Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Jan 20/06) - Candidates for the Western Arctic held firm to their party lines Monday evening at the all-candidates forum at Aurora College.

Liberal incumbent Ethel Blondin-Andrew spoke of her 17 years experience and pointed to her party's initiatives directed at Northerners during her tenure, while challengers Dennis Bevington of the NDP, Conservative Richard Edjericon and Green Party candidate Alex Beaudin highlighted what set their respective parties apart.

Bevington vowed to end "tax giveaways" to large corporations and slammed the Liberals for not meeting Kyoto Protocol targets for greenhouse gas emissions.

Evoking the Liberal sponsorship scandal and recent RCMP investigation of the Federal Finance Ministry, Edjericon promised that a Conservative government would bring "accountability" back to Ottawa.

For the Green Party, Beaudin said his party favours proportional representation and would reform the country's federal electoral process.

With the three front-runners - Conservative, Liberal and NDP - essentially backing the Mackenzie Gas Project, Alex Beaudin of the Greens stood out as the only candidate against building the $7-billion pipeline.

Beaudin qualified his opposition with the argument that natural gas from the Delta would be shipped south to mine Alberta's tar sands. However, he was in favour of converting diesel-dependent communities to natural gas. He did not offer any ideas as to how a Green Party government would pay for the conversion or delivery systems in such a scenario.

Bevington's support for the project was conditional on a review of the current resource royalty regime to maximize benefits for NWT residents that wouldn't "replace access and benefits agreements."

On numerous occasions during the debate, Blondin-Andrew pledged her support for the project and noted a Liberal victory Jan. 23 would ensure the project stayed on course.

"These things don't happen overnight," she said.

Edjericon not only supported the pipeline, but upped the ante by suggesting a Mackenzie Valley Highway as a potential spin-off.

Candidate's answers to the debate's pre-set questions were somewhat predictable.

On the subject of where they would increase spending, all favoured social programs. In particular, Blondin-Andrew said she would increase it for those with special needs and disabilities; Edjericon and Bevington were for more social housing; and Beaudin was in favour of preventative initiatives for social and health issues.

On the topic of spending decreases, Blondin-Andrew said a Liberal budget wouldn't require cutting back on anything. Edjericon pointed to the Conservative Party's pledge to reduce the seven per cent GST to five and cancelling the gun registry. Bevington said he would cut back on corporate tax breaks, while Beaudin said he would "reduce funding to businesses that pollute."

On addressing voters' biggest misconceptions of their four political parties, former Yellowknives Dene Chief Edjericon dismissed any notion that his party was not sympathetic to aboriginal issues.

"The Conservative Party can be credited for many land claim agreements in the North," he said.

Bevington attempted to dispel the idea that the NDP cannot balance a budget by standing by party leader Jack Layton's 20-year record on Toronto city council, which manages the fourth-largest government budget in the country.

Beaudin said the Green Party was not only about protecting the environment and Blondin-Andrew vouched for Liberal Party Leader Paul Martin's honesty, sensitivity and caring.

"He looks to people who need him the most - children, youth and aboriginal people," she said.

When it came to the audience's turn to question candidates, the first several were on the topic of equality for women and the candidates' "willingness to represent all the people of the North." Of course, all candidates were in favour of supporting equity initiatives and promised to be a voice for all Northerners.

When the topic turned to issues of taxation, Bevington reiterated his promise to push for a doubling of the Northern Residence Tax Deduction. Beaudin favoured "base plus" funding allowances and cheaper fuel for heating and electricity via natural gas conversion. Blondin-Andrew said the Liberals were looking at an increase to Northern Residence deductions, but could not be specific.

"We have the numbers, but we haven't made any decisions yet," she said.

As well, Edjericon could not come up with any specifics, but promised to examine the issue if elected.

"We would definitely take a look at (increasing the Northern Residence Tax Deduction) because we're taxed to death," he said.

Setting the tone for closing remarks was Bevington, who took a few swipes at his rivals.

"The Liberals and prime minister are out of gas," he said. "And the Conservatives aren't a smart choice, as they're wrong on most of the issues."

And Edjericon shot back by attributing Bevington's narrow 53-vote loss to Blondin-Andrew in the 2004 federal election as nothing more than a sign that people were tired of Blondin-Andrew.

"People have to understand that 3,000 votes went to the NDP as a protest vote to get Ethel out," he maintained.

To that, Blondin-Andrew urged her supporters to get out and vote, blaming her narrow victory on low voter turnout.

Ending the debate on a transcendental note was Beaudin from the Green Party, who compared representing his constituents in Ottawa to learning to understand himself through meditation.