City council has passed a motion that will see a request sent to Premier R.J. Simpson asking him to write a letter to the federal government to call for a ceasefire between Isreal and Hamas.
The motion, which was moved by Coun. Cat McGurk, was part of three that were on the floor at council’s regular meeting on Monday at city hall. The motion’s text reads as follows:
“That the Mayor and Council request the Premier of the Northwest Territories to write a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly to request that the Federal Government call for an immediate ceasefire and halt to violence by both the state of Israel and Hamas; the restoration of basic services including food, water, power, fuel, communications, and medical services to the population of Gaza; the immediate release of all hostages; unhindered access for humanitarian aid for all those in need and to work to ensure the safety of both Israelis and Palestinians.”
Council also passed a motion condemning “… all acts of anti‐Semitism, anti‐Palestinian racism and Islamophobia in our community, and will work to ensure our community is just, safe and welcoming for all.”
What didn’t pass was a motion calling on Mayor Rebecca Alty to directly write a letter to both Trudeau and Joly to request the federal government call for a ceasefire. That vote was split down the middle with four councillors in favour and four against. Because there was no way to break the tie — Alty was not present at the meeting, leaving an even number of votes — the motion failed.
Several speakers also made presentations to council before the votes were taken.
Speaking in favour of the motions, Coun. Ben Hendriksen said this was an issue of human rights.
“As a human, I understand the need to respond defensively to the Oct. 7 attacks,” he said. “What happened on that day was horrific and must be acknowledged and must be condemned by absolutely everyone. But two months on, and with ever increasing civilian deaths, and with the complete annihilation of housing, health care and all infrastructure, which now makes Gaza largely uninhabitable, and with half the population confirmed by the United Nations as starving to death, I can only watch in horror at what’s happening.”
McGurk said council received more than 100 different types of communications from residents on the issue and that the political responsibility rested on council’s shoulders when the federal government stays silent.
Coun. Garett Cochrane, who voted against the motion to ask the mayor to write a letter, said he was doing so because it would be outside the city’s mandate.
“I see no prescribed authority within our by-laws or statute law that provides our city government the legitimacy to speak to the federal government directly on issues of international affairs or conflicts,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Stacie Arden-Smith, who chaired the meeting in place of Alty, also voted against the motion and cited Section 12 of the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, in part, as her reason, which states what mayor and council are bound to do.
“I’m sure council can all agree that we are against racism, hate and the unnecessary killing of people,” she said. “However, foreign affairs are not within our municipal mandate.”