Yellowknife (Dec 03/99) - The editorial board of Yellowknifer prepared this short list of questions in an effort to help voters learn more about those running for election on Dec. 6.

They are designed to shed a little more light on the men and women who want to represent us in the legislative assembly. Candidates were asked to keep their answers short (a maximum of 50 words).

The following responses are from candidates in the Weledeh, Great Slave Lake, Yellowknife South and Yellowknife Centre ridings.

These responses are not meant to be your only guide when casting your ballot, but we hope they assist you in formulating your decision.

1. Who are your political heroes?
2. The GNWT faces a projected deficit of $34 million this year. Do you support program cuts to deal with this? If so, which programs should be cut.
3. What initiative at the territorial level is needed to help the Yellowknife economy.

Weledeh

Mark Heyck

1. Tommy Douglas is my political hero. As a leader of the Saskatchewan Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, he brought the party to power in 1944. Douglas introduced socialized medical care in Saskatchewan, which would soon be duplicated across the country. He was a strong defender of the rights of working people, farmers and the poor.

2. There is simply no more room to cut programs. Many of our programs are already severely underfunded. The needs of our population are many and diverse and they must be met if our people are to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Rather than cutting programs, inefficiencies and wasteful spending by the GNWT needs to be eliminated.

3. Emphasizing import substitution and manufacturing through the Business Incentive Policy would aid the Yellowknife economy significantly. Greater support for our underfunded tourism marketing strategy would also bring major economic benefits to Yellowknife in the forum of tourist dollars. Small-scale value-added initiatives in areas such as forestry would also benefit Yellowknife by diversifying the territorial economy and creating potentials for export.

Roy Erasmus

1. Nelson Mandella. He was jailed for trying to bring equality to his people. After his release he became prime minister of South Africa through the first free election.

2. We have to analyze and prioritize our programs. There may be some programs we do not need now. Essential areas such as education, health and social services cannot be cut. We also have to pressure the federal government to put money back into these essential areas.

3. The GNWT should offer more support to Yellowknife businesses. Existing businesses should be eligible for more grants and contributions. New businesses should not have to put up more equity and receive less in government contributions than businesses in smaller communities. We need to place a higher priority on business development.

Joe Handley

1. Adrienne Clarkson: A Canadian who has achieved her current position as Governor General through hard work, commitment, competence and fairness with all people. These are traits I admire in a political leader. Best known for her career in Canadian broadcasting, she has also been a consul for the Canadian government in Paris and chairwoman of the boards for the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum. Adrienne is a very "political" person, who is determined to give that concept a new meaning. Clearly a role model for all Canadians and especially young women beginning their careers.

2. The projected deficit is probably closer to $60 million than $34 million. That amount cannot be realized through taking a percentage out of each program. While I am totally in favour of cutting out duplication and streamlining programs, there reaches a point where cuts are not possible without destroying the program. We are very near that point. The best approach is to devolve responsibility for programs from the federal to the territorial and aboriginal governments, removing one entire layer of government.

3. Yellowknife may benefit from any economic activity in the Northwest Territories, particularly mining and tourism. Settlement of outstanding land claims will spur the economy. The NWT needs to maximize value-added potential before exporting Northern products (diamonds, taxidermy, arts and crafts, meat and fish products, etc.) A new Business Incentive Program to support Northern business is essential.

Blake Rasmussen

1. Ralph Klein

2. I don't believe cutting programs is the answer, however, cutting the fat off of the programs (excessive spending) would be very beneficial.

3. Promoting small business and industrial development. Also promoting and enhancing tourism and promoting quality infrastructure to accommodate tourists.

Great Slave Lake

Suzette Montreuil

1. Marilyn Waring. As a member of parliament in New Zealand's national government, Marilyn took a courageous stand on a number of controversial issues. She developed a feminist analysis of modern economies and described how the traditional work of women, along with ecological resources are not assigned value in economic theory.

2. The previous territorial government pursued aggressive measures to balance our budget, to the detriment of our social programs. We must not increase our "social deficit" any further. However, we can spend smarter. Public spending on stimulating the economy must be targeted to activities that generate the most public benefit.

3. The GNWT should stop cutting the public service. It should promote Yellowknife as a unique tourism opportunity based on our cultural heritage and wilderness opportunities. It should work with the NWT communities, including Yellowknife, to obtain funding from Industry Canada's Smart Communities program to promote community development using information and communication technology.

Bill Enge

1. My political hero is Nelson Mandela because after 27 years in prison, he triumphed over South Africa's racist apartheid government, by winning the presidency of South Africa. In 1963, he went on trial for his life. His concluding words are an inspiration. "During my lifetime I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope for live for, and to see realized. But my lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

2. I am not in favour of program cuts in order to deal with the GNWT's projected deficit. We must secure additional funds for our government by collecting natural resource royalty revenues and changing the federal government's 80 cents on the dollar transfer payment claw-back, of new revenues the GNWT raises.

3. The following economic stimulation initiatives are needed:

- The GNWT must support our natural resource industry. At this time, oil and gas, mining and forestry are especially important to our Northern economy. In addition, I support development of Diavik Diamond Mine Inc. proposed diamond mine, and happily for Yellowknifers and Northerners, it was approved.

- Tourism: Better financial support and a long-term strategy is needed to realize a sustainable tourism industry. Yellowknife tourism operators and businesses will benefit from the additional financial assistance.

- Environment: Begin the cleanup of Giant mine and Rat Lake. Jobs for the cleanup must go to Yellowknifers.

- Infrastructure: We need to expedite paving of the road between Yk and Rae to make driving safer, and provide jobs for Yellowknifers.

Bill Braden

1. Matonabee, the Chipewyan chief hunter, ambassador and guide to Samuel Hearne in the 1700s. Matonabee showed courage and vision in setting up relationships and taking risks with different cultures. Three-hundred years later we can still learn from his example.

2. MLAs should be open to looking at all options, including program cuts, to find the most realistic ways of managing deficits. In the long run, the GNWT and Ottawa will need to negotiate a forward-looking, sustainable financing program and an achievable way of sharing in the billions of resource dollars in the NWT.

3. Government's job is to create opportunities for job creation and investment. A tourism meeting and convention facility, with government, aboriginal and private and community planning and ownership, is my number one project for Yellowknife.

Roy Desjarlais

1. Sir Winston Churchill: For in the darkest hours before the war he battled his way to serve this country with great vigour.

2. No. What we require is a vision to refocus our financial obligation within the system and to seek our fair return of the federal cuts from prior years to our program.

3. The initiative that the GNWT can take to help Yellowknife improve its economy should be a balance economic strategy with the environment. This would mean refocusing policies that will stop the impediment of small, secondary industry in which Yellowknife can continue to be a strong economic engine for all Northern residents.

1. Nelson Mandella

2. No. We must enhance our social programs, especially education and health. We must attract doctors, nurses, teachers, to live and work in the North and encourage our own people to pursue careers in those fields. In turn, we have to make it possible for them to enter the local workforce after graduation.

3. By encouraging environmentally-friendly development and ensuring we get the value-added benefits, i.e. diamond-cutting and polishing, by working in partnership with the aboriginal people in obtaining their goal. Land claims will benefit everyone. By getting control over our resources and thus a greater share of tax revenues and royalties generated in the North.

Yellowknife South

Mary Beth Levan

1. My political hero is Agnes McPhail. She was the first woman elected to the Canadian Parliament in 1921, a few years after Canadian women received the vote, and eight years before women were declared 'persons' under the Canadian Constitution in 1929. She was a founding member of the CCF (Canadian Commonwealth Federation, the parent party of the NDP) and an outspoken advocate for workers, farmers, women, families and the very poor. She understood that no country or society could survive on the premise that only the very rich had rights, with the remaining citizens serving as cheap labour and disposable soldiers in times of war.

2. Cutting fundamental programs such as education and health care has become the favourite method of dealing with budget shortfalls in the last 10 years. For some reason the right wing parties, and the media, believe that Canadian citizens and, in our case, Northerners, will respond to this punishing regime of job cuts, lower wages, service removal, privatization of essential services, regressive taxation (GST) and the endless carving, dissecting and slashing of the very programs that made this country, and territory, humane, progressive, stable and secure.

3. - an increased emphasis on making Northerners employable through education and literacy opportunities, job and skill training and retraining, opportunities and the overall development of educational excellence in our school system.

- an end to the cutting of the civil service and to treating them like disposable slaves... we must start treating them with the respect and support they deserve

- an increase in incentives to those businesses which lower and/or replace the importation of goods and services from southern Canada and abroad

- improvements in our long-term competitiveness through energy conservation and the use of alternate energy sources

- the maximizing of Northern benefits from mining

- promotion and assistance with local hiring within Northern business, non government organizations and the GNWT

- getting behind the tourism industry and pushing it into its deserved role as a fully functioning economic powerhouse

Brendan Bell

1. Nelson Mandela. He's a visionary and a leader who walked the talk; a healer who helped bind the wounds in a multi-racial society; a teacher who explained to others how they could change their lives and build a new society.

2. Last year, after preaching hard times, government pulled $1 million out of a hat for a conflict of interest inquiry. Where did the money come from? Is there more of it lying around somewhere? Let's first define what we want our government to do before we start talking about program cuts.

3. Provide support to: diversify the economy -- create new jobs and business opportunities in communications, Northern research and technology; make Yellowknife a first-class tourist destination; turn our city into a centre of excellence for education and learning -- to serve the NWT and the circumpolar world.

Pat McMahon

1. My political heroes (heroines) are any persons who in the past and present have advocated for equality, democracy, justice and the empowerment of people to live their lives in safety.

2. I do not support unnecessary program cuts. We need to negotiate a resource sharing Northern Accord, we must streamline, consolidate, clarify programs and reduce redundancy in regulation; create and encourage an improved business/economic climate to attract investment; and get "the best bang for the taxpayer buck" in all contracts.

3. No opportunity can be overlooked. Hard decisions must be made and followed and a new direction set. From a tourism convention multi-use complex to incubator business centres, all should be considered. Yellowknife is the engine of the NWT economy. If we (Yellowknife) falter, all of the NWT will feel the harsh effects.

Yellowknife Centre

Jake Ootes

1. There are a combination of political well-knowns as well as statesmen whose dedication, honesty, courage and leadership are qualities that I admire and try to bring to my own work. From the great Greek hero Odysseus to modern day world leaders such as Lester B. Pearson, who was given the Nobel Prize for peacekeeping -- these people inspire me.

2. No increased personal or corporate taxes. Limited program cuts. We should look at redirection of funds by finding efficiencies in program administration. To increase revenue flows we need job creation; control of royalty payments from the federal government; value-added industries in our mining, forestry and tourism sectors; to streamline our regulatory environment to encourage industry and business investment.

3. Through the National Highway Strategy the GNWT should focus on fast-tracking the reconstruction of Highway 3. In partnership with business, the GNWT should set up a cold regions product testing centre and a conference centre. The GNWT also needs to continue initiatives to transfer federal government positions to the North.

Bernie Hughes

1. Politicians normally do not fall into the 'hero' category. However, I admire a few politicians: John A. MacDonald for persistence at building the nation; Nellie Cournoyea for Northern leadership; and Tommy Douglas for his vision of the common good.

2. A comprehensive fiscal strategy must be developed immediately to address the deficit. This strategy must include a framework for creating revenue through securing control of Northern resources. The fiscal plan must also include strategies for investments and approaches for spending controls. No cuts to NWT health care.

3. In all areas of our lives, when Yellowknife supports and has good relations with the regions of the NWT, Yellowknife benefits economically, politically and socially. Business, then, will seek out Yellowknife as a place of investment and opportunity.