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Dave Ramsay relishes his role Kam Lake representative holds cabinet’s feet to the fire Jack Danylchuk Northern News Services Published Friday, September 9, 2011
Arctic Farmer owner Darwin Rudkevitch announced last week that he was challenging Ramsay for the seat but he declined an interview and had not responded to questions sent by e-mail at press time. With the deadline for nominations approaching, Ramsay's Tory blue signs stand alone on roadsides throughout the constituency. "I've never been more focused in trying to retain the seat and letting people know I'm still very much interested in being their MLA," says Ramsay. Despite his enthusiasm for a third term, Ramsay has all but given up on obtaining a seat on cabinet. "I may have rubbed someone the wrong way, or had a line of questioning someone didn't like, that's the system we're in," he says. Ramsay served two terms on Yellowknife city council, and was president of the Western Arctic Progressive Conservative Riding Association. He worked as a tourism development officer with the territorial government and ran his own business. The role of a regular MLA is to keep the government accountable and in check and Ramsay has become expert at exposing the weakness in legislation and personalities on the cabinet side of the legislature. Floyd Roland's sexual dalliance with a clerk, the fumbled Deh Cho Bridge project, health care reforms, board amalgamation, widespread discontent with the Wildlife Act, were all grist for Ramsay's mill. During the next assembly many of the issues will be familiar: devolution, royalties, and resource revenue sharing, during the next assembly. A new borrowing limit must be negotiated with Ottawa to accommodate major projects like the $200 million Stanton Territorial Hospital retrofit. Managing the conclusion of the Deh Cho Bridge project will be a big issue as well, says Ramsay. Government spending on roads and buildings looms large in Kam Lake where it's the bread and butter for companies that have settled in the industrial park. "When a project is over $200 million, and delay it two years there will be slippage," says Ramsay, who is concerned that commitments to major projects will force the government to scale back in other areas.
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