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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
For the third candidates forum in a row Tuesday, incumbent Dave Ramsay was the lone Kam Lake candidate to show up and answer questions.

Running against Ramsay in the Oct. 3 territorial election are Victor Mercredi, Darwin Rudkevitch and Bryan Sutherland.

Sutherland showed his face at Tuesday night's forum, hosted by the Yellowknife Seniors' Society, Alternatives North, the Union of Northern Workers and the Yellowknife YWCA, but stood at the back of the room as a spectator, rather than taking a seat with the rest of the candidates.

Mercredi and Rudkevitch were altogether absent.

On an Facebook page dedicated to the election, one woman asked Sutherland to explain why he attended, but did not participate. Sutherland responded: "I just wanted to check it out. I am really bagged from walking and talking with all of (my) constituents, and the forums aren't really fair to non-incumbents."

Sutherland didn't return phone calls to give further explanation, but he did address another Facebook attack that suggested he shouldn't run if he isn't willing to answer questions alongside his fellow candidates.

"I have spoken publicly at many other forums," he wrote in response. "Ask anyone who has ever seen me debate, or speak publicly, if I have any guts problem, and you will hear 'No.'"

Beyond his lack of participation in forums, Sutherland has also been asked questions about the NWT Party he claims to represent, including which candidates are members, how many members there are as a whole and where to find the party's platform. He had yet to provide a response at press time.

On Wednesday, Mercredi said he didn't attend the forums because the questions ask for commitments that he can't make until he has all the necessary information to make an informed decision.

"You're backed up into a corner," he said. "All I can talk about is what I believe in."

He said that's also why he hasn't submitted responses to questions posed by NNSL online and the Union of Northern Workers.

Phone calls to Rudkevitch were not returned.

During Tuesday's forum, moderator Lauren McKiel brought attention to the fact that Ramsay's opponents were not in attendance and suggested that residents and candidates to keep an open mind.

"Bear in mind that forums are a voluntary thing. You attend because you want to attend, you want people to know your opinion. At the same time many people have family situations that don't permit them to take this time or may have illnesses," he said. "So lets keep it in perspective."

The event was well-attended by community members, who filled the seats in the hall and on the balcony.

There were four formal questions posed to candidates, one from each of the forum sponsors.

Bob Gamble, director of the Yellowknife Seniors' Society, asked the 15 candidates in attendance whether they would ensure funding for the society, which currently doesn't receive financial assistance from the GNWT.

All of the candidates agreed that seniors are an important part of the territory's population and deserve funding for their programs and services. Wendy Bisaro (Frame Lake) and Glen Abernethy (Great Slave) suggested that rather than giving funding to community groups, it would be better to fund the NWT Seniors' Society, who could then trickle the money down to the other societies.

Arlene Hache (Yellowknife Centre) said the government needs to do more than fund the society and other NGOs, it needs to allow organizations to manage their own money.

"I think if you have the funding yourself, you'll do a great job. There's no need for the GNWT to control funds.

"I would like to end that regime of control."

The second question posed to candidates came from Aggie Brockman of Alternatives North. She asked the candidates what they think of whistle blower legislation and whether they intend to work toward it.

All of the candidates spoke out in support of the legislation, saying GNWT employees need to be able to speak up about inefficiencies in their workplace. But Patrick Scott (Great Slave), David Wasylciw (Range Lake) and Duff Spence (Frame Lake) said whistle blower legislation is not the only answer.

Spence suggested that along with the legislation, there needs to be increased financial disclosure and expanded access to information.

"All of these things together need to work together to give us accountability," he said.

Todd Parsons, president of the Union of Northern Workers, asked the third question, first making note of the government's fiscal constraints.

"How will you make sure the programs and services provided by the public service are maintained?"

Most of the candidates spoke in favour of program reviews as a way to ensure government services are running as efficiently as possible. Candidates also assured the crowd that a review doesn't necessarily equate to cuts.

"We need to look at the programs and services that we have, make sure that they're making sense and those that aren't making sense anymore can go and the people that are affected are retrained," said Abernethy. "We keep them. We work with them to recycle them back into the public service."

The final question, raised by Yasmin Heyck of the YWCA, asked candidates how they would improve funding for community-based

family violence shelters.

Candidates agreed shelters are an important service in the North and deserve more funding. But increased funding wasn't enough for Bernard LeBlanc (Frame Lake), Bob Bromley (Weledeh), Robert Hawkins (Yellowknife Centre), Scott, Hache and Ramsay, who all felt the root problem needs to be addressed and dealt with through other

services and programs.

"I think we must address the root of the problem, which is basically alcohol and drugs," said LeBlanc. "I find that here in the territories we do not have these facilities, a rehabilitation centre for drugs and alcohol.

"So to address the root of the problem, we need some of these institutions in Yellowknife and maybe in other communities."

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