Keep politicians on the hookNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, October 5, 2015
Ah, election season.
The time we vote candidates into positions in the House of Commons they will hold for the next handful of years, or until the prime minister again decides to dissolve Parliament.
This time around, four men are applying for a $167,400 per year job, plus travel allowances, in the Northwest Territories riding and you get to choose who is getting in.
The person who gets the position will fly between the territory and Ottawa for the next handful of years and represent our interests in Parliament. This person will advocate for much-needed Northern infrastructure and bring some of our biggest sociological concerns, such as missing and murdered indigenous women, support for people with addictions and mental health issues and the environment to the national stage.
In reality, it's more than a job. This person will play an integral roll in deciding how billions of dollars of government money should - and should not - be spent. This person will have a vision, aligned with his party's vision, on what the future of Canada should look like. This person will only be as effective as the amount of time he spends with the reports, research, polls, analyses and other documents that make up day-to-day government business. Between caucus, committee meetings, Parliamentary sittings and travel between Ottawa and the NWT, this person will have very little free time. This person must be committed.
Right now, Dennis Bevington of the New Democratic Party has this job - he's been the NWT's MP since 2006 -- as long as Stephen Harper has been prime minister. But Conservative Floyd Roland, Liberal Michael McLeod and Green Party candidate John Moore want it too.
In order to get in, they need your votes. Which means they're busy weaving tapestries of promises ranging from feasible to eye-rollingly inconceivable.
Roland has trumpeted Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his role in funding Northern infrastructure throughout his administration. He has recently pointed to the federal government's $100 million contribution to the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktok Highway. Recently, the Conservative Party promised millions more for other specific NWT road projects. Then, when Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger cried foul over the exclusion of Highway 5, which runs between Fort Smith and Wood Buffalo National Park, from the list, Harper said, "No problem" and added it during an August campaign stop in Hay River. Pretty sweet deal.
McLeod is busy unfurling his own laundry list of infrastructure projects, among them the holy grail of NWT wishes - the Mackenzie Valley Highway. He also promises to dredge the Hay River and build an all-weather road to Whati. Last week he announced funding for a new hospital and water pipeline in Yellowknife, although he now says the projects have not been improved by party brass. McLeod is aware his list is long and says he's willing to see the federal government enter a deficit in order to carry out these plans.
John Moore's campaign promises follow two themes - he wants to bring nuclear energy to the NWT and fund projects that build food security in the North.
While he hasn't made any specific promises on NWT infrastructure, Bevington says he would like to redistribute a portion of gas tax money the federal government collects to communities for clean energy and infrastructure projects.
As the Oct. 19 federal election nears, the candidates' platforms and lists of promises will grow. Northern News Services is maintaining a website available at nnsl.com and dedicating room in the paper every week to report on these campaign promises as they develop.
Your job is to pay attention to what these people have to say and vote for the person you think has the best vision for our country.
Inquest's findings a disgrace to governmentNunavut/News North - Monday, October 5, 2015
How can the Government of Nunavut possibly implement a strategy without allotting funding? That is one of the big questions coming out of the chief coroner's inquest into the high rate of suicide in the territory, which concluded Sept. 25.
It was an emotional nine days of testimony from witnesses which included families of people who died by suicide, experts from out of the territory, government employees, politicians, personnel from Inuit beneficiary organizations, RCMP officers, mental health workers and people involved with Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit (Embrace Life Council) and the Kamatsiaqtut Help Line.
Again and again, the six-person jury heard that resources were not available and that there was a lack of will from the most senior levels of government to implement a suicide prevention strategy.
A great deal of troubling facts were revealed during the course of the inquest.
The fact that obligations for funding were stripped from the suicide prevention strategy before it was approved by the legislative assembly is an abomination, an embarrassment to the government and a failure that can be seen as nothing less than a breach of trust to the people.
How did members of cabinet and ordinary MLAs allow this to happen on a life-and-death issue such as suicide? They all have blood on their hands because they gave approval to what could have been an effective strategy if the means to put it into action were provided. It is like giving the people an empty sack of flour and saying, "Here is your food."
The jury is to be commended for delivering the strongest recommendations possible, topped with a call for government to declare a public health emergency and followed up with a directive for the territorial government to appoint a cabinet minister responsible and accountable for suicide prevention and create a secretariat responsible for suicide prevention with the mandate and resources necessary.
Action is urgently required to stem the incidence of suicide. Not only have 486 people taken their own lives since the territory was created in 1999, one more person, a young man in Hall Beach, killed himself Sept. 20, while the inquest was underway.
The jury called for adoption of 41 of 42 recommendations from the independent evaluation. It recommends special initiatives for schools, government departments and the Embrace Life Council, calls for support groups, followup with those who attempt suicide, the incorporation of cultural awareness and language training.
Of vital importance is the jury's call for multi-year funding for a Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy, for the Kamatsiaqtut Help Line, for the Embrace Life Council and for Inuit organizations to deliver suicide prevention programs. The jury wants support from the highest political level and wants a progress report by next September.
Will the government now step up and take responsibility, and provide the funds to address the tragedy which has plagued the territory?
Immigrants welcome here Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, October 2, 2015
We need more Siyath Soks in Yellowknife.
Sok was still in his mother's womb when his parents and older brother fled from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. He was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. Through the altruism of an Ontario church group his family was brought into Canada and he eventually settled with his new wife in Yellowknife in 2011. They have three children and Sok says he "loves" the city.
To Sok, the NWT represents a place where he can start fresh; to the territorial government, Sok and family are worth 10s of thousands of dollars. The territory gets federal transfer payments of $35,000 per person a year, based on population, so it is within the GNWTs best interest to accept both refugees and immigrants into its borders.
While refugees and immigrants enter Canada under totally different terms, both are valuable to the population and workforce in the NWT.
In 2014-2015, according to Statistics Canada, 239,779 immigrants came to Canada.
While this is down by nearly 30,000 from the year before - quite possibly due to an increasingly strict federal immigration policy - the influx absolutely dwarfs the population of the entire territory.
And yet, there are $100,000-a-year jobs sitting vacant.
A quick review of mining jobs show multiple openings for heavy equipment operators, blaster helpers, pit operators and more. Some of these jobs require training and the NWT has the Mine Training Society of the Northwest Territories ready and willing to do its part.
And should the mining industry not be appealing to new immigrants and/or refugees, the service industry, which requires little to no training, is starving for staff.
This is an opportunity for the North.
More than any other Canadian jurisdiction, the NWT seems to be fighting a losing battle with its population.
While recent Statistics Canada figures do show an incremental increase - 0.2 per cent between this July and last - the territory has had a stagnant population for years, which from a dollars-and-cents perspective is like the territory sitting in front of a pile of money but not touching it.
Somewhere there's a disconnect. According to Immigrate NWT, a GNWT website that purports itself as "the Northwest Territories' official immigration portal," the NWT Nominee Program aims to "help strengthen the NWT economy by attracting qualified individuals to fill critical labour shortages and promote business development."
The sentiment is there.
Now, the GNWT just needs to wave a giant flag that can be seen from all across the land: immigrants welcome here.
Bay water still hard to swallow for some Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, October 2, 2015
When considering a strategy to solve the dilemma of the city's aging drinking water infrastructure on Yellowknife Bay, the solution remains murky.
The eight-kilometre pipeline that draws water from the Yellowknife River needs to be replaced by 2020 at a cost now estimated at about $20 million.
However, there may be a cheaper alternative, if the city makes a compelling case for the potability of water sourced from Yellowknife Bay.
City officials maintain the water in the bay is safe to drink, despite pervasive fears of arsenic contamination from the Giant Mine site. In fact, residents have swallowed water from the bay numerous times this summer as crews worked on the Yellowknife River pipeline to bring the city's new water treatment plant online. Residents were not informed of these brief changes of water source and, because the city adheres to Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines, officials argue there is no need to inform residents of instances of a temporary switch in the past and in the future.
The city's new water treatment plant, which went into operation earlier this year at a cost of more than $30 million, rescued Dettah, Ndilo and Yellowknife from a more than month-long boil-water advisory called due to high turbidity in the river. The facility is equipped to accommodate specially-designed arsenic-filtration equipment that could be installed at an estimated cost of between $4 million and $5 million.
Arsenic filtration could go a long way to assuaging concerns about toxins in the bay. What would also calm the waters of public opinion would be transparency. The city can clear up any misgivings about water quality in Yellowknife Bay if officials share scientific documentation confirming the water's safety. Doing so could save the city $15 million and provide peace of mind for residents.
Awareness week sheds lightDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, October 1, 2015
Sept. 26 marked the end of Family Violence Awareness Week in the Deh Cho, but the spirit of the week will live on for another year.
In Fort Providence, children joined adults in making signs to take with them during the Family Violence Awareness Walk.
In Fort Simpson, while some events were unfortunately canceled or postponed, RCMP members turned out to barbecue a lunch for the community.
Those who were not able to make it out this year need only look at photographs of the week to see how committed many community members remain to bringing domestic violence out of the shadows.
Domestic abuse happens in many forms - physically, psychologically, even financially - to all demographics, regardless of age or gender.
It happens to the very young and very old, to men, women and children.
Sometimes, it happens right under our noses and we don't even realize it.
Domestic violence can be easy to ignore for those of us who would rather not see it. It can be embarrassing and traumatizing to talk about. Family violence is often kept private.
However, in smaller close-knit communities, such as those in the Deh Cho, the signs of suffering can be clear to community members who want to help.
The NWT does not have an abundance of shelters for abused families and that is why weeks like these are more important than ever. Not only do they keep family violence in the spotlight, but they are also a great way for front-line staff such as RCMP and medical workers to disseminate information to victims.
That could be something as simple as a hotline, or it could be linking them up with much-needed resources.
One of the greatest benefits, albeit least-seen, of awareness weeks is that they let victims know they are not alone.
For them, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Still, more work needs to be done by governments and outreach organizations to reach others. More awareness still needs to be raised.
Awareness Weeks also provide necessary resources to neighbours, family members and friends who may know someone who is experiencing abuse but who don't know how to help.
As long as there are even a handful of people experiencing violence at the hands of a relative or loved one, Family Violence Awareness Week is necessary.
It is up to us to keep that light on domestic violence the other 51 weeks of the year.
Government should
fund daycare servicesInuvik Drum - Thursday, October 1, 2015
No matter how you look at it, daycare is a win.
It allows parents to work without having to scramble every day to find someone to watch their children. This allows them to support their families and contribute to the economy and pay taxes, which supports the greater good. It creates employment in the community, something that everyone can agree is especially needed. It also provides a basis for learning and socialization for children before they enter school and education begins in earnest.
Also, children seem to think it's pretty fun.
But a major provider of daycare in our community is struggling in a big way and the government has so far failed to step up.
Now, I don't know that everything in our lives needs to be taken care of by government. But there is definitely room for philanthropy in things like art and culture and all sorts of other things, including childcare. When things are going well, when a community can support childcare options for itself as a result of donations and contributions, it's a good thing. But in the case of the Children First Society, fundraising dollars tanked to $56,000 in its second year from $151,000 in its first incomplete year of operation. That is pretty substantial, even if it isn't anything close to the majority of the budget for the entire centre itself.
There are some things that need to be saved when the community can no longer support them and childcare is one of them. It is government's place to do it.
In a perfect world, one parent could work and support a family while another stayed home and took care of children. Or there could be grandparents available who are healthy enough to chase toddlers around all day. There are a variety of ideal solutions for childcare but unfortunately, very few people live in an ideal world. Single parents have to make ends meet. Even two-parent families struggle to pay the bills with two pay cheques, and extended families aren't always around or capable of helping with such a demanding and vital task.
So we have daycare. Daycare has been proven to improve the learning skills of children across the country, so much so that the GNWT has implemented a junior kindergarten program to get children into schools earlier in their lives in the hopes of raising the abysmal literacy rates in the territory.
They are willing to essentially create a whole new grade, in space already claimed and used by elementary schools but are only now reviewing the funding system for institutions that essentially already do all that.
As rates for Children First Centre rise, organizers admit that it's forcing some families out because they can't afford to pay the higher fee. This will only make getting money from community members more difficult. Asking for help for families who can already afford to send their children to daycare is a hard sell no matter who you ask, even if that's not how it actually plays out in real life.
Instead, maybe the government should hurry along its review of how it funds daycares and step up for the children and families who really need the help.
Roadblock to informationYellowknifer - Wednesday, September 30, 2015
The NWT's access to information legislation has so many holes in it, it may as well have been written on a block of Swiss cheese.
One would expect Information and Privacy Commissioner Elaine Keenan-Bengts to be able to chew her way through it to get to the truth. Unfortunately, like the legislation she lacks teeth.
It sure seems simple enough to write out the form and slap $25 on the table. An applicant is entitled to a response within 30 days. But then, the response may be a simple "no" if the answer is deemed too embarrassing.
This is not an exaggeration. A government department can deny access to the information requested if what is found within could "impair relations" between the GNWT and the federal government, a band council, municipal councils and organizations negotiating treaties or land claims.
Let's say the Yellowknives Dene suspects the territorial government is giving the First Nation the short end of the stick. The Yellowknives dutifully apply for information they feel is relevant. Let's say that information is damning. The head of the department could say it would "impair relations" between these two levels of government and then hide it from the public eye.
Don't agree with the decision? Appeal to the information and privacy commissioner. She will review the request, and if she feels the department head made the wrong call, well, nothing will happen. She might complain about it in her annual report. Ultimately, there is nothing in the legislation that allows her to force the government to disclose that information. A recommendation is about as much as she can deliver.
The commissioner can point you toward the NWT Supreme Court to appeal, where you can wage a David versus Goliath battle against a GNWT phalanx of $500 an hour lawyers. One would be lucky to walk away from such an undertaking with only a four-figure legal bill.
As written, the current legislation for the most part provides nothing more than a window dressing of accountability, while in practice is a free pass for tight-lipped politicians hoping to keep the egg off their faces. Requests can be denied for up to 15 years.
That's long enough for an MLA to be elected three times over before voters are allowed unfettered access to the truth.
It doesn't have to be this way. Give the commissioner the teeth to make the call and make it stick. Right now, the deck is stacked in favour of the government of the day, people who may not want to see potentially embarrassing information released.
With an election ahead, potential MLAs should be making that case, and voters should be pushing them for it.
Access to information is an important issue to all Northerners and any resistance to accountability is indefensible.
Harper benefits from opponents' poor aimEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Listening to translated debates can often be trying for anyone not dedicated to the issues being discussed.
However, non-French speaking folks who took in the French-language debate between our federal leaders this past week -- or did extensive reading on it the next day -- came away with a better understanding of the issues on the campaign's backstretch.
They also got a clearer picture of those leading their parties to the Oct. 19 election and what, beyond all the rhetoric, they stand for.
This corner says Prime Minister Stephen Harper came away a clear winner in the debate, an opinion seemingly shared by many as the Tories built on their rise in popularity following the debate and are within range of another majority government.
But, oddly enough, it was the other leaders' weaknesses, not Harper's strengths, that gave the prime minister a big night.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe showed anyone with lingering doubts that he is a man out of time leading a party out of touch.
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair showed he's losing focus on what matters to voters by engaging Duceppe in a totally useless debate on the 1995 referendum.
Seriously? Duceppe's attack and Mulcair's temper tantrum showed both men missed the memo that voters have already deemed the Bloc Quebecois as an irreverent party at this point in time.
Elizabeth May would be someone to keep an eye on, if only she wasn't leading a rudderless Green Party.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau missed a glorious chance to be the one true threat to Harper by following the tone of the debate and not taking dead aim at Harper and the Conservatives' past record.
In fact it was the total absence of such a move by the combined leaders that handed the debate to Harper, wrapped with a ribbon of convincing majority blue.
Harper gets full marks for suppressing a giggle as the debate raged over the niqab, which certainly should not be the tipping issue in a federal election or the province of Quebec.
Trudeau was obviously trying to change his image of a chippy young leader not yet ready for prime time by taking a more restrained approach, trying to keep the focus on his plan to cut taxes for the middle class and spend billions on infrastructure in an attempt to stimulate the Canadian economy.
Some suggest his weakness in the French language, as opposed to his strength in English, contributed to the non-factor image his style depicted in the debate.
That may be, but had Trudeau and the other three leaders made the Tory record the centre of attention in the debate, rather than Mulcair because of the NDP's strength in Quebec, the political forecast for the October election might look a little different today.
Harper entered the debate with a bull's-eye begging to be hit by picking away at the failed programs and Senate scandal that has dogged the Tories for so long.
But the savvy politician surveyed the political battlefield, donned his camouflage, and turned a potential Waterloo into a V-Day celebration for the Tories.
The failure of the other parties to recognize, let alone hit, Harper's weak spots in the debate may well prove the difference in the Tories returning to power with a majority government on Oct. 19.
