---

Is inquiry needed?
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, August 26, 2009

---

On July 16, Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro and Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay asked sole adjudicator Ted Hughes to hold the inquiry into Premier Floyd Roland's intimate relationship with a legislative assembly clerk in private.

That same day, after hearing Roland's lawyer say the premier was not against a public inquiry, the two MLAs began to question their request and later withdrew it.

Now Bisaro is saying she'll only vote to remove Roland as premier if Hughes says so. Why does she need someone else to tell her what to do about Roland's behaviour?

Ramsay initially called Roland dishonest over the affair and said he should resign. Since then, Ramsay has said publicly Roland shouldn't resign, based upon his improved performance.

This muddled thinking is reminiscent of MLAs attempting to oust the entire cabinet in January. Had they simply gone after the source of the government's poor performance - Premier Roland - we wouldn't be wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars and sidetracking other assembly priorities for the sake of an inquiry.

Roland had already demonstrated he lacked solid leadership. The secret affair with a legislative assembly clerk is just the most obvious example.

A good leader would have been able to spot the poor work done last winter on the proposed board mergers and supplementary health care plan changes affecting seniors. A leader would have overruled his cabinet colleagues and put a halt to the ill-conceived plans. Instead, Roland did nothing. His government looked out of touch with the people and his ministers were ripped by residents for their poor performance. The plans were withdrawn.

No matter what comes out of the Hughes inquiry, MLAs know Roland having an affair with a clerk was in poor judgment, an embarrassment to the territorial government, and failing to disclose it was wrong. Whether he used the relationship to his advantage or not won't change those facts.

So MLAs do not need to waste money on an inquiry to determine whether Roland is suited to be premier. All they have to do is hold a vote of confidence. Why wasn't this done in the first place? The answer is more poor judgment.

We can only hope MLAs act to restore the integrity of the government. A special session to hold a vote of confidence would be a first good step.

Premier Stephen Kakfwi and his government experienced two confidence votes in 2005. Both the office of the premier and the territorial government emerged stronger for it. That type of decisive action is needed now.

---

Defining free and Canadian
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, August 26, 2009

---

Every generation in modern history lays claim to a single defining moment.

But those of us born before July 20, 1969, can actually claim two.

One defined us as part of a free society; the other as a nation.

I never include Woodstock in this esteemed category because, although it was the mother of all music festivals, its influence on both history and modern society has always been grossly overstated.

Both our truly defining moments came at the expense of a world superpower during the Cold War years, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

While many instantly envision Russia alone when confronted with the term USSR, it was, in fact, an alliance of Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics.

The USSR formed in 1922 (the same year Foster Hewitt would call his first hockey game in Canada) and dissolved on Dec. 31, 1991.

Here in August, we have the anniversary of two defining historical moments as monthly bookends.

I was 11 years old when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.

I can still vividly recall our family gathered around the TV, watching in complete silence and clinging to every word that came out of the speaker of our old black and white set.

Even at the tender age of 11, the surge of pride that rushed through my body as I listened to the timeless line, "That's one small step..." was nothing short of incredible.

It was all anyone talked about for days.

Forget the fact our heroes were Americans. Those were the days of Us versus Them as it pertained to communism and democracy, and we had got there first.

Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I would feel such an event-inspired euphoria again -- but I did. And only three years later.

During the summer of 1972 everyone was again talking about the same thing.

Only this time the event was a lot closer to home.

The best Canadian NHL hockey players (Bobby Hull wasn't allowed to play because he had signed with the World Hockey Association) were about to square off with Team USSR in what became known as the greatest hockey event in the history of our nation -- The Summit Series.

And, unlike the Apollo 11 landing, the series provided a smorgasbord of powerful emotions leading up to its climax on Sept. 28, 1972.

There was the complete shock, anger and disbelief that devoured us when the USSR stunned Team Canada 7-3 in Game 1 at the legendary Montreal Forum.

Three games later, Canadians everywhere looked down at their feet in shame as Phil Esposito admonished the country on live TV for booing the Canadian players following Game 4 in Vancouver.

Then there was the triumphant return of belief and excitement when Team Canada took games six and seven to even the series.

And, of course, the maniacal jubilation when Paul Henderson scored in the final minute to give Canada a 6-5 victory in Game 8 -- a call I would hear Hewitt make a 1,000 times over the years.

Two defining events to forever remind us of the pride in being free and Canadian!

---

RCMP should do away with internal investigations
NWT News/North - Monday, August 24, 2009

---

If a company is suspected of funny math or "creative accounting," only an independent audit would prove convincing.

The same principle holds true for the RCMP. When a police officer is accused of wrongdoing while carrying out his duties, his conduct should not be assessed by one of his peers.

That's exactly the conclusion that the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP reached in a report it released Aug. 11.

In cases where officers are accused of seriously injuring, sexually assaulting or killing someone, the commission says the resulting investigations should be taken out of the RCMP's hands. Dealt with internally - and almost always quietly - the outcome forever remains under a cloud of suspicion.

RCMP investigations of its own members have been flawed and inconsistent, and therefore erode confidence in the transparency and integrity of these investigations, the commission's report states.

Despite any claim of impartiality, there will always remain doubts if one RCMP officer is asked to assess the actions of a colleague accused of a crime. While being a police officer is a noble profession, it's poor practice to have one person in uniform adjudicate another.

Rightly or wrongly, there's a common public perception of the "thin blue line," a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie among law enforcement officers, who face many of the same challenges and demands while working their beats. For that reason, Mounties accused of breaking the law should not even be judged by officers from other police forces.

Who should do the job then? Why not the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP? The national body is obviously objective enough to release this report, and it has no regional biases. But to take on the role of arbiter in hundreds of cases, the commission would require more resources - funding and workers.

Perhaps with more hands on deck, the commission wouldn't have overlooked a couple of key cases from the NWT. Its report examined 28 national incidents of RCMP officers accused of wrongdoing, two of which were in our territory. Its findings were that the RCMP's investigating officers did act professionally and appropriately in each case.

That's certainly not true of the 2004 Const. Scot Newberry case. The RCMP had charged a man with assaulting a police officer - Newberry -- but a judge threw the case out of court and admonished Newberry for attacking the accused. Newberry, at 220 pounds, punched the victim, who weighed 145-pounds, knocking him out and causing him to break his leg as he crumbled to the ground.

Following the judge's ruling, the RCMP deemed the issue "an internal quality control issue."

Then there's the case of the 15-year-old girl who was Tasered while in handcuffs and lying face down on the floor inside the Inuvik youth correctional facility in March 2007. Somehow - no explanation provided - the federal Department of Justice found the police officer did nothing wrong.

That came after two RCMP internal investigations which arrived at the same conclusion. Police officers have a very difficult job to do. We admire them for it and appreciate their commitment and sacrifice.

But when one of them breaks the law, or is accused of unethical behaviour, we need an impartial analysis and honest answers.

Let's ensure that starts happening now.

---

Iglulik needs a daycare
Nunavut News/North - Monday, August 24, 2009

---

For more than 10 years, parents in Iglulik have been struggling to open a licensed daycare in their community.

Iglulik, with a population of 1,538 in 2006, is one of the few communities in Nunavut without a licensed daycare.

In 2008, Meeka Nangmalik even walked from Iglulik to Hall Beach and back - 150 km - to raise money and awareness about the need for a daycare in the community.

But the Ajagutaq Daycare Society, which has been the organization lobbying for a daycare since 2007, cannot wring the necessary cash out of the Government of Nunavut to purchase a building and start up a facility.

The problem is that though there are many places to go in the North for money to operate an existing daycare, there is currently no place that will grant you the money to start one.

Daycare start-up money from the Nunavut government only covers the purchase of toys and books and other such supplies, and up to $5,000 to renovate an existing location. It does nothing to help people build, buy or rent a location - hard to find in overcrowded communities - in which to house these toys, books and the children.

This has left the Ajagutaq society in Iglulik to raise more than $300,000 on its own to buy and renovate a building that's on offer in the community - and that could take decades' worth of raffles and bake sales. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes more than a village to raise a child care centre.

Meanwhile, government jobs are going unfilled, teachers are leaving the community, younger mothers can't finish school and older siblings are losing days of school looking after their younger brothers and sisters.

Given that Nunavut's birth rate is the highest in Canada, and that the government loves to talk about improving graduation rates and increasing Inuit employment, this makes no sense.

All the education and job opportunities in the world come to naught if Nunavummiut can't participate because they can't find a babysitter.

Licensed child care centres create local jobs. They allow parents to re-enter the workforce and give children a head start in life.

A 2008 report by Child Care Canada states that about 40 per cent of the money government invests in child care is recouped through the payroll and income taxes of the employed parents, and that daycare produces $2 of social and economic benefits for every dollar spent on it.

Any plan to improve the social and economic outlook of the territory has to start with child care, and it has to start with Iglulik. That community's families have been waiting far too long.

---

Politics and punishment
Yellowknifer - Monday, August 24, 2009

---

Should Premier Floyd Roland resign if found in conflict of interest by inquiry chair Ted Hughes? Absolutely.

Should Roland pay back money for costs borne out of the inquiry? That would seem an inappropriate and dangerous precedent.

For one, determining an amount to pay back would be purely arbitrary. There's no reasonable expectation that taxpayers will be fully compensated for this proceeding.

The inquiry into former premier Don Morin's business dealings cost taxpayers $1.7 million. It's a safe presumption the Roland inquiry will be in the same ballpark before all is said and done, but no one is going to expect him to pay back six figures or more should he be found in conflict for not revealing his affair with a legislative assembly clerk sooner than he did.

He didn't steal money or financially benefit from the situation. Handing him a fine of any amount would really just be a punishment for his bad judgment, and Roland certainly isn't the only politician in the world who has made a bad decision.

If politicians had to fork over cash every time they wasted taxpayers' money, some of them would be bankrupt or behind bars. Bad decision makers are best dealt with in the voting booth.

And should Roland be absolved, should we ask that those MLAs who brought the complaint against him pay a fine for wasting everyone's time?

Now that we're seeing two of the complainants, MLAs Dave Ramsay and Wendy Bisaro, flip-flopping between calling for an inquiry closed to the public and pleading for an open one - in addition to Bisaro's sudden desire to keep Roland in office - we have to ask what's really going on? Roland will have his day, and if Hughes rules him in conflict, then the MLAs should ensure he doesn't stay as premier for long.

---

Tourism needs helping hand
Yellowknifer - Friday, August 21, 2009

---

With the Northern lights predicted to be highly active for the next few winters, an economic opportunity is presenting itself to tourism companies, as well as to the GNWT and the city, to market Yellowknife as the place to visit.

More intense and more frequent auroras forecast between 2010 and 2013 have the potential to draw legions of tourists to the capital, however the governments need to capitalize with an effective marketing campaign that promotes Yellowknife as a prime destination for aurora viewing.

Aurora Village, one of the last players standing in the NWT's Northern lights market, has done a good job of growing business and expanding clientele in recent years.

Now's the time for our governments to step up their efforts. The 'solar maximum' presents the chance for Yellowknife to get noticed by the world as a top-notch city, let's just hope our governments don't leave our tourism market in the dark.

---

Smarten up, vandals
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, August 20, 2009

---

The recent break-ins at the community pools in both Fort Simpson and Fort Providence have raised an ugly spectre.

At least once a summer, one or more youths in a Deh Cho community commit some sort of act that raises the issue of youth crime. The break-in at the Fort Simpson pool last week is the first major incident of this sort in the village this summer.

There were three earlier break-ins in July but this one has garnered more attention because it closed the facility for three days, thanks to a rip that was made in the pool's liner. Due to the nature of the damage done inside the building, RCMP suspect pre-teens or teenagers are behind the incident.

In Fort Providence five youths under the age of 12 were actually found at the facility on July 27 where they'd broken in and thrown items into the pool, effectively clogging the filtration system.

Acts like these paint all pre-teens and teenagers in the communities in a bad light even though only a handful of youths are actually involved. The two pool incidents are made worse by the fact that the facilities that were damaged serve the whole community. The youth weren't only damaging themselves, they were purposefully doing something that had negative repercussions for anyone who wanted to swim in the pool.

Conversations about youth crime in cases like this are immediately tied to the question of the respect, or lack thereof, that youth have for community property.

For adults, and maybe some youths, it's hard to imagine the thought process that led them to break in and toss objects into the pools. What was going through their heads?

You can try to pin acts like this on the perpetrators' parents, asking why their children were out at all hours of the night unsupervised and causing mischief. You can also look to the RCMP and wonder if enforcement of a youth curfew is the right answer. Another popular option is to look around and wonder why there aren't more acts like this given the lack of activities to keep youth occupied during the summer months when they are out of school.

The conclusion many people reach is that nothing will have any effect. No matter what's done there will always be youth who find a reason and a way to commit minor crimes.

To avoid this defeatist end there is one final approach. The best hope is to make youth realize that acts like damaging community pools aren't acceptable - not only under the Criminal Code of Canada and, more importantly, not to the wider community.

Enough people need to speak out so the youths understand that they need to think twice before doing something that hurts not only themselves but also innocent people.

---

Teens need their own youth centre
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, August 20, 2009

---

When it comes to youth crime in Inuvik, you can talk all you want about curfews, more policing and heavier penalties as methods to stop it. Each will only go so far. But that's a tired argument.

Why isn't there a centre for teenagers at risk; a place to keep them occupied? What Inuvik needs is a big, open facility for them to hang out in, to do things they like because currently there isn't one. Sounds simple enough.

Yes, there's the Inuvik Youth Centre, and it offers several worthwhile programs. But the problem there is that it invites younger kids and teens to share a relatively small place and for the most part, unfortunately, that rarely equals harmony.

I was talking to someone about this very idea last week. And what he said on the topic made sense to me. Again, he said you've got to give these youths a big open space and give them maybe a boxing ring or an Ultimate Fighting Championship-style ring. Give them somewhere they can go to do something they like - somewhere they can act out their aggression.

In response to that, I got to thinking wouldn't that be counterproductive, encouraging violence among youths? But then I realized maybe that's muddled thinking. Maybe that's the type of thinking that contributes to the type of backlash of youth crime we've been seeing of late.

As adults, we think we have the answers, especially when it comes to straightening out teenagers, and usually a big part of the answer is punishment.

I don't think it would be such a lofty goal to build a simple centre for teenagers. Maybe it could be paid for by the government or town residents or both. What would be wrong in forming a youth committee who would be responsible for the operations of the centre? They could decide what would work for them and what wouldn't. Residents could volunteer to help run it, providing guidance along the way. Even with such a centre there may still be teenagers involved in break-ins and other crimes, but it's a step in the right direction.

The issue of youth crime is complicated. Of course youth and parents have to be held accountable. But a community has a responsibility to show youth that we're listening to them. Empowering kids goes a long way in producing responsible, productive adults.

Or we can maintain the status quo and keep boarding up the school windows summer after summer.

Show your support

I love music. I'm excited that Inuvik will be hosting the End of the Road Music Festival this weekend. What's especially great about it is the fact that it took just a few community members to come together to make it happen.

Doug and the Slugs and Yukon Jack are just some of the fine talent we can expect as performances will be hosted at Jim Koe Park and the rec centre throughout the weekend.

A point one of the festival organizers made recently was that we all deserve to hear good, live music. I believe that. Hopefully we'll all get out and show our appreciation for those who made it happen.