Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 12/99) - When the Yellowknife business and professional women's association hosted a candidates forum for women candidates, they picked a theme that found consensus.

The theme was whether the GNWT should invest in people or invest in the economy.

All five candidates agreed that the GNWT could invest in both and strike a balance.

"People can't create comfortable lifestyles without a secure economic environment," said NDP candidate Mary Beth Levan, who is running in Yellowknife South.

Levan said lack of spending on social programs has created a "casino economy" where people place faith in lotteries and bingos.

"This situation fuels despair, hopelessness and greed and it fills up our jails," she said.

Pat McMahon, who is also running in Yellowknife South, focused her five minute talk on women's roles in society.

She said women are 52 per cent of the population and the backbone of society.

"In many cases we are paid less than male counterparts in the same jobs," she said.

"(But) every woman who has a job invests in the economy."

She said that investment comes from buying materials at the hardware store, drug store and other stores.

"We have won the right to choose to stay at home without society telling us that we must."

NDP Great Slave candidate Suzette Montreuil said the NDP vision is one where the economy works for people and for the land.

She urged spending in the economy to stimulate growth, arguing to do otherwise would be penny wise and pound foolish.

"I believe government must work with the private sector," she said.

"We could have a system where there are greater tax credits. This is the kind of public sector involvement in the economy the NDP represent."

Marie Coe is also running in Great Slave.

She said the economy is the main issue in the election, notwithstanding the importance of health and social services.

"Yellowknife is still the land of opportunity," she said.

"Who would have thought that we'd have diamonds."

Coe said Yellowknife needs Diavik and the spin-off jobs the venture will create in small business.

Still, environmental concerns need to be considered, she said.

Sandy Lee, who is running in Range Lake, urged a high priority on the economy to create a bigger pie.

"I don't want to talk about cutting the pies any more. I think we've cut the pie as small as we can. I want a bigger pie."

She noted how GNWT student financial assistance levels have stayed constant for the past 15 years even though tuition fees have risen exponentially during the same time.

All five women are vying to be the second woman elected in Yellowknife.

The only woman to be elected in Yellowknife so far is Lynda Sorensen, who won the seat in Yellowknife South in 1979.