Editing Northwest Territories (section)

==Government==
{{main|Politics of the Northwest Territories}}
[[File:Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories.jpg|thumb|The chamber of the [[Northwest Territories Legislative Building]]]]
As a territory, the NWT has fewer rights than the provinces. During his term, Premier Kakfwi pushed to have the federal government accord more rights to the territory, including having a greater share of the returns from the territory's natural resources go to the territory.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030703.wnwt0703/BNStory/National/ |title=NWT Premier asks provincial leaders for backing |publisher=Globeandmail.com |access-date=February 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015121840/http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030703.wnwt0703/BNStory/National/ |archive-date=October 15, 2008 }}</ref> Devolution of powers to the territory was an issue in the [[Northwest Territories general election, 2003|20th general election]] in 2003, and has been ever since the territory began electing members in 1881.

The [[Commissioner#Canadian territories|Commissioner]] of the NWT is the chief executive and is appointed by the [[Governor General of Canada#Constitutional role|Governor-in-Council of Canada]] on the recommendation of the federal [[Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)|Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]]. The position used to be more administrative and governmental, but with the devolution of more powers to the elected assembly since 1967, the position has become symbolic. The commissioner had full governmental powers until 1980 when the territories were given greater self-government. The legislative assembly then began electing a cabinet and ''government leader'', later known as the [[Premier (Canada)|premier]]. Since 1985 the commissioner no longer chairs meetings of the [[Executive Council of the Northwest Territories|executive council]] (or cabinet), and the federal government has instructed commissioners to behave like a provincial [[Lieutenant governor (Canada)|lieutenant governor]]. Unlike lieutenant governors, the [[Commissioners of the Northwest Territories|Commissioner of the Northwest Territories]] is not a formal representative of the [[Monarchy of Canada|King of Canada]].{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

Unlike provincial governments and the government of Yukon, the government of the Northwest Territories does not have political parties. It never has had political parties except for the period between 1898 and 1905. Its [[Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories|legislative assembly]] operates through the [[Consensus government in Canada|consensus government]] model.
The website of the NWT government describes consensus government thusly:
"The Northwest Territories is one of only two jurisdictions in Canada with a consensus system of government instead of one based on party politics. In our system, all Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected as independents. Shortly after the election, all Members meet as a Caucus to set priorities for that Assembly. The Caucus remains active throughout their term as the forum where all Members meet as equals.[...]
Compared to the party system, there is much more communication between Regular Members and Cabinet. All legislation, major policies, and proposed budgets pass through the Regular Members' standing committees before coming to the House."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ntassembly.ca/visitors/what-consensus |title=What is Consensus Government? &#124; Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories |date=November 6, 2012 |access-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105171607/https://www.ntassembly.ca/visitors/what-consensus |url-status=live }}</ref>

The NWT Legislative Assembly is composed of one member elected from each of the nineteen constituencies. After [[List of Northwest Territories general elections|each general election]], the new assembly elects the [[Premier of the Northwest Territories|premier]] and the [[Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories|speaker]] by secret ballot. Seven MLAs are also chosen as cabinet ministers, with the remainder forming the opposition.

The membership of the [[20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly|current legislative assembly]] was set by the [[2023 Northwest Territories general election]] on November 14, 2023. [[R.J. Simpson]] was selected as the new premier by his fellow MLAs on December 7, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nwt-premier-speaker-cabinet-selection-1.7051317 |title=Archived copy |access-date=December 7, 2023 |archive-date=December 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207220346/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nwt-premier-speaker-cabinet-selection-1.7051317 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The member of Parliament for the [[Northwest Territories (electoral district)|Northwest Territories]] is [[Rebecca Alty]] ([[Liberal Party (Canada)|Liberal Party]]). The Commissioner of the Northwest Territories is [[Gerald Kisoun]].

In the [[Parliament of Canada]], the NWT comprises a single [[Canadian Senate divisions|Senate division]] and a single [[Electoral district (Canada)|House of Commons electoral district]], titled [[Northwest Territories (electoral district)|Northwest Territories]] (''Western Arctic'' until 2014). Thus a single MP represents an area that is almost 14 percent of the land area of all of Canada.

===Departments===
The government of Northwest Territories comprises the following departments:<ref>[https://www.gov.nt.ca/en/departments Government of the NWT] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712173534/https://www.gov.nt.ca/en/departments |date=July 12, 2023 }}, retrieved August 7, 2023</ref>
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* Education, Culture and Employment
* Environment and Climate Change
* Executive and Indigenous Affairs
* Finance
* Health and Social Services
* Industry, Tourism and Investment
* Infrastructure
* Justice
* Legislative Assembly
* Municipal and Community Affairs
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===Administrative regions===
[[File:NWT All Region Locator.svg|thumb|upright|Administrative regions of the Northwest Territories]]
The Northwest Territories is divided into five [[List of regions of the Northwest Territories|administrative regions]] (regional offices in parentheses):
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* [[Dehcho Region]] ([[Fort Simpson]])<ref name=macadecho>{{cite web |url=https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/dehcho-region |title=Dehcho Region |access-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120143244/https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/dehcho-region |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Inuvik Region]] ([[Inuvik]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/inuvik-region |title=Inuvik Region |access-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120143024/https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/inuvik-region |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[North Slave Region]] ([[Yellowknife]] and [[Behchoko]] [sub-office])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/north-slave-region |title=North Slave Region |access-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120143335/https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/north-slave-region |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Sahtu Region]] ([[Norman Wells]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/sahtu-region |title=Sahtu Region |access-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120143314/https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/sahtu-region |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[South Slave Region]] ([[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]] and [[Hay River, Northwest Territories|Hay River]] [sub-office])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/south-slave-region |title=South Slave Region |access-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120143722/https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/en/south-slave-region |url-status=live }}</ref>
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