Yellowknife, N.W.T. - Climate change may or may not be a "crime against humanity", but it's not out of order to say it in the Legislative Assembly.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley was facing a point of order from Environment and Natural Resources minister Michael Miltenberger for saying as much about the government's so-called lack of action against greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaker Jackie Jacobson has ruled Bromley's comments were not out of order.

Bromley said Miltenberger and Premier Bob McLeod, who also spoke on the point of order, took the comments out of context.

“The context was if we continue with these policies, we would be participating in a crime against humanity,” he said. “My intent was, of course, to change our policy and get in line with a more responsible position.”

He was using the definition of what a crime against humanity was according to the International Criminal Court and Miltenberger used it as well, but Bromley said he and McLeod chose another angle to it.

“They chose to take the offensive interpretation of me accusing the government of being war criminals or being equivalent to war criminals,” he said. “That was absolutely the furthest thing from my mind.”

McLeod said Bromley's comments likened him to a dictator.

Bromley hopes the issue will bring more light to climate change and the work needed to be done on the matter.

CJCD Mix 100 News