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The arrogance of power
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Premier Michael Miltenberger? God forbid that day ever comes.

It will if the legislative assembly follows the example of the last two terms by elevating the finance minister into the premier's seat.

After turfing him from cabinet two years ago, MLAs still thought highly enough of him to give him a portfolio following the 2007 election.

It leads us to wonder whether Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen's motion to terminate Premier Floyd Roland and his cabinet last Friday would have led to Miltenberger's permanent ejection had it been successful.

After looking around the room, would MLAs have misguidedly made him premier for lack of someone with more experience?

Perhaps his political stock rises somewhat because he is the only one willing to get his hands dirty.

The past few months have shown us that not all cabinet members can stand the heat for long.

Premier Floyd Roland is now adamant that devolution must be negotiated. He was initially willing to put it on the "back burner."

Then last week Health Minister Sandy Lee buckled under heavy public pressure after weeks of hopelessly trying to sell the unpopular supplementary health benefits program.

But Miltenberger is old hat at this kind of thing. Much of his four terms in the legislative assembly have been spent in cabinet. He's faced continuous volleys of protest and criticism but the man doesn't bend.

Angry caribou outfitters? Whatever. Merging school boards and scrapping elected trustees? Ditto. Miltenberger is like a kid who relishes kicking a hornet's nest just to see them all come swarming out.

There is something admirable about a person who can stand so stoically under fire. Undoubtedly, it provides him ample clout and influence among fellow cabinet ministers and regular MLAs. His fearlessness makes it a daunting task to challenge him.

That Miltenberger is confident and intelligent is undeniable, but that is no reason to encourage him on his continuous quest for power.

Leadership is not about who is the better bully, which Miltenberger has been throughout his political career. He has demonstrated an inclination toward concentrating power in the hands of cabinet and bureaucrats. It's also apparent the South Slave MLA has an axe to grind with Yellowknife in particular.

We witnessed this when he dissolved the Stanton health board six years ago and we're seeing it again in his attempt to take away the choices among voters for their school boards.

Cabinet colleagues such as Yellowknife South's Bob McLeod will shed crocodile tears and lecture us about the importance of "cabinet solidarity" but this is a mistake which will further erode the credibility of consensus government and the legislative assembly.

The eight regular MLAs who voted in favour of terminating cabinet spoke forcibly about the need for better communication between cabinet and themselves last week. Hopefully, the rest of cabinet will be less tempted to follow Miltenberger's my-way-or-the-highway approach to government.

In the meantime, Yellowknife MLAs should be wary of Miltenberger's leadership ambitions. His performance has amply demonstrated that if he ever gets into the premier's chair, he will have Yellowknife in his gun sights.


Plate shines bright in 2009
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, February 11, 2009

There are a number of people to be congratulated for the success of the Polar Bear Plate junior hockey tournament played earlier this month in Rankin Inlet, not the least of whom is local rec co-ordinator David Clark.

The vast majority of the 16 games were played before sell-out crowds.

And, the ones not sold-out were at about 80 per cent of the arena's capacity.

Clark revived the Plate in 2008 and was able to build upon its success this year.

The tournament is expensive, and he received financial help from Sport Nunavut, the Rankin Inlet Minor Hockey Association, Rankin Inlet Senior Mens Hockey League and a number of corporate sponsors.

A good portion of those who attended the games said the Plate has become more exciting and competitive than the Avataq Cup.

The more exciting part is, most likely, a direct reflection of the fact the Plate is a full-contact tournament.

The more competitive angle, however, stems from two separate components.

First, more Kivalliq communities are bringing in instructors such as Andy Nowicki and Mike Thomas to work on the basic skills of the game with their young players.

That approach works in tandem with the effort being put forth by local coaches to improve the overall calibre of play in their community.

The results were most noticeable with Baker Lake and Whale Cove this year.

Both had vastly superior teams than what they've iced in the past.

The second reason why the Plate has been so competitive the past two years was the decision to split the Rankin players into two teams.

I mean no disrespect to any Rankin player, or to any from the other communities, when I make this point.

Had the coaches combined the best players from the champion Falcons with those from the silver-medallist Stars, the resulting stacked squad would have obliterated every team in its path.

While that may have been fun for some of the players, it would have been no fun at all for the rest of the teams or the fans in the stands who paid to watch the games.

There are some who feel the Plate lost a bit of its shine because three players were on the receiving end of hard bodychecks at the event, two of whom were dazed by the hits and the third injured.

And, of course, as with all hard checks, there were claims of charging and elbows inflicting the damage.

It never ceases to amaze me how hockey fans can sit in the stands and scream at the refs to let the kids play, never missing the chance to groan over a penalty call and point out this is, after all, a full-contact junior tournament.

That is, until it's their kid prone on the ice. Then it's the ref's fault for not clamping down on the rough play sooner.

Contact is part of the Plate's allure with hockey fans, and although nobody wants to see a player get hurt, a few hard hits are to be expected during a three-day tournament.

The 2009 Polar Bear Plate was a tremendous success and lost none of its lustre due to the three hits in question, all of which were hard, but legal.

We hope Clark and his supporters can continue to hold the event in future years, as it fills a large gap in our regional hockey development.


A bumpy ride
NWT News/North - Monday, February 9, 2009

Last Thursday's $1.3 billion territorial budget seemed to be fairly well received by many members of the public, community and labour leaders, NWT businesses and representatives of environmental organizations.

But it was a painful process to arrive at this point.

Due to a projected $40 million budget shortfall over two years, Premier Floyd Roland and Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger forewarned last May that 135 GNWT job cuts were on the way. Layoff notices were even issued. After public outcry and a threat by regular MLAs to vote down the 2008-09 budget, Roland and Miltenberger changed their tack.

By October they were threatening to introduce numerous new taxes and tax increases. This too was met with resounding fury.

In December, Roland went back to the first well, threatening that 100 civil service positions would be chopped.

All that tough talk infuriated people throughout the NWT. In the end, what came of it? There were 14 jobs eliminated last year, another 14 will be slashed this year.

New taxes introduced Thursday amount to higher prices for smokers and drinkers and higher property taxes for industry.

These are tough economic times globally. Our territory is borrowing $81 million from Ottawa to fund infrastructure projects. Our national government is incurring a $40 billion deficit over the next two years. The American government is dipping deeper into the red as its economy reels.

Yet premier and cabinet's messages over the past year have largely been alarmist, poorly thought out and extremely counter-productive.

Unfortunately, their miscues haven't simply been limited to budget items. They did a poor sales job with the $165 million Deh Cho bridge, whereby they tried to keep the details under wraps and only offered weak assurances that the finances wouldn't become a public liability. Ditto for the $34 million loan to Discovery Air, which is a debt-laden, penny-stock company that employs a few hundred Northerners.

Miltenberger angered the masses yet again by forcing the idea of board mergers down people's throats. At least he says he's willing to sit down and discuss how it will work after dictating that the mergers are inescapable.

Then there's the supplementary health benefits changes, which has seniors up in arms. Health Minister Sandy Lee professes that the government's aim is to ensure that the working poor are covered for extended health benefits like drugs and glasses. The problem is that similar benefits for those with modest incomes would be clawed back to some extent.

Many of the government's proposals are conceived by bureaucrats, and many are well-intentioned. However, it's a politician's job to carefully examine the impacts of such decisions. Some of the ideas need to be rejected outright, others need to be refined and polished and then negotiated through consultation and communication.

Before coming to the public seeking feedback and acceptance, our premier and cabinet, who narrowly escaped a non-confidence vote Friday, need to have a clear and workable vision. They need to be fully informed and answer all questions honestly. Their political credibility, and perhaps future, rests on it.


Start again
Nunavut News/North - Monday, February 9, 2009

The resignation of the two remaining members of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission is disappointing.

What began with promise last May has ended less than a year later, without accomplishing much.

Even though many Northerners were not happy with the lack of Inuit representation on the commission, its complete disintegration delays the recording of elders' recollections from residential schools, and our elders are dying. First, the chief commissioner resigned late last year, saying the other two members had different ideas on how the commission was to be run and the three of them could not work out their differences. Now the other two have thrown in the towel as well.

It's ironic that three commissioners, with their hefty law or health-based educations, charged with a mandate to listen, understand, communicate and ultimately reconcile, could not work together well enough to even begin the process they were hired for.

While the three of them bickered and dilly-dallied, survivors of residential schools went on with their lives, some still living with the effects of abuse and the disruption of their cultural connections.

The only bright spot in this disastrous beginning is the chance for a fresh start. This time when selecting commissioners, the federal government would do well to appoint at least one Inuk.

All groups affected by residential schools deserve a voice on the truth and reconciliation commission. We hope the next group of commissioners keeps in mind the people they are there to represent and what they are supposed to accomplish.


Trades make good careers
Nunavut News/North - Monday, February 9, 2009

Sarah Tautuajuk from Pangnirtung may admittedly be short but her size, and her gender, are no barriers to getting the job done. She trained through a building trades helper program and now works at the Snap Lake diamond mine in the NWT.

What has helped her succeed isn't an ability to lift heavy objects, but her confidence, commitment and hard work.

Like a first experience at skinning an animal carcass or cooking a meal for a crowd, entering a trade can be daunting. But not unlike traditional skills, trades are learned by doing them under the supervision of those with many years of experience.

Skilled tradespeople are in high demand and the work pays better than being a cashier or a receptionist - more traditionally "female" careers.

In fact Tautuajuk hopes to have enough money saved up in five years' time to put a down payment on a home.

She's setting an example for others to follow.


Attack on the middle class
Yellowknifer - Friday, February 6, 2009

The Department of Health hastily backed away from implementing its new health benefits program this week after a massive public outcry.

Anyone in government who dares to tinker with existing health care benefits for seniors and middle class citizens had better communicate clearly what the changes mean, or incur the wrath of voters as Health Minister Sandy Lee found out recently.

The bar was clearly set too low. A net income limit of $45,000 for a family of four to be eligible for the new Supplementary Health Benefits Program was poorly thought out. Supporting a family of four on such a modest household income in Yellowknife is not easy, let alone adding more costs for health care.

The GNWT didn't help itself with its poor communication. Even though the policy change on extended health benefits had been approved by cabinet in September 2007, residents were unaware of the changes to be made until Lee announced in December 2008 that the plan would take hold in April 2009. Also, the legislative assembly is far from being in consensus on the matter. Non-cabinet MLAs have attended seniors' conferences to voice their own opposition. On Wednesday, the government's poor communication compelled one MLA to call for a vote of confidence.

Lee's announcement this week to put off the health benefit changes until Sept. 1 - to "address complaints" on income thresholds and drugs coverage - may have saved her political future.

The government must regroup and find a more palatable alternative.


Bar staff must be vigilant
Yellowknifer - Friday, February 6, 2009

The Gold Range bar has been ordered to shut its doors for a period of one week starting on Feb. 23 due to six separate violations of the Liquor Act last year.

Among the violations are separate instances in which staff served alcohol to customers who were already clearly intoxicated, and in which the bathrooms were left in unsanitary condition.

It's virtually impossible to run a bar where the bathroom isn't sometimes dirty and where customers never get drunk. But servers need to be fully aware of when customers are merry or fall-down drunk.

When people are found passed out in the pub - as happened at the Gold Range on Sept. 22, 2008 - it's a clear indication that staff are not paying enough attention. On the night the patrons were found passed out by an RCMP officer, the pub's manager, Sam Park, had left the bar in the care of his cousin for about half an hour. Based on what the police officer subsequently saw, it reinforces how important it is to have responsible and experienced employees behind the bar.

In December, management at the Gold Range put its servers through a training program to ensure staff are able to handle the challenges of working in a liquor-licensed establishment.

Those are lessons that shouldn't be forgotten.


Dog owners must own up
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, February 5, 2009

Anyone who watched Canadian Zinc submit its applications for the final permits needed to operate Prairie Creek mine and thought it would be just a hop, skip and a jump before zinc was rolling out of the mine is facing a reality check.

The mine has never had an easy relationship with the permitting process in the territory. A number of the permits the company has applied for in the past have moved very slowly through the permitting process.

Based on the progress made so far it looks like the applications for the type-A water license and type-A land use permit are also in for a long, tough slug. Even knowing Prairie Creek's track record on such matters, it's a bit surprising to see that after six months in environmental assessment, the file is still stuck in the scoping phase.

Given the snail's pace things are moving at, it's easy to see how both the company, their investors and local residents who see the possibility of benefits from the project would get discouraged. It's also easy to see how people could assume certain parties are purposefully using the environmental assessment process to undermine the project.

Keep a company from getting the necessary permits for long enough and even the hardiest of investors is bound to look elsewhere, and that's when the economy is good. As Chief Keyna Norwegian of the Liidlii Kue First Nation pointed out, investors are even less likely to ride out a long review process given the current state of global economic uncertainty.

Let's consider the role of the vocal parties. Both Dehcho First Nations and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) have had long-standing views on the project.

As an environmental organization, it's unsurprising CPAWS hasn't been a big supporter of the mine. CPAWS has repeatedly stated it doesn't believe the mine is compatible with its goal of protecting the South Nahanni watershed.

The Dehcho First Nations (DFN) has also questioned how the mine can fit in with the direction given by elders to preserve the land and water for future generations.

Both parties clearly don't want to see the mine move into production. Some people may criticize them for holding up the review process but they are actually playing an important and necessary role.

Even if everyone in the region and beyond wanted to see the mine in place, there would have to be at least one opposing voice to urge caution, and as a result, ensure that project was implemented safely. Even people who want the mine likely don't want to see it damage the environment in the process.

We should continue to push for more efficient environmental assessments, but the process is necessary to ensure the possible impacts of projects like Prairie Creek are understood and can be minimized if they move forward.


It's been great
Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, February 5, 2009

After spending nearly three years reporting for Inuvik Drum, I find myself reflecting on the work I've done and the people I've met.

This is my final issue of the Drum. I've accepted a position as one of the new bylaw officers for the Town of Inuvik.

Consider this to be fair warning against all those drivers who don't use their seat belts.

On Monday afternoon, I drove past a long-haired man who parked in the only handicap parking spot in the downtown core. He ran across the road like a gazelle, leaping over the ice mound that divides the lanes on Mackenzie Road.

Party time is over for the people who think they're above the bylaws of this community, that's for sure.

Since announcing my job change, a lot of people asked my why I gave up my post as the "Drum guy."

Believe me, there is no easy answer to that question. A lot of things in my life factored heavily into the decision to resign from the newspaper.

When I first started working as the newspaper reporter, it was a bit tough getting into the lifestyle.

One thing is for sure, the job isn't a "nine-to-five." There are long nights, weekend assignments and long-distance interviews.

Being from the community, I grew up knowing a lot of people around me. When I started working for the newspaper, I quickly realized that I didn't know nearly enough of the people who work hard to make this community a success.

Here we are now, almost three years later and I feel I'm still getting to know people.

It's been a great experience, working with the youth, being in the schools and chronicling the events in town.

I've had the chance to work with the best and brightest in Northern journalism through my time as a reporter.

Some of my most treasured memories come from my days working the beat.

Being an "official" photographer is great because I have been in the front of many other budding camera enthusiasts.

People would make room for me in front of meetings, gatherings, coffeehouses and more.

There isn't much of a better way to meet new people than to offer to take their picture and have a few short words.

Many thanks to everyone who stopped me in the street to compliment my latest editorial rantings, or to straighten me out and give me an earful for voicing my opinions.

It'll be different for me to pick up the newspaper and not know what waits inside.

Again, I might have been the one typing the articles, but it was the community that made Inuvik Drum so solid for the past few years.

Keep it going for the next editor and help keep Inuvik Drum strong for generations to come.