Emergency legislature session over Katrina Nokleby cost N.W.T. almost $47K

It cost almost $47,000 to debate the removal of former Infrastructure and Industry minister Katrina Nokleby from cabinet last month.

The emergency recall of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly cost exactly $46,665.95, according to a government document provided to the CBC after an access to information request.

The document outlines expenses incurred during the recall of the House for an emergency session held from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27. The sitting was for MLAs to discuss and vote on Nokleby's removal from cabinet.

She had already been stripped of her ministry portfolios ofIndustry, Tourism and Investment, and Infrastructure, by Premier Caroline Cochrane. This was the premier's right to do without legislative debate, but only the Legislative Assembly could remove Nokleby from cabinet.

Most of the cost came from travel expenses for members of the legislature and interpreters ($16,259), and for interpreter fees ($12,000).

The sitting was held exclusively to address Nokleby's removal from cabinet.

A former MLA, and one Yellowknife city councillor, asked on Facebook why MLAs didn't use the time to address other matters at hand, especially in light of the assembly's sitting on Aug. 25, which likely ranks among the briefest in the assembly's history.

In a Facebook post in response to that query MLA Rylund Johnson said adding to the agenda would have meant overtime pay for staff to prepare necessary briefing notes.

Despite keeping the session tightly focused on Nokleby's removal from cabinet, $2,086.50 in overtime was still incurred.