 |
|
|
|
|
Subscriber pages
 News Desk
Columnists
Editorial
Readers comment
Tenders
Demo pages Here's a sample of what only subscribers see Subscribe now Subscribe to both hardcopy or internet editions of NNSL publications Advertising Our print and online advertising information, including contact detail. |
Year-long paid vacations Yellowknifer - Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sandy Lee, the former minister of Health and Social Services, is the first MLA to benefit from the new legislation - passed on the last day of the legislative assembly's February/March session - when she stepped down to run as the Conservative candidate in next week's federal election. It's important to note her transition allowance - which continues whether a former cabinet minister finds new employment or not - would have only been slightly less than the $94,000 in MLA's salary she stands to gain now had the rules not changed. Previously, cabinet ministers, as it remains with regular MLAs, were awarded a transition allowance of one month's pay for every year they had served in the legislative assembly. Lee would have been there 12 years and entitled to almost a full-year's salary had she stayed until September. But what's to prevent a cabinet minister leaving after only a few months or even just a few days on the job? Former ministers would automatically receive 12-months' pay, regardless of whether that person was voted out of cabinet by his or her colleagues or quit for no good reason at all. At least the legislative assembly saw fit not to extend that umbrella to cabinet ministers convicted of crimes and jailed or those ejected from the legislative assembly. Then again, there is nothing stopping that cabinet minister from quitting before the axe falls and getting the money. Disgraced former cabinet minister Henry Zoe was removed from cabinet in June 2004 and convicted of resisting arrest the following April, for which he was facing expulsion before resigning his seat. Under the current rules, he would be entitled to a full year of pay because he resigned within a year of serving on cabinet. That sort of scenario upsets people and leads to cynicism towards our government. Conflict of interest rules needed to be tightened. The spectacle of former premier Joe Handley taking on work with bridge builder ATCON Construction less than a year after inking a deal with the company to build the Deh Cho Bridge, or of former cabinet minister Brendan Bell accepting six-figure consulting contracts with Premier Floyd Roland shortly after leaving office, left a bad taste in the mouths of Northerners. Alas, now all GNWT jobs and contracts are off-limits for all MLAs, which in this territory where the government is by far the largest employer, means we're paying former politicians to sit idle, possibly for up to a year. There is no reason to give former cabinet ministers with minimum time served on the job a year-long paid vacation, nor barring them from all GNWT employment down to the lowliest of jobs. Surely there is a happy balance worth achieving, both on which government jobs present a conflict or on how much public service deserves such reward. The legislative assembly needs to take this one back to the drawing board.
Nutrition North adds some campaign sizzle as May 2 nears Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 With Canada ready to vote this coming Monday, the rhetoric picked up in Nunavut this past week when Liberal candidate Paul Okalik announced the Grits would immediately scrap Nutrition North and go back to the food mail program if elected. NDP Candidate Jack Hicks was quick to join Okalik with his condemnation of the new program. Both candidates say they've heard plenty of voter complaints on the campaign trail concerning Nutrition North, and both have put forward examples of some of the concerns they've heard. As to be expected, Tory incumbent Leona Aglukkaq was quick to defend the program, although one couldn't help but notice the lack of praise from constituents regarding Nutrition North in her press release. Instead, Aglukkaq stuck with the party line on the Tories' perceived benefits of Nutrition North, and lauded the fact there is an advisory board in place to address the concerns of Northerners on the program. Once again, the parties are talking apples and oranges (no pun intended) when it comes to Nutrition North. The issue has become a hot-button topic in this election, but only time will tell if it boils over enough for Nunavut voters to turn away from the Tories on May 2. Nunavut is on par with the rest of the nation in that analysts are seeing one of the highest levels of undecided voters in recent history as May 2 looms ever closer. In fact, our little one-seat territory is listed as a riding to watch on election day by the Election Almanac. Poll results have been all over the political map for weeks with the Conservatives national lead dipping a few points one day and rising the next. As I write this the latest national polls have the NDP on a roll, putting it almost in a dead heat with the Liberals and actually threatening the Bloc Quebecois in Quebec. Now that's a volatile election landscape if ever there was one. Whatever the outcome of the election, one thing is for certain here in our not-so-little corner of the country: if there's anyone happy with Nutrition North in its present form other than the Conservatives and Nunavut's major retailers, they aren't saying so in public. While people may be saving a scant five to seven per cent on some items in their local stores due to Nutrition North, they're paying more overall for their groceries and essentials because of the increased freight costs on the items they order from southern distributors (the few who didn't drop out of the new program) to offset what they buy locally. That extra cost negates any perceived advantage of being able to get fresher produce in some communities. Any way you slice it, getting food items and essentials to Nunavummiut at a halfway reasonable price seems to be one tough nut to crack.
Healing support NWT News/North - Monday, April 25, 2011
For many who were shipped to the government-run institutions across the nation, sharing these horrific stories is a cathartic process. Although speaking about past hurts is good for the soul, it can also re-open old wounds. The TRC's mission is a worthy one. Not only does it give aboriginal people the opportunity to lift the burden of pain they have kept secret for decades, it also provides insight to those of the non-aboriginal community who might not understand the suffering our First Nations and Metis peoples endured. It is key the federal government ensures communities are supported once the TRC's whirlwind visits breeze out of town. Giving people the opportunity to finally share their experiences - some who are doing so for the first time - is only an initial step. Counselling and support services will be vital to the healing process, and the federal government must commit to ensuring those resources are available as people begin to come to terms with the chaotic feelings their painful memories will unleash. Reinstating funding to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF) would be a good first step. Of the five programs in the NWT, the Healing Drum Society was the only one to temporarily survive the funding slash that ended $350-million worth of federal money allotted to the AHF. A second funding extension will see the Healing Drum Society's $3.6 million grant extended until 2013. According to Kawennakatste, the society's executive director, even before the loss in funding, the five NWT programs were only scratching the surface in terms of fulfilling the needs of the territory's residents. Two programs per region in the territory would be ideal, she added. Now, with the Healing Drum Society as the sole resource providing residential school survivor support, she said its capabilities are stretched thin. Kawennakatste said the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is providing a vital service and she has witnessed how it has helped many people begin speaking about their hurtful experiences and the resulting relief many of them feel. However, the TRC consultations have also increased the need for the Healing Drum Society and its mobile trauma unit, which provides a four-week counselling service that travels into NWT communities. Follow-up and ongoing support is vital to confront a problem that Kawennakatste described as cross-generational; residential school trauma is not limited to those who attended the institutions as it also filters down to children and grandchildren. In 2007, the federal government finally began making amends to residential school survivors with its $80 million compensation package; it followed that with a nationwide apology for the government's involvement in the federally-run institutions in 2008. Canada must continue its support of residential school survivors and their families well into the future. Funding ongoing counselling support across the NWT is a responsibility our nation must honour. Canada owes it to the people who were deeply hurt by these schools.
Killed by a 'tragic fabric of errors' Nunavut News/North - Monday, April 25, 2011 Technically, Elisapee Michael died from a head injury she sustained from falling down the stairs of an Iqaluit hotel in August 2009. But what may have killed her was the series of events between her fall and her arrival at Ottawa Hospital two days later. At an inquest into her death from April 4-14, her family's lawyer stated her death was the result of a "tragic fabric of errors." After she was taken to Qikiqtani General Hospital following her fall Aug. 9, the doctor who initially examined her said a head injury could not be ruled out without a CT scan, equipment which the hospital didn't have. The X-ray technician was off that night, and the doctor was reluctant to call in the technician. So the doctor diagnosed her as intoxicated. According to a nurse, Michael was yelling, swearing and had to be restrained. She was speaking mostly in Inuktitut and no one was available to translate. So hospital staff called the RCMP to take her away. It was unclear whether the police were given any information or instructions by the hospital, and there was no evidence the guards at the RCMP cells had received training on assessing prisoners' responsiveness. When Michael was checked on in her cell the next day, she was unresponsive in a pool of vomit. An ambulance then took her back to the hospital. It was finally determined that evening that Michael had a severe head injury and needed to be medevaced - but a medevac flight wasn't available until the next morning. The inquest ruled her death an accident, but the question remains whether the outcome would have been different if she had reached the neurosurgery unit in Ottawa a day earlier. This "tragic fabric of errors" could be considered an isolated incident if it didn't come less than a month after a similar inquest in the NWT. In Yellowknife in 2006, RCMP found Raymond Eagle lying in the road with a visible head injury. He was taken to Stanton hospital, where was medically cleared and released to RCMP cells to sober up. Later he began vomiting and was taken back to the emergency room and medevaced to Edmonton. After undergoing surgery for bleeding in his brain, he remained in a coma for three-and-a-half years until he died in 2010. Some severe head injuries can be hard to detect. Trying to diagnose someone who is incoherent and unco-operative is not an easy job. The fact that symptoms of intoxication can mirror signs of a severe head injury complicates matters further. However, in both cases there were clues pointing to a possible head injury, but because both patients were or appeared drunk, both were turned over to the RCMP. Both had relatives in the city, yet neither of their families were contacted until they were admitted to hospital the second time. Somewhere there was a breakdown in standards of care. Being drunk and aboriginal shouldn't be a barrier to receiving proper medical treatment. The inquest jury apologized to Michael's family, stating society failed to provide her with the care, dignity and respect she deserved. We agree. Ill people don't belong in a jail cell. If a patient is being disruptive, doctors and nurses have options available to them, including restraints and/or sedation, as well as contacting family members. Despite the jury's recommendation, it's very unlikely Qikiqtani General will have the money to buy a CT scanner or hire the personnel to operate it - the one diagnostic tool that could have alerted doctors to send Michael to Ottawa in time to save her life. Its inability to keep a basic X-ray department operating after hours testifies to that. What the hospital can do is keep patients with suspected head injuries under observation, even when they're drunk or disruptive. The RCMP has pledged its support for a safe holding area at the hospital and has offered to provide guards. Medevacs need to be available 24/7, and guards at RCMP cells must be trained properly to recognize signs of serious illness. We look forward to the Department of Health and Social Services' response to the inquest's recommendations, because there's no doubt changes have to be made to prevent similar deaths in the future.
Con project needs public support Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, April 22, 2011
Even though voters rejected the city's plan to borrow up to $49 million, most residents seem to like the district energy concept, even those with the hard questions. If the referendum question had been: Do you support tapping geothermal heat from Con Mine and supplementing it with wood pellet boilers to heat downtown, the "yes" side surely would have triumphed. People voted 'no' because too much of the project was poorly defined or kept under wraps plus the enormous amount money involved. City council swore they had three potential partners from the private sector interested in the project, but because of the lack of information on what was being put on the table, residents withheld support for the project. The fear was that the city might ultimately go it alone and take on all the risk itself. People don't trust the municipality to manage the project by itself because it lacks expertise in running a utility and has a spotty track record when it comes to large scale development. City councillor Bob Brooks says the city is still negotiating with the three potential mystery partners. An announcement on the progress of those negotiations will likely come next month, he said. It was Yes We Con or bust before the referendum. But now that voters have resoundingly rejected the city's plan to borrow the money, it seems the goal is for a private sector utility to take over the project completely. But the city could still be an active partner. If the private partner is willing to invest a substantial amount of money in the business plan, what's stopping the city from seeking voter approval to put up money for the project a second time? Unfortunately, despite repeated requests, the city won't say how much the last referendum cost, so it's hard to determine the worth of going down that road again. Administration's failed attempt to kill referendums a week after the vote is an indication they want to avoid public involvement, which would be bad move. If city officials sense distrust from residents now, it will be a lot worse with a private sector agreement signed behind closed doors and streets being torn up to lay the pipes. With apparently $71 million needed to close the city's infrastructure gap, now is not the time for the city to give up on seeking support from residents. Mistakes were made in the initial roll out of the geothermal project. Those on council who sincerely support the project on the basis of sound environmental and economic principles must ensure there are no further mistakes to shake public confidence.
Another election? Editorial Comment Herb Mathisen Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, April 21, 2011
I imagine that's probably how a lot of us feel about our latest federal election. Sure, we have some new faces in the race, but we can't be blamed if we're getting a little fed up with these things. I mean, I have a tough enough time deciding what toppings to order on my pizza. Choosing a leader? No, thanks. And these federal candidates start working us up with talk about plotting coalitions and dictatorial regimes. I'm about tapped out on anxiety - or at least I feel that way until my new VISA statement arrives in the mail. Fort Simpson residents - or at least 30 of them - were willing to hear out our MP hopefuls at a Western Arctic some-candidates forum last Sunday. I use the term 'some' because Conservative candidate Sandy Lee cancelled her appearance when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced he was jetting to Yellowknife that evening. As well, neither Green Candidate Eli Purchase nor Bonnie Dawson, candidate for the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada, could attend. From questions volleyed forward, it was apparent the highway, health care costs, housing, jobs and the cost of living were issues on the minds of residents. But there are other issues. In its defeated budget, the Conservatives included $150 million -- $30 million for five years, starting in 2012 - for an all-weather road connecting Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk. This fueled excitement about the possible future construction of a Mackenzie Valley Highway. What would $150 million in the Beaufort Delta do for the Deh Cho region? In a jurisdiction as large and as diverse as the NWT, handing out money to one region won't trickle down to others necessarily. Do you vote for prosperity in the NWT or just your region? Do you vote for the Conservative candidate - and maybe take home something from her party's swell goodie bag - or elect a candidate who might not be in power, but who can - hopefully - stand up for Northern priorities and not have to toe a party line? With the probability of another minority government though, the sad fact is no matter what promises are made, an absence of action and accountability can always be blamed on a lack of support by whoever becomes the opposition in the end. And maybe that's why us voters are so bummed out: We know we'll likely be coerced back into this song and dance all over again in 16 months if another minority government fails. In spite of my apparent cynicism though, I'm pledging to pull that bug out of my eye and perform my civic duty. At the very least, I know my vote will have one positive effect: It will keep the bugs away for a while.
The value of traditional knowledge Editorial Comment Samantha Stokell Inuvik Drum - Thursday, April 21, 2011
Climate change is affecting all factors of life in the North. Temperatures rise, shorelines shrink, plant growth evolves and animals - humans included - adapt however they can.
While science is paying more attention to the North, the research focuses on singular aspects: the effects of melting permafrost on infrastructure, observation of birds and marine mammals or the impact of climate change on land and water quality. These are all important studies, but something they generally don't take into account is how each of those research topics affect each other. The melting permafrost will likely have an impact on land and water quality, which of course affects the animals living off the land. This is where traditional knowledge comes into play. Local hunters and trappers spend countless hours on the land each year. Even younger hunters, who may use snowmobiles and wear GoreTex, have more knowledge on the land compared to researchers who come North to do their studies. They arrive once change has already happened. Hunters can provide that crucial baseline information that researchers crave, but only anecdotally. What is needed is a standardized monitoring program so that those on the land can note when change happens and alert someone locally to those changes who can then start researching. Two days of workshops held last week at the Midnight Sun Complex worked on just that - a community-based monitoring program, designed by the community members themselves. They'll decide how information is gathered, where it's stored and what's researched. In other words, they'll own information about where they live and the land they use. This will give Beaufort Delta hunters and trappers so much power. When exploration companies come exploring and consulting with their information on environmental impacts, communities in our region will already have research on what will be affected. There will be less dependence on outsiders for "approved" knowledge of Inuvialuit and Gwich'in land. The ball will be in their court. It's another form of self-governance that could provide pride in traditional knowledge, an opportunity to reconnect with the land and even jobs for the next generation. The consultations by the Fisheries Joint Management Committee for the community-based monitoring programs are the first steps toward a program that can change the way the rest of the world sees the North and may even lead to a university dedicated to Northern studies. That would truly be revolutionary.
|
