Fort Simpson (Sep 08/06) - In a discussion that ranged from practical to philosophical, residents of Fort Simpson voiced concerns to their elected leaders last week.

On Aug. 31, MP Dennis Bevington and MLA Kevin Menicoche held a constituents meeting in Fort Simpson. The leaders also visited Fort Liard and Jean Marie River during the week.

Sean Whelly, one of 12 residents to attend the Fort Simpson meeting, asked about the possibility of an increase in the northern residents tax deduction. It sparked intense conversation. Whelly said people are having their taxes reassessed by Revenue Canada year after year because of the deduction.

Bevington noted a number of people have recently told him stories about years of being reassessed. He plans to look into the matter with Revenue Canada. Bevington also raised the idea of an increase in the deduction while Parliament was in session. The system shouldn't degrade over the years when residents are suffering from inflation and GST, he said.

Peter Shaw and Mayor Duncan Canvin added that despite the GST being recently decreased by one per cent, any benefit was counteracted by an increase in the Excise Tax.

On another topic, Rita Cazon pointed out that the only fully accessible building in the community is the RCMP detachment. None of the federal or territorial buildings are accessible, she told Bevington.

Cazon said the lack of accessibility cuts people in wheelchairs off from services.

"We are not displaced people. We are just disabled," she said.

Other concerns included the state of the road system.

"The highway is horrible," said Canvin.

The worst part of the road is currently from Checkpoint to the Liard River ferry, he said. "You couldn't avoid the potholes. They were that bad," said Canvin about his experiences during a recent trip.

Wilson Dimsdale discussed the possibility of Fort Simpson benefiting from the pipeline by running a line into the village and converting to natural gas.

"It looks like a no-brainer to bring gas to the community," said Dimsdale referring to the results of a study.

Bevington agreed that a tie-in to the pipeline is something that residents should have a say over. He added that alongside the pipeline there should be a project to extend the highway to at least Fort Good Hope.

Dimsdale also questioned what Canada is doing creating armed ice breakers, recruiting more Rangers and sending troops to Afghanistan."I think the whole thing is out of control," he said.

Bevington said he's not in favour of the direction Canada is taking in Afghanistan. It's taking the country's soldiers away from being peacekeepers, he said.

On a territorial and national level, issues in the Northwest Territories are getting a lot of attention in Parliament, said Bevington. Climate change, northern development and northern sovereignty are big-ticket items, he said. Many of the decisions that will be made will depend on northerners.

If public authority can't be shared between aboriginal and non-aboriginal groups it won't be given, he said. If Northerners remain separated, the government will continue to treat them paternalistically, said Bevington.