The commissioner of the Northwest Territories (french: Commissaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-i ...

's representative in the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

. Similar in certain functions to a

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, the commissioner swears in the members of the legislative assembly, swears in members of the executive council, assents to bills, opens sessions of the legislative assembly, and signs other government documents such as

Orders in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''King ...

. Earlier commissioners were mostly deputy ministers in various ministries (Minister of the Interior, Mines, Mines and Resources). As commissioners are appointed by the Government of Canada, they are not a vice-regal representative in the territory—that is, unlike in Canada's provinces, there is no such thing as a "territorial Crown" analogous to the provincial Crowns. The commissioner represents the federal government and must follow any instructions of the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

or the relevant federal minister, currently the

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

. Since 1980, the territories have had self-government, with the

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

choosing a government leader or

premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

, in addition to electing members of parliament to the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, ...

Commissioners of the NWT

Living former commissioners

Glenna Hansen Glenna F. Hansen (born August 10, 1956) is an Inuvialuit Canadian politician. She served as the commissioner of the Northwest Territories from March 31, 2000, to April 29, 2005. Early life Born in Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada, Hansen jo ...

Tony Whitford Anthony Wilfred James Whitford (born June 11, 1941) is a retired Canadian politician, who served as the commissioner of the Northwest Territories from 2005 to 2010. Whitford was born in 1941

George Tuccaro George Tuccaro (born May 12, 1950) was the commissioner of the Northwest Territories. He served in that position from May 12, 2010 until May 10, 2016. Biography George Tuccaro was born on May 12, 1950, in northern Alberta. A member of the Mikise ...

Deputy commissioners

On 24 October 2011 Gerald W. Kisoun was appointed deputy commissioner and his term was originally for three years. It was extended for a second three years and is due to expire 10 December 2017.

References

External links

Office of the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories (NWT)
{{Northwest Territories politics Northwest Territories Commissioners *

Commissioners of the NWT

Living former commissioners

Deputy commissioners

See also

References

External links