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How to make your voice heard

No matter where you are in the Northwest Territories, you can make your voice heard. 

From direct action in the streets and creating awareness campaigns at your school to carefully considered presentations in front of standing committees on the review of bills, here are a few ways to effectively push for changes you want to see.

This section give tips on engaging through the GNWT’s “Have Your Say” portal or through Standing Committees, commenting on federal legislation, making effective submissions, and suggestions for ongoing feedback.  Talk to other organizations or experts when providing feedback, to learn about common or shared areas of concern to emphasize.

Commenting on GNWT Legislation, Regulations and Policy

  • Written comments are often invited on the "Have Your Say" GNWT public engagement website within a deadline.  Comments should relate to the document or material under consideration.
  • After a Bill’s second reading in the NWT’s Legislative Assembly, a Standing Committee is charged with reviewing the details of the Bill and getting feedback from the public. This gives NWT residents the opportunity to make their concerns known.
  • Standing Committees typically invite written submissions from the public and may hold public hearings in Yellowknife and other locations.  Oral presentations may be invited from the public.  You can find more information about Standing Committees here.

For background information on GNWT's public engagement policies and practices, see "How can the public get involved in Legislation?".  

Talk to other organizations or experts when preparing your submission, as you may learn about common or shared areas of concern to emphasize

Commenting on Federal Legislation, Regulations and Policies

The federal government has a searchable online database called Consulting with Canadians. Here, residents can learn about closed, ongoing, or planned public consultations on a variety of legislation.

House of Commons and Senate Committees conduct public review of federal legislation and some environmental and resource management related matters.  You can see what these committees are doing here.  There are a lot of Committees and hearings taking place and we will try to post current opportunities as they relate to the NWT and environmental management.

 

You can also write or call the NWT Member of Parliament with any questions or concerns.  You can contact our MP here.

Making Effective Submissions

Here are some tips for making effective written submissions:

  • Use plain language as much as possible and include a short summary of your larger argument. Remember, you don’t have to be a lawyer to make your point.
  • Make sure you state who you are, along with a short summary of the organization you represent. Include your interests and experience related to the subject matter, as well as any partnerships you or your organization has with Indigenous government organizations or others.
  • State clearly whether you support the bill or if you have concerns or problems with any parts of it.
  • Provide solutions to problems. Examples from other jurisdictions or suggestions of best practices are helpful.
  • If you have specific ideas or language you would like to see changed, deleted or added, make that clear in your submission. Reference the changes back to page numbers in the document or section numbers in a Bill.  Number the recommendations for easy reference.
    Include references, background materials or links if you think it will help.
  • You can and should ask to be kept informed of further developments on a document or a Bill.
  • You may also want to comment on the amount of time available for submission of comments, availability of background information, ways to improve future public engagements or related matters.
  • Talk to other organizations or experts when preparing your submission, as you may learn about common or shared areas of concern to emphasize

Here are a few other points to watch for:

  • Are definitions of key terms provided and are they clear?
  • Are exemptions or exceptions allowed and under what terms and conditions?
  • Is information on permits or licences and key decisions required to be made public and how (for example, posting on a website or a public registry)?
  • Are there clear opportunities for public input into important decisions with reasonable timelines and access to background information?
  • re there any requirements for reporting on activities or actions undertaken and is this information public?

Here are some tips for giving an effective presentation:

  • Keep it tight (roughly 15 minutes max) to give Committee members the chance to ask questions.
  • Be prepared for questions that may seem unfriendly or even hostile, but remain respectful of the Committee chair and members.
  • Use plain language in your presentation and answers. Also, try not to speak too quickly, especially if interpreters are involved.
  • If you don’t know the answer to a question, you can offer to get back to the Committee chair with a written response within a few days.
  • You may want to bring some hard copies of your written submission or presentation in case anyone may not have one.
  • You may want to share a copy or your written submission or presentation with any media that are present.

How to provide feedback any time:

Organize, Organize, Organize

If you feel strongly about the government’s stance on a particular environmental issue, don’t just sit around: get organized and take action. If you’re a student, start a club or day of action at your school, which can raise awareness for a particular issue and funds for your cause. Draft a press release with details on the date and location of the event and send it to a local media organization—and follow up with a phone call to a reporter or editor—to bring added coverage to your event. (Here are some tips on how to write an effective press release.)

Start a petition

The GNWT develops new legislation when a current law no longer works as intended, when local realities change, or when public pressure forces the reconsideration of a law. How do you build that momentum? One way is to start a petition, which can demonstrate a groundswell of support for an idea. Here’s how to start and file a petition with the NWT’s Legislative Assembly.  Another advantage to this approach, is that the responsible Minister must provide a response to a petition within 60 calendar days of its presentation. The response is tabled in the Legislative Assembly at the earliest opportunity (this may take several months depending on the sitting schedule which can be found here).  The petition and response can help create a written record and accountability on a particular issue that you can used to further design activities or a campaign.

Communicate with your MLA

Every resident of the NWT is represented by a Member of the Legislative Assembly. The people elect MLAs and part of their job is to represent the interests of their constituents. That means you!

If you have questions about specific legislation, concerns about the government’s actions or inactions, or if you want to learn about your MLA’s specific positions on environmental issues, write them an email, call them at their office, or pop into their next constituency meeting. Remember, your MLA works for you!

If you are not sure which riding or electoral district you live in, check this map or here.

If you are not sure who your MLA is or want contact information, go to this page on the Legislative Assembly website.

Write a letter to the editor

Feel passionate enough to put pen to paper? Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper or news website. Or consider submitting a first-person essay to CBC North that recounts a personal experience that can help educate a wider audience about your subject of interest.

File a request for an investigation

Did you know residents of the NWT have the ability to initiate investigations into possible environmental hazards under the Environmental Rights Act? If you have concerns about a possibly toxic or harmful substance posing a serious threat to people and the environment, you can apply to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to investigate the situation.

GNWT does little to promote investigations and it is not often used as there a lot of requirements set out in the legislation or an investigation application.  The Minister has total discretion as to whether to carry out an investigation or take any action but all of this may bring more media and public attention to an issue.

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