Editorial page

Monday, March 24, 2003
People who make more should pay more

People in public housing and their politicians may have been more willing to accept the territorial government's harmonization program if the bureaucrats had stuck to the basics of calculating income.

Pay stubs, child support and windfalls over $5,000 should be the only income clients must claim.

We shouldn't be nit-picking over bingo winnings and baby sitting money. The program has already been in the works for too long.

Introduced in 2001, now it's been delayed for another year because Housing Minister Roger Allen could not answer questions about what counts as income.

As members of the legislative assembly grilled Allen about the program, employees at the NWT Housing Corp. were eagerly assessing public housing clients to figure out what they should be paying in rent.

Those doing the assessments calculated the rent using a long list of what counts as income.

The only items not on the list were treaty claims, foster child support and child tax benefits.

This list has created much of the confusion. Peculiar items that are considered income are portions of student financial assistance. Anyone who receives grants or remissible loans and is in public housing would have to declare the money as income. Does that mean they must use cash from the grant to pay for their increase in rent?

The bureaucrats need to start over and make the program much simpler this time around.

Don't worry about the bingo winnings, focus on job income and any sustained monthly payments.

If people are getting money from one government department, such as student grants, common sense should be applied and questions asked. Will an education grant achieve its stated goal if it keeps the client at the same income level?

The principle underlying the harmonization is sound: Clients who can reasonably pay more should. That's the bottom line.

Sadly the bureaucracy, perhaps directed by cabinet, seems to view the policy as an opportunity to beef up the government's own sagging bottom line.


New shipping deal should be given a fair chance

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News


Waguih Rayes, the shipping manager for Desgagnes Transarctik Inc., must have broken a record for how many times you can fit the words "customer service and satisfaction" into a 15-minute conversation during our talk with him this past week.

Now, we'll be the first to admit, when it comes to commerce, action speaks a whole lot louder than words.

That being said, it was refreshing to listen to Rayes spiel on winning over Kivalliq customers being delivered with such conviction.

To date, what we do know is that Repulse Bay can expect one ship this sealift season, Coral Harbour, Whale Cove, Chesterfield Inlet and Baker Lake can expect two, and Rankin Inlet and Arviat will receive three.

An increase in cargo could also amount to additional sailings being scheduled.

The Government of Nunavut claims to be realizing savings of 31 per cent in the Kivalliq dry cargo shipping rates with its new contract.

It remains to be seen just how much the average Kivalliq resident will save.

Although dry cargo will only be shipped from Montreal, Kivalliq residents who prefer to deal with Winnipeg suppliers can continue to do so.

In fact, it is less expensive to ship cargo from Winnipeg to Montreal than it is from Winnipeg to Churchill.

Cheaper still, however, to deal with Quebec suppliers close to the port of departure in Montreal.

Those who can should take full advantage of Rayes visit to Rankin this weekend to ask any questions they may have on poundage rates, supplier contacts, shipping schedules, etc.

One way or the other, Nunavut Sealink and Supply Inc. are our new dry cargo sealift service providers.

There will be no turning back the clock, at least for the immediate future, and returning to the Port of Churchill.

Kivalliq residents would be well-advised to study up on Eastern suppliers quickly in order to take full advantage of this new arrangement.

Just like that favourite sweater, faded old blue jeans or worn pair of hockey gloves -- it's never easy to throw away something you've grown comfortable with.

And change rarely comes easily, especially in the North.

Only time will tell if this new contract is going to be as beneficial to our region as we're being led to believe.

In the meantime, we owe it to ourselves to give it every opportunity to be exactly that.

After all, we're the ones to stand to gain the most should it prove to be so.


The price of tea in China

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum


The proposed rate hike by Inuvik Gas should raise a lot of questions about the method used for benchmarking a gas price here.

The regulation (or lack thereof) of the price of gas in Inuvik needs a serious look by the Public Utilities Board.

Granted, the company must base its price on something, but it should also be limited to a reasonable profit.

The company stands to make a clear profit from the 45 per cent mark-up, even though their costs have not gone up.

Currently, Inuvik Gas is paying $8.15 for the product that they want to re-sell to us for $17.50. If that's a fair profit, I think we're all in the wrong business.

Of course the joint venture which owns both the upstream and downstream companies can raise the upstream price this summer to make it look more legit, but it still reeks of a monopoly gouging their customers.

The PUB has to set the price of product here based on a fair profit margin as they do with the NWT Power Corporation and Northland Utilities.

I'd like to think the companies involved had some altruistic ideals when this project was first conceived, but I guess I'm way too naive.

The cost of living and doing business in Inuvik just went up again.

The increase in utilities will hike the price of everything on our store shelves and any service provided here, so Inuvik Gas and their shareholders can rake in a ridiculous profit from George Bush's war.

I spoke to someone last week who will be paying more for utilities now than he pays on his mortgage. He won't be staying and I'm sure he's not alone.

Not only will this price gouge drive people out of town, it will prevent people from coming here.

The teachers, doctors and nurses were trying to draw here, along with other professionals and their businesses just got another reason to stay away from Inuvik.

Two-time losers

I've sat through hours and hours of court cases and one might think I'd get desensitized to tearful testimony, but I never have.

I've heard hundreds of stories about what happens after a few drinks and what court witnessed from Monday's witnesses and victims was no different than most, except for the fact that both abusers were repeat offenders. While we'd like to think rehabilitation works, jail time never deterred these men the first time. Doctors and psychologists will prescribe chronic alcoholics Antabuse -- a drug that induces vomiting and violent stomach cramps if the user drinks alcohol.

I think with recidivist offenders such as the court saw here Monday, judges should have the power to order that medication under terms of probation.

Yeah, yeah, I hear the arguments for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but what about the rights and freedoms of the victims of these drunken attacks?


A twist on the story

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum


A familiar refrain in the Deh Cho is that there aren't enough job opportunities.

It's something commonly heard in Fort Providence. Not surprisingly, the adult education class offered there by Aurora College is always full and usually there's a lengthy waiting list.

In Fort Simpson the complaint of too few jobs is repeated now and again. Yet registration for adult education at Aurora College has been inconsistent over the past few years.

Fort Liard offers a different set of circumstances. It's the one community with more than enough jobs to go around. Consequently, there isn't a great deal of demand for Aurora College's adult basic education program.

So what's the problem? Isn't full employment, or as close as one community will likely ever get, the ultimate aim?

Well, sort of.

Let's first acknowledge that some people are completely satisfied being labourers. There isn't anything dishonourable about the job, and the wages are decent. The only problem is that the jobs are often seasonal. Although that's not a real problem for those who earn enough to collect employment insurance and are happy doing so.

For the others, particularly those in their late teens or early 20s, they settle into a labourer position because it's all they see in front of them. Their potential remains untapped. Some of them possess the aptitude to become highly paid tradespersons, as technicians or as part of management, not to mention teachers, nurses, biologists, finance officers or any other profession. In order to make that a reality they must forsake the readily available labour wages. They must commit to a year or two of upgrading their education and then apply themselves to a college, university or an apprenticeship for another few years. It's a substantial sacrifice but it's one that pays off in the long run.

The question is one of motivation. As a side note, Joanne Deneron mentioned that in Fort Liard, before the advent of oil and gas, Aurora College used to be all the rage. However, the criticism at that time was that too many students were spending too many years in the program, essentially biding their time until a job became available. That kept others from getting into the adult education program.

It's sort of a catch-22.

Go with the flow

Although Deh Cho First Nations leaders apparently do not feel the approach or the timing is right for hydro projects, let's hope they do not dismiss outright any potential such projects might have. If large-scale hydro projects carry too great a risk of flooding sacred areas, then small-scale, hydro-driven turbines may present a viable alternative. However, there remains a question of whether small-scale projects would be cost effective. Surely if there's a will, there's a way. Even without big cost savings, hydro would be a welcome relief from the carbon-emitting, diesel-powered plants that currently provide energy to Deh Cho communities.


Correction

In News/North's March 10 issue, the story 'Snapping up opportunities' incorrectly indicated the De Beers diamond mining company may establish a cutting and polishing plant in an NWT community, possibly Hay River. It would actually be a valuation plant, placing value on raw diamonds for tax purposes.