Editorial
Editorial
Wednesday, October 9,1996
Training worth weight in diamonds
Considering that Yellowknife exists because of mining and 700 people are employed directly by two gold mines within the city limits, it's rather curious there isn't a full fledged mining technology program offered through Aurora College.

It's especially strange, in light of 150 miners from the south taking jobs here every year, so the establishment of such a career course makes economic and employment opportunity sense.

With mines scattered throughout the Northwest Territories and diamonds glittering on the horizon, there is further impetus to create such a college diploma course.

But such a course should be tailored to reflect the high rate of people who abandon schooling, for one reason or another.

It would make sense to have an upgrade component built into the program.

Otherwise the whole purpose of striving to have jobs created in the north would be defeated.

Yellowknife North MLA Roy Erasmus has told the Legislature, which is currently sitting, about the glaring drawback to creating jobs for Northerners, because we don't have the facility to train people. He is calling for the creation of a mining institute.

There are thousands of resourceful people in the North and they wouldn't be around today were they not so, but they don't have a piece of paper to wave around that says they are smart or resourceful.

The Dene are rightfully insisting upon good jobs being created in exchange for diamonds gracing necks, ears or fingers.

The government must facilitate this fair request during negotiations with BHP Diamonds.

It is speculated that BHP will take $6 billion worth of diamonds out of old volcanic pipes in the first 10 years of the mine's life.

Jobs for Northern people should not become pipe dreams. (Wednesday, October 9, 1996)


Budgets can break marriages

Husbands or wives normally agree how they will spend hard-earned money and if either one breaks this pact it can break up the marriage.

On a grander scale, one can see the problem when cabinet ministers ignore deals struck by consensus. The cabinet slashed, delayed and scrapped agreed upon capital spending projects for the NWT without advising MLAs that major projects in their ridings were dumped. MLAs reacted by censuring cabinet.

Trust is essential for consensus government. Aside from having egg all over their faces, cabinet looks like some sort of eastern European country that can't manage its money along democratic ideals. (Wednesday, October 9, 1996)