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Game on in Great Slave
Economy, housing, devolution on voters' minds

Jack Danylchuk
Northern News Services
Published Friday, September 9, 2011

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Incumbents have an undeniable advantage in territorial politics.

Without a party to help plant their names in the minds of voters, newcomers have a lot of ground to cover in a short time.

Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy won his first term handily in 2007, finishing first in a field of five candidates - a fact that doesn't daunt Patrick Scott, who is so far the only challenger to declare.

"An incumbent has a bit of a head start," says Scott, a television journalist, published author and one-time land claim negotiator for the territorial government.

"But it depends on the incumbent; because they have four years in the legislature, it doesn't mean they have done a good job."

Among his accomplishments in the legislative assembly, Abernethy counts changes made to the NWT Child and Family Services Act.

The government went through some "challenges and frustrations," ending with the withdrawal of the contentious Wildlife Act, but brought in important changes to the way children are dealt with, Abernethy said.

"From time to time children are going to need to be apprehended but does it make sense to take them away out of their communities, away from their culture, away from their language?" said Abernethy.

He was among the MLAs whose opposition forced Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger to withdraw the Wildlife Act.

"There was not enough consultation," said Abernethy.

"Too many people are unhappy. We need a new Act, but what was offered wasn't ready, it needs more work."

Scott spent the pre-campaign period that started in June going door-to-door in the constituency, a mix of single-family homes and apartments between downtown and Yellowknife Bay.

Voters' concerns are with dollar issues: the cost of living and affordability of housing are very much on their minds, as are health care, the $200 million Stanton Hospital renovation, and greenspace protection on Tin Can Hill.

Abernethy adds homelessness to the list of concerns, "not just in Yellowknife, but the communities as well. We need to get people off the social services cycle and into new jobs," in sectors now overlooked: agriculture and forestry.

"We need more employment opportunities in the communities where 40 per cent of the workforce is without jobs and people are locked into the social services cycle and public housing."

Overall, Scott was disappointed with the last assembly: "The territory was divided on devolution and the Wildlife Act and the results were minimal. It was divisive. We need to collaborate. We need to move forward together. Aboriginal governments are not the enemy."

"Devolution must be revisited," Scott said.

"The deal is good for Ottawa, but not the territory; Ottawa controls royalty rates, and keeps revenue from Norman Wells. If we can't gain economic sustainability from devolution, why are we doing it?"

Scott wants to expand post-secondary education opportunities in the territory.

"Aurora college has done a great job with the nursing program that allows students to stay here instead of going south and spending big bucks. We need more programs like that," he said.

Abernethy wants to streamline the regulatory process without losing environmental protection to bring more mineral exploration into the territory and retain a larger share of the revenue from mining.

"Most of the diamond dollars go south," said Abernethy who wants more emphasis on building the local economy with breaks for small, independent businesses.

"According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business we continue to rank dead last as far as red tape is concerned," said Abernethy.

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