Candidates go head to head in Inuvik
Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Nov 20/00) - Loyalty was a hot topic during Thursday's debate here among three of the Western Arctic candidates.
Applause rang out after a member of the audience asked the candidates whether they would follow the party line in the House of Commons, or whether they'd vote according to their constituents' wishes.
Liberal MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew referred to an issue she said she had a lot of trouble voting on -- gun legislation.
"I stood in government. I stood in cabinet. The price of admission is very high for cabinet," Blondin-Andrew explained.
She said she knew the legislation was unpopular among her constituents.
"My feeling was you can't die on every bill. You have to decide which are the issues you're prepared to go to the wall on," Blondin-Andrew said. "I can push and fight. I can win some things, but I don't win everything."
Blondin-Andrew pointed out she helped create 16 amendments to the legislation.
For his part, NDP candidate Dennis Bevington argued that a strong, independent voice is needed for the North.
"I would vote against party lines for the North," Bevington said amid applause.
Pointing out that, if elected he would likely be in opposition, Bevington said, "we need a voice that can speak for Northerners at all times."
On the loyalty issue, Progressive Conservative candidate Bruce McLaughlin said, "Government members can argue for their constituents."
McLaughlin said if elected he would work to repeal the section in the gun legislation dealing with long gun owners. Bevington said the legislation is not supported by the people and that he, too, would seek changes.
Another theme during the evening was a lack of funding for health care and other social safety net items such as special needs children. McLaughlin pointed to the large cut in transfer payments to the provinces and territories made by the Liberals as part of their strategy to eliminate the deficit.
"Some people could call the prime minister the slasher from Shawinigan, the way he hacked and chopped away at transfers," McLaughlin said. "We've got to restore what I would call investment in education, investment in children and youth, back into the system to at least where it was in 1993-94."
Bevington said the NDP would push for increased health care and education funding. Blondin-Andrew said that, after years of careful management and necessary cutbacks, the Liberals now boast a surplus, which the North can share in.
Economic development
McLaughlin and Blondin-Andrew said the land claims should be settled as quickly as possible so that the entire NWT can move forward.
Bevington said the clawback provision should be repealed to spur GNWT's revenue. Under the provision, 80 per cent of GNWT revenues exceeding a certain amount are taken back by Ottawa.
