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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
About 30 Yellowknifers gathered in front of the Greenstone Building yesterday to protest proposed cuts of between five and 10 per cent to federal departments.

Sandra Lockhart, regional executive vice-president of PSAC North, said the cuts are reckless because she believes they could result in the loss of approximately 100,000 public and private sector jobs.

"I want them to invest in people and invest in jobs for people," said Lockhart. "It's ridiculous that they are telling us we have to choose between a strong economy and strong public services."

The rally, organized by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), was one of many such events across Canada in what was being called the National Day of Action.

Lorraine Hewlett attended the rally and said she is "appalled" by the proposed cuts.

"We need the public services. I am appalled that the government is looking at laying off 700 workers with Environment Canada during a time of climate change and global warming. We need people with Environment Canada to be monitoring the environment," said Hewlett.

Hewlett works with the Government of the Northwest Territories, but said the proposed cuts will likely have an impact on her as well.

"If federal services are cut, then I'm going to be affected because if federal government employees are laid off, that affects the services that I'm going to receive. We're all connected. We're here to help each other out, that's what the public service is for," said Hewlett.

Todd Parsons, president of the Union of Northern Workers, spoke out against the proposed cuts at the rally.

"If they were to proceed with the cuts in that magnitude, there could be as much as 100,000 public and private-sector jobs lost as a result across the country and it's certainly understood that today's economic environment in Canada is very fragile and significant job losses of that magnitude will ultimately have a negative impact," Parsons said.

Parsons and Lockhart both said they are unsure of exactly how the cuts may affect Northerners, but said they do expect to see an impact in the North.

"Certainly there has been some impact already around Environment Canada, there's been some job losses. We are not sure of what impact it might have had on jobs that might have been devolved to the territorial government, for example," Parsons said.

Lockhart and Parsons also agree that there are better areas the government could look to find cost-savings.

"If it's necessary to cut large amounts of money, why don't they start looking at the fighter jet program, because communities need the public services that they actually rely on," Parsons said.

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