# 2007 Northwest Territories general election

The 2007 Northwest Territories general election took place on October 1, 2007. Nineteen members were elected to the Legislative Assembly from single member districts conducted under first-past-the-post 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 history to be conducted on a fixed election date calendar.
The territory operates on a consensus government system with no political parties; the premier is subsequently chosen by and from the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

## Election campaign

The final list of candidates was released on September 7, 2007. Three incumbents were returned by acclamation. Four other high-profile incumbents were not running for re-election, including Premier Joe Handley representing Weledeh, cabinet minister and dean of the legislature Charles Dent representing Frame Lake, cabinet minister Brenden Bell and private member Bill Braden (brother of former Premier George Braden).

### Premier retires

Joe Handley 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 for alcohol abuse if he was elected. His campaign promise acquired international attention after the story was picked up by The Tonight Show 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 who ran in 2007 have criminal records. Henry Zoe, former MLA for North Slave, was twice convicted for spousal assault and resisting arrest. He resigned his seat over the latter charge in 2004. Hay River South candidate Greg McMeekin was convicted of assault, resisting arrest and making death threats; a warrant was out for his arrest for violating probation. Nahendeh 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, incumbent Bobby J. Villeneuve 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, Northwest Territories, which allowed him access to a CA$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.

### Disqualification

A complaint was filed to the Chief Returning Officer Saundra Arberry over the disqualification of Tu Nedhe candidate Noeline Villebrun. The former candidate sent her nomination paperwork and endorsement signatures by facsimile from British Columbia, 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 in the same electoral district.

### NWT Party

In past elections, political parties have appeared claiming to run slates of candidates. Yellowknife Centre candidate Bryan Sutherland claimed to lead the NWT Party, and was the only candidate in this election representing the party in its slate. Sutherland said that whether or not he was elected he would 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 was defeated, finishing a distant fourth in his district.

### New Premier selected

On October 17, 2007 Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Floyd Roland was elected as the eleventh Premier of the territory by the Legislative Assembly. He ran for Premier against Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger. After being elected Premier, Roland promised to push the Government of Canada to give the Northwest Territories provincial powers enjoyed by other jurisdictions.

## Election summary

| Election summary | # of candidates | # of candidates | Popular vote | 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 | 55 | 12,914 | 100% |
| Voter Turnout % | Voter Turnout % | Voter Turnout % | Rejected Ballots | Rejected Ballots |

## District and candidate results

| District | Winner | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | 5th place | 5th place |
| Deh Cho | Michael McLeod | | | | | |
| Frame Lake | Wendy Bisaro 389 | Chris Johnston 162 | Jeff Groenewegen 137 | | | |
| Great Slave | Glen Abernethy 336 | Doug Ritchie 206 | Christopher Hunt 103 | Beaton Mackenzie 101 | Mark Bogan 21 | Mark Bogan 21 |
| Hay River North | Paul Delorey 514 | Vince McKay 329 | | | | |
| Hay River South | Jane Groenewegen 423 | Marc Miltenberger 384 | Greg McMeekin 10 | | | |
| Inuvik Boot Lake | Floyd Roland | | | | | |
| Inuvik Twin Lakes | Robert C. McLeod 306 | Denise Kurszewski 261 | | | | |
| Kam Lake | Dave Ramsay 489 | Brad Enge 118 | | | | |
| Mackenzie Delta | David Krutko 303 | Mary Joanne Clark 164 | Donald Robert 132 | | | |
| Monfwi | Jackson Lafferty 579 | Henry Zoe 495 | | | | |
| Nahendeh | Kevin A. Menicoche 549 | Arnold Hope 203 | Bob Hanna 71 | Keyna Norwegian 70 | | |
| Nunakput | Jackie Jacobson 266 | Vince J. Teddy 150 | Eddie Dillon 142 | Calvin P. Pokiak 74 | | |
| Range Lake | Sandy Lee 564 | Ashley Geraghty 210 | | | | |
| Sahtu | Norman Yakeleya | | | | | |
| Thebacha | Michael Miltenberger 531 | Peter Martselos 444 | Jeannie Marie-Jewell 197 | | | |
| Tu Nedhe | Tom Beaulieu 252 | Steve Ellis 175 | Raymond Simon 26 | Bobby J. Villeneuve 12 | Andrew Butler 6 | James W. McPherson 6 |
| Weledeh | Bob Bromley 522 | Andy Wong 409 | Jonas Sangris 244 | Carol Morin 34 | | |
| Yellowknife Centre | Robert Hawkins 430 | Sue Glowach 258 | Ben McDonald 204 | Bryan Sutherland 29 | | |
| Yellowknife South | Bob McLeod 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.