
Kam Lake	Dave Ramsay Dave Ramsay Dave Ramsay is a territorial level politician and current member of the Northwest Territories Legislature.-Political career:... 489	Brad Enge 118
Mackenzie Delta Mackenzie Delta (electoral district) Mackenzie Delta is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic.-History:...	David Krutko David Krutko David Krutko is a retired territorial level politician in Northern Canada and a former speaker of the Northwest Territories legislature.Krutko was first elected to the Northwest Territories legislature in the 1995 general election. He defeated former Premier Richard Nerysoo in an upset victory. He... 303	Mary Joanne Clark 164	Donald Robert 132
Monfwi	Jackson Lafferty Jackson Lafferty Jackson Lafferty is a territorial level politician in Canada.-Early life:Lafferty attended High School in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. He received his post secondary education at Red Deer College and is currently enrolled at Athabasca University where he is completing a Management Degree... 579	Henry Zoe Henry Zoe -Political career:Zoe was first elected to the Northwest Legislature in the 1987 Northwest Territories general election in the North Slave riding. He ran for re-election in the 1991 Northwest Territories general election defeating 2 other candidates to win his second term in office. Zoe did run... 495
Nahendeh Nahendeh Nahendeh is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, Trout Lake and Wrigley....	Kevin A. Menicoche 549	Arnold Hope 203	Bob Hanna 71	Keyna Norwegian 70
Nunakput Nunakput Nunakput is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok.The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Jackie Jacobson....	Jackie Jacobson Jackie Jacobson Jackie Jacobson is a current territorial level politician, hunter and former Mayor of Tuktoyaktuk from Northwest Territories, Canada... 266	Vince J. Teddy 150	Eddie Dillon 142	Calvin P. Pokiak 74
Range Lake	Sandy Lee 564	Ashley Geraghty 210
Sahtu Sahtu (electoral district) Sahtu is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Colville Lake, Deline, Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells and Tulita.The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Norman Yakeleya....	Norman Yakeleya Norman Yakeleya Norman Yakeleya is a territorial level politician from Northwest Territories, Canada.-Political career:...
Thebacha Thebacha Thebacha is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Fort Smith.The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Michael Miltenberger....	Michael Miltenberger Michael Miltenberger J. Michael Miltenberger is a former carpenter and a current territorial level politician from northern Canada.-Early life:... 531	Peter Martselos 444	Jeannie Marie-Jewell Jeannie Marie-Jewell Jeannie Marie-Jewell is a territorial level politician from northern Canada. She served as the first female Speaker in the history of the Northwest Territories legislature.-Political career:... 197
Tu Nedhe Tu Nedhe Tu Nedhe is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The district consists of Fort Resolution and Lutselk'e.The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Tom Beaulieu....	Tom Beaulieu Tom Beaulieu Tom Beaulieu is a former municipal level politician and civil servant. He is current a politician on the territorial level of government. He has been serving as a member of the Northwest Territories Legislature, he was first elected in 2007.... 252	Steve Ellis 175	Raymond Simon 26	Bobby J. Villeneuve Bobby J. Villeneuve Robert "Bobby" J. Villeneuve is a former member of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly and former retail manager.... 12	Andrew Butler 6	James W. McPherson 6
Weledeh	Bob Bromley Bob Bromley Bob Bromley is a Canadian politician. He currently represents the electoral district of Weledeh in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. He was elected in the 2007 territorial election to succeed Joe Handley, who did not stand for re-election.... 522	Andy Wong 409	Jonas Sangris 244	Carol Morin Carol Morin Carol Morin is a media personality, writer and artist from Saskatchewan.-Early life:Morin was born in Regina, Saskatchewan but is originally from Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan. She is of Cree and Chipewyan descent.... 34
Yellowknife Centre Yellowknife Centre Yellowknife Centre is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of seven districts that represent Yellowknife and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Robert Hawkins....	Robert Hawkins 430	Sue Glowach 258	Ben McDonald 204	Bryan Sutherland 29
Yellowknife South Yellowknife South Yellowknife South is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of seven districts that represent Yellowknife and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Bob McLeod....	Bob McLeod Bob McLeod (politician) Bob McLeod is a Canadian politician. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, and currently the 12th Premier of the Northwest Territories having held that position since October 26, 2011.-Early life:... 539	Amy Hacala 278	Garett Cochrane 57

Notes:

Candidates in bold denotes incumbents.
With the exception of Michael McLeod, Floyd Roland and Norman Yakeleya, who were all acclaimed, the results are currently unofficial.

External links

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