Darren Campbell
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 29/99) - It's not hard to get Dave Ramsay to talk about politics and what it means to him. It seems the 29-year-old city councillor and local businessman has been interested and involved in politics most of his life.

He graduated from the University of New Brunswick in his old hometown of Saint John in 1994 with a degree in political science. Then, after coming back to Yellowknife following his graduation from UNB, Ramsay, then 25, ran for MLA in Yellowknife Centre. He lost to Jake Ootes by 30 votes. Undeterred, Ramsay ran for city council as a 27-year-old in 1997 and won a spot at city hall.

When the approachable Ramsay isn't dealing with issues at city hall, he can be often be found behind the counter at the family-run A&W restaurant on Franklin Ave. or at his own business, Really Big Video. This week, Ramsay talks to Yklife about the good, the bad and the ugly of being a city councillor.

Yklife: You were only 25 when you ran for MLA and 27 when you ran for city council. What made you want to do something crazy like run for political office?

Ramsay: I've always been interested in politics. That goes back a long ways. When I was a little boy I was always reading encyclopedias, atlases, anything I could get my hands on with knowledge of some sort. And if we had the Internet when I was a kid I'm sure I would have been surfing the Net all the time looking for facts and figures. I always watched the news even as a little boy and politics was always an interesting subject for me. When I was 12 I went to work as a page at the legislative assembly and I think that is where my interest really took off for politics and behind the scenes sort of stuff.

Yklife: Do you like being councillor Dave Ramsay?

Ramsay: I do actually, I find with municipal government it's the level of government that most affects the way people live day-to-day. I do receive a lot of phone calls when people have lights burnt out on their street or when they get their snow removed -- little things like that. It's nice that people have the faith in me to call me up and ask me to check into things. I hope I can take that as I sign that I'm doing a good job.

Yklife: To run for MLA just out of university at 25 takes a lot of gall. How did that go at the time?

Ramsay: I wasn't too sure how people would take me when I ran and if they would take me seriously or think I was just doing it for a lark. But I think in that election I came across as willing to work extremely hard. I outworked all the other candidates in that election. I knocked on every door and I got to know a lot of people that way. I presented myself in a clear and honest manner and I think people respected me more for trying at the age of 25 than maybe resented me for trying.

Yklife: But you didn't feel at 25 that if you had of won you would have been in over your head?

Ramsay: No, not at all. I've never been afraid of anything. I've always taken what comes my way and dealt with it. A lot of people that know me might think I'm a little more mature beyond my years. I'm kind of a quiet person, I'm not too wild and crazy and more settled in my ways and directed at what I want to achieve and where I want to go. I was 25, but I looked at myself as being on a level with any of the other candidates in that election.

Yklife: You've said you have political ambitions. Is Dave Ramsay as MLA or MP in your future?

Ramsay: Someday my goal is to be in Ottawa and represent the Western Arctic and I would say that to anybody. Ultimately, a goal of any politicians is to go on and succeed at what they do and represent people. That is my goal -- to be in Ottawa and be an MP for the Western Arctic. But I don't see myself doing that anytime soon. There's a lot of things locally and territorially I'd like to take on first.

Yklife: After a couple of years as councillor, what grade would you give yourself -- an A,B,C,D,E or F?

Ramsay: I don't know, I'm not very good at giving myself a grade. If you go by perception and what people think and the number of people who call me, I think I've done a good job so far and if I thought otherwise I wouldn't even entertain the thought of running for MLA.

Yk Life: What about you and Mayor Dave Lovell? It seemed like you two were fighting it out pretty good in the summer. What was up with that?

Ramsay: We were last summer and that's politics. If you see something as an elected official that probably shouldn't be happening you question the perpetrator or whoever is doing what they are doing. That's what happened there. The new council when we came into office, the first order of business was to cease the secret meetings and we did that.

But we get along. I think he respects me more for that in a way. I know there was a time there he didn't talk to me too much. We've mended our fences. That's politics, outside of the city hall chamber we're just two ordinary people. But inside there is business to be conducted and it should be conducted in a way that people want it conducted. If it isn't and things get said, that's the way it is.

Yklife: What's been the most unexpected thing for you in being a city councillor?

Ramsay: I think it would be the work. I knew it would be a lot of work but it's been more work than a lot of people might think. There's an awful lot of reading, an awful lot of preparation work that has to be done before meetings. There's public meetings. There seems to be no end to the meetings and pretty much everyday someone will ask you, 'What's going on with this or that?' So, it's a bigger job than a lot of people might think it is. But it is rewarding at the same time because you think you're actually accomplishing something. You feel like you're representing people because they phone you and ask you the questions.

Yklife: Do people constantly come up to you and tell you how to run Yellowknife and give you crap about decisions you've made?

Ramsay: I think one of my biggest strengths is my ability to listen to people. I like listening to what people have to say. So, if somebody stops me on the street, I've always got time for them. Everybody has got their own opinions and ideas and you just have to listen. Some are good and some aren't so good and you do what you can for people.

Yklife: A friend of mine who was a town councillor in Fort Smith used to talk about how he liked municipal politics because he felt he was accomplishing something. What he didn't like about it was that he felt some friends of his no longer liked him much because of the decisions he had made. Has that happened to you and does it bother you?

Ramsay: It doesn't bother me actually. I do feel I represent a broad public interest. I don't represent a single interest group. I don't represent one segment of the population. I think I do try to represent everybody in a fair manner and the decisions I make, I think, are fair decisions. I wouldn't make them if I didn't feel that way. So, if somebody questions a decision that I make it's their prerogative to do so.

Yklife: What's been the toughest decision you've had to make as a councillor?

Ramsay: Supporting the Gay Pride Day proclamation. I remember the meeting and everybody had a big long speech about being gay and not being gay. The stands were full of people. It was just one of those meetings and it was a tough decision. It was tough because you can look at things from either side. What it boiled down to for me was I didn't really mind one way or another. If that's what they (the gay population) wanted, who am I to stop them from having that?

Yklife: What have you been most proud of during your short time as councillor?

Ramsay: The issue with the secret meetings. That was something I felt proud about. It opened a lot of people's eyes. It might have upset some of the former councillors and the former administrator. But that was just the way I saw things and I've always been the kind of guy to say whatever is on my mind.

Yklife: That can be a dangerous thing for a politician.

Ramsay: It could be but that's just the way I am. I'm not afraid to say what sometimes needs to be said.

Yklife: It seems lately, and you can blame the media for this if you want, but it does seem like the economy in Yellowknife isn't doing so hot.

Ramsay: No, it isn't.

Yklife: Well, you're a businessman, what does the economic future of Yellowknife look like? Is it good or bad?

Ramsay: Well, I'm very optimistic on the future of Yellowknife. I think five or 10 years ago with the price of gold and the two mines operating, things were fine and Yellowknife seemed to be immune to whatever was happening down south with economic downturns and such. We seemed to be above that for many years.

But with the price of gold and the labour dispute first at Royal Oak and then at Miramar, it has had a direct impact on the economy. As well, with the division of the NWT we did lose quite a few jobs to Nunavut. But I think the diamond mines and the future that they are going to bring to the city is very good. It's all very exciting actually. With what's north of the city, it's not inconceivable that in 10 years we could producing 30 to 40 per cent of the world's diamonds. We're now promoting ourselves as the diamond capital of North America and I think things are going to take off here.

Yklife: Will you run for city council again or will you run for MLA in the fall? Or is it too early to tell what you will do?

Ramsay: It's too early to tell. I've never really had designs on being the mayor. Maybe someday. I'm a young guy and fairly ambitious and I think there's a lot more out there for me. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen.

I think (the MLA election) in the fall is an opportunity that I might not be able to pass up. It's going to be the first assembly of the new Northwest Territories. You would get to be a part of the setup and formulation of that new territory and to me that's exciting. But I never like to start something and not finish it. Part of me really wants to stick out the extra 11 months. That's something I will have to decide as it gets closer. But it's (running for MLA in 1999) something I'm definitely interested in and I don't mind telling anybody that.