Wednesday, June 06, 2001
By Thursday, Canada's Members of Parliament will be basking in the glow of a 20 per cent pay raise. The Prime Minister will get even more, 42 per cent.
A commission struck after the last election recommended the raises last week. The speed with which they are being implemented is enough to make one's head spin -- and it's retroactive to boot. As well, the government giving MPs 90 days to "opt in" to the package is offensive. Anyone who votes no and still takes the money will be called a hypocrite. Of that there is little doubt.
This process shows that MPs should not be in charge of determining their own salaries. The current system is just too tempting for the governing party to play politics.
It's the simple, direct questions that should be easiest to answer. For example, no one should be confused about where they live.
So it's reasonable to ask why is the board of management going to such lengths to complicate the issue of Steven Nitah's residence.
Tony Whitford, Speaker and chairman of the secretive little board, asked the Tu Nedhe MLA 17 questions about whether he resides in Yellowknife or Lutsel K'e, as he claims, and is entitled a special $17,000 a year living allowance.
The average taxpayer could answer simply and directly: it's the address on their driver's licence, the place they hang their hat, get their mail, answer the telephone, pay the rent, etc.
If the board of management can't figure that out, taxpayers can ask at the next election whether these people deserve to hold public office.
Much speculation will be offered this week about Saturday's fatal bear attack on the Ingraham Trail, about why the bear chose to treat Kyle Harry as prey, about why Harry and his companion chose to react as they did, and about what can be done to minimize the chance of such a tragic turn of events happening again.
But in the end, it is unlikely we will ever be able to make sense of the story.
Even should the bear be found and shot, there is no way we can ever be sure we fully understand why it acted so out of character. Even if we can reconstruct precisely what took place in the frantic few minutes after the bear appeared so close to a campsite, we will never be able to know with certainty if there was anything Kyle could have done to escape in time.
Wildlife experts will give us their best guesses on how to respond should we ever come across a bear in the wild. But the truth is, bear attacks are still relatively rare events, and there simply aren't enough cases on record to draw definitive conclusions about the proper way to react when you a grizzly or a black bear.
As a result, authorities in different jurisdictions offer conflicting advice on whether we should play dead or fight back, neither of which may work if the bear is intent upon attacking for no readily obvious reason.
Preventative measures, such as not tempting bears with readily accessible food, and talking loudly while hiking in the bush, will do nothing to ease the pain now being felt by Kyle's family and friends. But they are all we have to work with.
All we can do is continue to respect the fact that we live, work and play among some of the largest stretches of wilderness left on the earth. And with the wild comes risk.
Risk, and the understanding that safely sharing our corner of the world with bears and other wild creatures should never be taken for granted.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
There's an old saying dealing with the concept of throwing good money after bad. Suffice to say, the adage implies it's not a very good idea.
Let's hope this is one lesson Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and its president, Paul Quassa, don't need a practical experience to learn.
In fairness to Quassa and the NTI board, they really didn't have much choice but to help bail the Sakku Investment Corp. out of its financial difficulties.
While it is fairly common knowledge in the business community that you can expect to lose money in your first few years in operation before turning a profit, Sakku has taken the concept to new heights.
The business development arm of the parent Kivalliq Inuit Association, Sakku is arguably one of the worst examples of an investment and business development firm in recent memory.
The corporation's financial woes have spilled over to adversely affect the plans of the association and have taken the parent organization from black to red ink quicker than a university professor with a freshman class of journalistic wannabes.
That being said, having cleaned house for the umpteenth time, Quassa says he has confidence in the new Sakku board and staff to right their badly listing financial ship -- confidence and an independent financial investment analysis.
Quassa says NTI cannot, and will not, be a babysitting service for the regional birthright organizations.
That's really too bad because if past history shows us nothing else, it shows Sakku's definite need for a babysitter in its day-to-day operations -- that and a well trained business personality at the helm.
We here at Kivalliq News sincerely hope Quassa has made the right move and Sakku finally gets its act together. After all, a strong and profitable Sakku strengthens the KIA which, in turn, helps strengthen our region.
However, other than putting a recovery plan together which NTI actually accepted -- no small feat for a corporation that rarely has its books ready in time for audits and annual general meetings -- we must still adopt a wait-and-see approach to deciding if NTI's confidence in Sakku in justified.
If not, this could be a wonderful time for investors in our region to buy up as many stocks in Pablum-producing companies as they can get their hands on. Sometimes the difference between babysitting and assisting is merely semantics.
Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
Well, here I am again with another issue, after a long (and well deserved) vacation.
I arrived in town last Friday, and I hadn't even left the airport before I met up with several people I knew and was welcomed back to Inuvik.
That sentiment has continued and I must say it's good to be back.
Before I go any further I have to give a big, big thank you to Maria Canton and Dawn Ostrem, who filled in for me during my absence.
Right off the bat I got to cover a neat story, namely the 30-Hour Famine at Samuel Hearne Secondary school. More than 40 students went without food to raise funds for World Vision.
Their willingness and ability to go without food for so long was impressive, especially for someone like me who hates to miss a single meal, let alone a bunch in a row.
Students I spoke to commented on how fun the event was, what with games and other activities going on. But they also pointed out the event was for a good cause, and some said the famine was a good way for them to understand what it's like for those who have no choice about going to bed hungry.
And speaking of Samuel Hearne students, ironically enough, some of them were recently in my neck of the woods.
While I was vacationing in Prince Edward Island, five SHSS students took part in the Canadian Junior Debating Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
By all accounts they did the NWT proud.
Congrats to these seven, as well as all those behind the scenes who helped make the trip possible.
This might also put a bit more focus on the school's debate club. Not many who get into debating go on to compete at a national level, but it can provide a lot of good experience.
As well, good public speaking skills and boosted confidence will serve students well no matter what they do after school.
Speaking of which, congrats also to the 2001 Samuel Hearne graduating class. Their grad ceremony takes place this Friday.
Graduation is one those key milestones in life. It's a way for young people to announce to the world that they're about to venture into it, on their own, and are ready to make their mark.
Reaching the end of high school also marks acknowledgement of a lot of studying, hard work and much fun.
Good luck to the grads of 2001.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
The importance of next week's Aboriginal Pipeline Group meeting in Hay River should not be understated. Whether each region will be prepared to ratify the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline agreement giving aboriginal groups one-third ownership is uncertain.
Deh Cho First Nations Grand Chief Michael Nadli and chief negotiator Chris Reid have made it clear that consenting to a pipeline prior to developing a Interim Resource Development Agreement with the federal government, which is expected to take another year, will compromise their position at the self-government negotiations table.
After reprimanding the Deh Cho's Aboriginal Pipeline Working Group delegates for not properly representing the DCFN's position, it would appear hypocritical for Nadli to sign a proposed agreement next week. Yet, as Wilf Blonde suggested, it will be up to all First Nations chiefs to sign the agreement, not just the grand chief. There were those who will defend the APWG delegates. Will they be willing to sign a proposed deal? Could the majority of Deh Cho communities be willing to get on board?
Some have questioned why there's such a rush to sign an agreement. Remember that pipeline negotiations have been taking place in the context of a race against a rival pipeline stretching from Alaska through the Yukon. While a number of industry analysts have claimed both pipelines will eventually be built because of the great demand for natural gas, there still seems to be a competition to be first to reach southern markets.
There's another potential roadblock through the Sahtu as well. The Western Arctic Energy Corporation, based in Norman Wells, has its own proposal for 100 per cent aboriginal ownership of the pipeline. Blonde said that proposal has no merit. We'll find out next week if everyone else agrees with his opinion.