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Monday, June 23, 1997 Come clean An entire government under suspicion. What's going on here? The Edmonton RCMP are investigating something or somebody in the territorial government on the basis of a public complaint laid last January. Who are they investigating? We don't know. What are they investigating? We don't know. The police have little to say except that there is indeed an investigation. Justice Minister Kelvin Ng isn't being much more informative. The citizens are in the dark and the territorial government says it is, too. No one wants to interfere with the pursuit of justice. Indeed, we would encourage the police to pursue investigations into any criminal activity. But surely the government could be more forthcoming in explaining to their employers (you) what is going on. There is a long-standing parliamentary tradition that a minister under investigation step down from his or her posts and hand the responsibilities to someone else until the matter is resolved. If there is no problem, the minister can get back to work with little or no negative consequences. And if the investigation isn't targeting anyone in a senior position, then we should be told as much. As it stands now, the whole government is under suspicion. In the absence of a clear explanation, every ministry is the subject of rumors and speculation, and hope of a discrete investigation has been lost in a fog of speculation. The best way for the government to clear the air is to come clean with what it knows. The premier should be showing some leadership in the matter. If he doesn't know why his administration is being investigated, he should be asking the police for an explanation. If the premier does know, he should be assuring the public that the police are acting in the best interests of the law. An honest administration has nothing to fear from public disclosure.
"We held our noses," proclaimed the Union of Northern Workers. The union was talking about its support for the Workers' Compensation Board increasing the maximum amount an injured worker can earn from $49,000 a year to $52,000. The union insists that there should be no cap at all and that workers who make more than the cap allows for are being unfairly penalized when they get hurt. We agree. Perhaps unions should be looking for an alternative to an organization that doesn't fully meet workers' needs.
The desire for an aboriginal justice system is largely due to the European origins of Canadian law. But the positive experience of Broughton Island, where the RCMP and the justices of the peace speak Inuit, suggests if the law is administered in the language of the people and community standards are applied, Canadian law can work quite well. The basis of all laws, aboriginal or otherwise, must be the protection of people and property. Criminal and civil codes are simply tools to maintain order. More energy should be put into the aboriginal administration of Canadian law, rather than creating a separate judicial system. |