Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 15/99) - With a territorial election campaign underway, many Northerners who are not running for office are discussing what the campaign issues should be.

In Norman Wells, Mayor Frank Pope said the economy is the main issue in the campaign.

He also said the future of the NWT economy lies in phasing in projects gradually instead of doing things all at once, resulting in a boom and bust economy.

"All regions of the NWT need to share in the boom instead of some getting the heavy hit in a feast and famine economy," he said.

Further, he said the NWT economy needs to be diversified so new industry does not all get focused in Yellowknife.

"The bureaucracy is all based out of Yellowknife. That needs to be spread around," Pope said.

"A lot of those bureaucrats couldn't give a rat's ass about oil and gas as far as I can see and that's got to change."

Pope said tourism is an important area for the NWT to focus on and what would help tourism would be a road built from Yellowknife through the Sahtu and all the way up to Tuktoyaktuk.

To Bob Simpson, who is a self-government negotiator in Inuvik, the GNWT does not have any role in establishing self-government because the negotiations are based on the inherent right to self-government.

"It's something for the aboriginal people to establish," he said.

"(The GNWT) will have a role as far as being a territorial government in the future in partnership with aboriginal governments."

Simpson said he sees self-government as an issue in the current election campaign along with the economy.

Riding boundaries are another campaign issue and Simpson said he believes a new arrangement needs to be worked out to change the boundaries from the current ones set by Bill 15.

Also in Inuvik, elder Bertha Allen said candidates need to find solutions to how to retain teachers and nurses.

"If you want the best, you have to be willing to fork out the money to hold onto nurses and teachers once you get them," she said.

She said discipline and social problems need to be addressed by local, aboriginal and territorial governments.

"To hang onto our teachers, governments need to play their part."

Down in Fort Smith, Henry Beaver said decentralization is key in many election issues.

"The economy right now is gas, oil and the mineral industry and that's going to continue," he said.

Land claim settlements also play a role in creating a solid business climate, he said.

Beaver said though the GNWT can play a role in negotiating self-government, the future is really up to the aboriginal people.

On the riding boundaries, Beaver said there needs to be a new way of governing after the next election.

"It's not just for aboriginal representation, but for small communities to have more power."

To keep nurses and teachers in the North, Beaver said contracts need to be able to be negotiated at more of a local level.

"We've got to get away from a central body for negotiations," he said.

"You've got to give the power to the communities. Yellowknife doesn't know what (Fort) Smith wants or what other smaller communities want."

Hay River Mayor Jack Rowe was also involved in the discussion of the campaign issues.

He said most issues flow from having a vibrant economy.

Once the economy is booming, it will be possible to pay teachers and nurses more in order to keep them.

He said the federal government has to listen to the desires of the territories on economic issues such as the Diavik mine.

"In many provinces, not being sure if we would get the approval would not be acceptable."

As for the GNWT's role in self-government negotiations, Rowe said the GNWT should be working to facilitate self-government with the federal government in the smaller communities.

Rowe also said he favours the old riding boundaries.

"We should be going with smaller government, not bigger government."