Monday, April 16, 2001
The public learned belatedly last week, and almost by accident, that the territorial government spent half a million dollars on studies of health care and information management.
The studies may or may not have been necessary; the government might have got the best price from the most competent supplier. While we have the word of a government official that everything is okay, taxpayers deserve more.
Unfortunately, the studies were commissioned through sole-source contracts which means there was no competition in the market place to ensure best price. Worse, these contracts are being treated as cabinet document and are sealed for 15 years which means there will be no public explanation as to where the money was spent.
The government's guidelines suggest $25,000 as the trigger for tendering engineering or architectural work. Why apply different criteria to these contracts? Surely there wasn't an emergency as the health system has been deteriorating over a period of years which is how long restoring it to good health will likely take.
The territorial government is making changes to its procurement policies, but will not touch sole-source contracting. Comptroller general Lew Voytilla said he thinks sole-sourcing is "appropriate."
We don't doubt the comptroller general favours dispensing with the messy business of public tendering which ensures best value and gives Northerners a shot. We bet he would also favour appointing his own minister.
But how an elected cabinet that pledged to be open with taxpayers can support such practices is the unfortunate arrogance that usually surfaces a safe distance away from the next election.
We trust ordinary MLAs will be calling the cabinet to account at the next legislative session.
For more than a year, territorial leaders have been of one mind: to develop oil and gas in the NWT as quickly as possible.
But while we've worked, the federal government has been relatively silent. The only public comment from Prime Minister Jean Chretien came during the federal election when he appeared to endorse the Yukon route for an Alaska natural gas pipeline.
Until now.
The prime minister finally said the words we've waited to long to hear: "We must develop Canadian natural gas resources in the Northwest Territories and the Mackenzie Delta and bring this gas south as soon as possible."
That includes establishment of a committee of energy ministers to co-ordinate the work that needs to be done on the federal level.
Let's just hope we can make up for lost time.
Financially speaking, Hay River's future is so bright that Barry Ashton, the town's comptroller, must wear sun glasses when he looks at the books.
The bean counter reported recently that the town racked up a $5 million surplus last year.
Ashton described Hay River's financial position as "unbelievable," and "tremendous." Mayor Duncan McNeill was cooler in his appraisal of the situation.
Before anyone could rush out to buy something new and shiny, the mayor cautioned that the money is needed to cover $5 million in debentures that come due in two years.
That sober approach to managing the town's finances goes a long way to explain why Hay River is sitting pretty.
Our eastern neighbours in Greenland are cashing-in on Canadian polar bears. The admission is hardly surprising.
Travel between Greenland and Ellesmere Island goes back thousands of years. History aside, both countries are wading into troubled environmental waters.
Earlier this month, the World Wildlife Fund reported Greenland is wiping out animal and bird populations by not having quotas to control harvests.
Inuit hunters rely on similar harvests to support their families. So far, Greenland has offered no assurances that they'd stop hunting.
Sharing is one thing. Sharing hunting grounds with a country that doesn't monitor species or administer quotas is a wake-up call to stop our Greenland neighbours from taking what's ours.
When Nunavut government ministers and MLAs arrive in Rankin Inlet next week, they had better be ready to take notes.
Delegates from municipalities around the territory will be there with shopping lists in hand and hard questions that need to be answered.
Topping their list are concerns about lack of input into capital planning.
Many mayors were left scratching their heads over how the territorial government prioritized its five year plan.
To quote David General, chief executive officer of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities: "There's a serious lack of communication."
That must be addressed. People in the communities intimately understand what their towns need. The territorial government, from ministers to deputy ministers on down to regional staff, must be willing to sit down and listen.
General and the municipalities are also concerned about building Nunavut. They're looking to the territorial and federal governments as the answer for all that needs to be done.
They should also be looking within.
The discussion must include talk about how communities can become more self reliant.
That means identifying opportunities for generating money at home, from moving toward a tax-based system to user fees for services. It may be unpopular, but it will provide a solid base upon which to build.
It would also prove to the territorial and federal governments that Nunavummiut and their hometown leaders have the capacity to take charge of their own affairs.
That's the kind of ammunition the GN needs to go to Ottawa with a wish list for more money. And if the federal government is a wise investor, it would see that putting even more money into Nunavut will pay off.
We at News/North think U.S. President George W. Bush should ferry himself northward this spring to have a look at the damage his decision not to sign the Kyoto Protocol will have on Nunavut.
By refusing to cut down on the greenhouse gases his all-important nation insists on producing, Mr. Bush has essentially ensured the Canadian Arctic's crumbling river banks and melting glaciers are here to stay.
And it's all in the name of economics or, more specifically, the almighty American dollar.
Thanks so much for your foresight, George. If you possessed an ounce of clear thinking or level-headedness, you'd be swift enough to realize today's decision will come back to bite you in the years to come.
The money your nation will have to spend on future technology to develop clean air to breathe and clean water to drink will cost you more in the end.
Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
Sights and sounds abounded for both young and the young at heart alike this past weekend.
The Muskrat Jamboree came and went for another year, giving residents and visitors the chance to gather together, swap stories and share a lot of laughs.
Boot Lake was a lively place over the weekend, with tents and a stage set up. Hundreds milled about, taking in the competitions on stage like tea boiling or log sawing.
People also got to soak up lots of sunshine amid days of beautiful, mild weather.
Kudos to the organizers for a job well done. Events like this are needed to bring people together and lift everyone's spirits.
Bins introduced
An important debut occurred during the Muskrat Jamboree.
The Inuvik Recycling Society introduced their new PET bins to the general public. Those involved in the society could be seen at the jamboree grounds, pointing out to people that these new bins are designed to allow pop cans and juice containers to be recycled, instead of going to a landfill.
The bins are being placed in the schools and in various offices in town and mark an important step in the society's efforts to decrease the amount of garbage produced by the community.
Room to grow
The Town of Inuvik and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs are close to a deal on commissioner's lands.
Several members of the public dropped by at a meeting last week, in which town officials outlined the lands they are requesting be turned over to them from MACA.
The deal would provide the town with the lands needed for development over the next two to three years.
If approved, the deal would be an important one. Not long ago council complained about the lack of available land in the area, and the need to reach at least a temporary agreement on commissioner's lands.
Budding writers
This year Sir Alexander Mackenzie school students have been working on a special project.
The first two issues of the SAMS Journal have been printed, with more expected to follow.
The journal is a good chance for kids to practice their writing skills, and doing so may spur them on to read more.
That can only help them in their future endeavours.
Putting together a journal requires a lot of teamwork, from picking assignments for students to do, as well as getting stories in on time.
The latter is something journalists know a lot about.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
Fort Simpson residents have the right to know their mayor was seeking a half-time salary from Village council.
It's a matter of public interest.
Mayor Tom Wilson told The Drum he did not ask to have his request for a half-time salary discussed in camera at a March 19 council meeting.
"I wasn't trying to keep it hidden," Wilson said.
Yet, while Wilson was out of town, the matter was discussed in camera at the March 19 council meeting. Senior administrative officer (SAO) Bruce Leclaire described it as personnel matter because it related to salary.
As an elected official, whose salary is a matter of public record, discussions regarding the mayor's remuneration need not be dealt with in private.
At the very least, there should be no fear of simply listing the topic for discussion, whether it be a personnel matter or a legal matter. Yet this has not been the case with Village council. Leclaire noted that there's no legal requirement for revealing the topic. Nevertheless, he and Wilson said they will ask council whether they are willing to alter the practice. Without so much as a reference to the subject matter, it only raises suspicions.
In Yellowknife, each topic is introduced during the regular city council meeting, and if a councillor believes any topic should be discussed in camera, a vote is held. If two-thirds or more councillors agree, then the topic, known to all who attend the meeting or review the minutes, is reviewed behind closed doors at the end of the public meeting.
In Fort Simpson, when it's time to go in camera, councillors never raise questions or object. They routinely raise their hands in favour, although, in some cases, they aren't even aware of the topic at hand.
It's time for councillors to take a more hands-on approach.
It should be noted that council cannot pass a by-law or resolution while in camera -- they must open the doors first. The Drum is not suggesting that Fort Simpson Village council has disregarded this principle.
Televising council meetings may seem like a way to make Village council more accountable, but as long as in camera meetings continue to be held without so much as revealing what's being discussed, a video camera will make little difference.
As a side note, Tom Wilson deserves credit for not shying away from the half-time salary issue. Although his request was dismissed by council, and is therefore a dead issue, he openly and willingly discussed it after the fact. Whether you agree with his opinion or not, that's accountability.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Judging by Iqaluit MLA Hunter Tootoo's spiel against artificial ice for the Kivalliq region (page 18), it appears much easier to take a stance against such a project when your home riding boasts two arenas with artificial ice.
However, we here at Kivalliq News couldn't help but notice this was the same MLA who ran towards every southern media camera he could find when down south watching Rankin's own Jordin Tootoo strut his stuff.
The Iqaluit MLA extolled the virtues of a solid sports development program in Nunavut to anyone carrying a note pad or cassette recorder.
Tootoo is quick to point out he informed the southern media that Jordin developed his talent on the natural ice surface of Rankin Inlet.
However, he knows as well as anyone that is a half truth at best.
Jordin left home
Jordin had barely begun his teenage years when he left home to further develop his hockey skills on the artificial ice of southern arenas.
Many talented Kivalliq players have followed Jordin's path and, with a mere three months (give or take a week) of hockey in our region, we will not have a program in place anytime soon to develop our own players at home a little longer.
We cannot argue with Tootoo's assertions that Nunavut's needs are many.
However, we will argue against the view Nunavummuit are supposed to simply shut-up and be satisfied with nothing more in their lives than bare essentials.
Is that the dream of Nunavut? Do we want our youth to eventually have the wherewithal to pursue their dreams in their own territory?
Or, is the message we want to send simply one of don't worry about having a life, be happy to simply subsist?
Tootoo knows full well the benefits a strong hockey program and a multi-purpose regional facility in Rankin Inlet would bestow on two of his three areas of concern.
Young students in strong extracurricular programs stay in school longer, achieve higher marks and are less likely to be involved with self-destructive or criminal behaviour.
These are documented facts, not merely smoke being blown by the region's puck heads to support artificial ice in Rankin.
CG&T Minister Jack Anawak has come up with a decent program which will allow a number of Nunavut communities add a little extra to their lives. Unfortunately, it's beginning to look like anything above "bare essentials" is only welcome in the capital.