Government wise not to raise taxes in 2016-17 budgetNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, June 13, 2016
It's not the time to panic, folks.
We're pleased to see the Government of the Northwest Territories has chosen to weather the lingering effects of the 2008 financial storm and a prolonged slump in global commodity prices with what is essentially a stay-the-course budget.
The Conference Board of Canada reports all three territories faced difficult economic conditions in 2015. And it says the struggles are not over, as the mining sector will continue to face headwinds over the near term.
So we grudgingly accept the fact the GNWT plans to run a deficit in the tens of millions in its budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year. This even after cuts of $53 million from programs and services.
But it is also not the time for massive layoffs of government workers, as that would shoot an arrow into local economies, putting these skilled workers in need of public assistance, or leaving the NWT altogether. In the long term, the territory needs these folks around as the economy recovers. In the short term, the NWT also needs them to be consumers and renters or landowners. And, hopefully, happy citizens.
It wasn't the time for Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod to issue an austerity budget. And on June 1, he didn't.
"I looked it up this morning. An austerity measures budget is one where there (is) a lot of job loss and raising taxes to try to offset some of your expenditures," he told the media on June 1.
His budget does call for some layoffs, likely less than 20, a number whittled down from an estimated 58 job losses indicated by the government last week, and in fact, the government plans to hire another 28 people for other positions.
The budget calls for the removal of millions of dollars in funding for various programs and services. We hope there is meaningful consultation between the GNWT and those affected groups before the budget is voted on in a month.
But cuts surely have to be made, as revenues remain flat for the GNWT, which are actually forecast to decline by 0.1 per cent over the next four years.
While there are no new taxes in the budget, there is an increase in some user fees. That is a form of taxation but a targeted one.
It's not all doom and gloom. There are signs the sluggish economy is perking up.
The Conference Board predicts in the medium and long terms, resource development in the North is expected to pick up, as additional mines come online at the end of this decade and in the 2020s.
Moreover, the National Energy Board recently granted a conditional seven-year extension to Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Ltd. for its multi-billion dollar Mackenzie Gas Project.
"I think it's a good move," said Premier Bob McLeod, who is also minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, about the gas plant and pipeline project. "This is something that the people of the Northwest Territories have wanted for a long time.
"We all expect (the price of natural gas) will come back before 2022."
So while that might seem to be a long way off, the worst thing the territorial government could do at this point is panic. It needs to continue to encourage private development. It also needs to show the federal government it is a fiscally responsible constituency worth investing in when infrastructure money is doled out, which could help the territory immensely in the short to medium term as the NWT waits for the early 2020s to arrive.
So while we strongly encourage the GNWT to continue to look for ways to trim the fat now, and over the next few years but we don't need to panic and slice down to the bone.
High profile put on struggle with addictionNunavut/News North - Monday, June 13, 2016
Although the specific circumstances that prompted Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo to resign from cabinet and caucus to seek treatment for addiction issues hasn't been made public, there has been an outpouring of support.
It seems that Tootoo was doing a good job as minister of Fisheries and Oceans and minister responsible for the Canadian Coast Guard prior to the startling announcement. Funding has been restored for important fisheries research projects cut by the previous Conservative government, there has been progress on shipbuilding contracts to replace Canada's aging Coast Guard fleet and Tootoo appeared to be a popular senior Liberal politician, making headlines for wearing a sealskin tie to a dinner at the White House with U.S. President Barack Obama.
That he suddenly resigned May 31, and the terse statement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that followed, came as a big surprise to many people inside the Liberal party, observers, media and his constituents in Nunavut.
However, despite all the probing, questions and speculation, Tootoo issued a simple and short statement -- "I have decided to seek treatment for addiction issues and ask for privacy at this time."
His request for privacy has been respected and many prominent people have gone one step further by offering words of encouragement. Tootoo's cousin, New Jersey Devils hockey player Jordin Tootoo, tweeted that it takes a real man to stand up and ask for help.
Jordin knows first hand what it takes to successfully battle addiction issues, having checked into an alcohol addiction rehabilitation program in 2010 and outlining his personal struggles in his book All the Way: My Life On Ice.
Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna issued a statement in support of Tootoo's decision and called on MLAs to "extend your support to Mr. Tootoo and his family, as he takes this time to heal."
Tootoo is not the first MP to seek treatment for personal issues, and likely won't be the last. Most recently, Newfoundland MP Seamus O'Regan attended a 45-day wellness program to deal with problems with alcohol over this past Christmas season.
We wish Tootoo well in his efforts to receive treatment for addictions and suggest that others can use his actions as incentive to deal with their own addiction issues.
Perhaps a high-profile person going public with his battle against his demons will encourage others to address their addictions, seek treatment and embrace a life of sobriety.
Meanwhile, his constituents are counting on him to come back sober and continue the hard work that he left. It is encouraging that Trudeau added Tootoo's ministerial duties to another cabinet minister's portfolio, rather than appointing a new minister, potentially paving the way for Tootoo to regain the important post he previously filled.
Cousin Jordin successfully regained his status in the NHL after being sent down to the minor leagues after treatment. Hopefully Hunter will come back stronger than ever to represent Nunavummiut in the House of Commons and Inuit on national and international stages.
Clearer path needed for mental health maze Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, June 10, 2016
The anguish and frustration described in the pages of Yellowknifer last week as a woman told of her struggle to find help within the NWT's mental health care system should not be taken as a criticism of the frontline workers in the system ("Woman lost in mental health care maze," June 3).
The woman was brave to come forward with her story of abuse and alcohol dependency, as well as her subsequent recovery and the difficulties she continues to face in finding the help she needs within the current system.
The response to this should not be for politicians and administrators to assume a defensive position. Clearly, there is an issue with the patient intake mechanics of mental health care in the territory and in Yellowknife in particular.
As the manager for Community Mental Health and Adult Services Yellowknife acknowledged, it's not unusual for communication breakdowns to occur between the clinic and its patients.
In one sense this shouldn't come as a surprise. Voluntarily entering the mental health system is not an easy step to take. Society continues to unfairly stigmatize those suffering from mental health issues as being somehow weak. It takes incredible strength to admit to oneself and others of being in need.
When a person is ready to make that step, resources should be dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition into the system before something can interfere with the decision.
For example, if a recovering alcoholic decides to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, he or she is not turned away at the door and told to book an appointment. As a society we recognize there are times when need must be met with quick response.
A cry for help during a time of prolonged mental or emotional crisis is one of those times. The woman who told her story in our pages has spent more than a year since her initial intake consultation trying to get off the waiting list and into active care.
Consider for a moment that the woman could be your mother, daughter, sister or friend. No one should face this much difficulty in getting into the mental health system.
MLAs must act to fix this system. Doing nothing will only ensure more shattered families and heartache.
Better road to passed-on loved ones needed Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, June 10, 2016
The road leading to the final resting place for citizens who have passed on could be seen as a reflection of how much a community cares for them.
In this case the lament over the state of Road 66 is understandable, being that it is basically a gravel track leading to Lakeview Cemetery from Old Airport Road.
Al Digness, whose wife, May Anne, is buried there, says in a city full of paved streets leaving the road unpaved to the cemetery is no way to show respect for the dead or the people who come to pay their respects to them.
When his wife died in November 2014, Digness said 400 people travelled down the bumpy dirt road to be at her funeral.
Nonetheless, as it stands, with many competing priorities, paving the cemetery road is not currently one of them, according to city councillor Julian Morse. He said if citizens are concerned over the road they should contact city council.
On this count, the councillor is right. Public pressure is where the rubber hits the road.
Those citizens who feel the same way should be going to council and demanding they make it a priority. Council is supposed to work for the citizens who elected them but they need to know what the people's priorities are so they can set their goals.
Cantung needs more oversightDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, June 9, 2016
Spills at the Cantung Mine site are nothing new but this is the first time they have been reported during the mine's care and maintenance period.
The spills listed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources began with a 2006 spill of 250,000 litres of sewage, and the hits just kept on coming. In total, the department lists 42 spill reports from Cantung over the past 10 years. Those range in severity from a few litres of oil up to tens of thousands of litres. In fact, out of all the reports, 10 of them involved spills over 10,000 litres and at least four were over 100,000 litres. One report from 2014 listed on the department's database puts the amount of a spill at Cantung at 10,011 cubic metres - that's more than 10 million litres.
In the past year alone, the mine has seen some significant spills, including 2,000 litres of mill tailings spilling in August 2015 and 138,000 litres of mine water spilling in November.
The point is that the mine site is no stranger to spills. In fact, its robust history with cleaning up messes would make one think staff would take extra care on-site to prevent routine spills from occurring.
The amount of the latest spill, where water laden with sediment from the mine's quarry overran sediment barriers and poured directly into the Flat River, may never be known -- in part because it seems unclear as to when that spill began.
The fact it took a federal inspection to find that spill and rectify it does not engender much faith in the care and maintenance protocols of the site.
It is incredibly concerning that a site which has staff present every day would show such delinquency.
That concern is exacerbated by the fact the key duties of the present staff are to deal with environmental risk minimization, water treatment and site maintenance.
At least two of those duties do not seem to be a priority. The federal government's damning report in mid-May detailing a slew of spills, lining tears and leaks, is proof of that. The public relies on the processes the government has put in place to ensure mine sites remain safe and free of contamination. In the back of many minds is the general worry that those processes will fail -- as they have done with Cantung Mine.
At this point, Cantung Mine has been in care and maintenance for the better part of a year, and that will continue into the foreseeable future.
With all these spills coming to light now, the most logical recourse for all parties is frequent, stringent inspections of the site on a regular basis.
And since it is clear staff at Cantung Mine may overlook a leak or lining tear, those inspections should be done exclusively by the federal government.
Let the light shine on many successesInuvik Drum - Thursday, June 9, 2016
Last week we wrote about the lack of attendance at East Three Secondary on the one hand, and celebrated its graduates on the other.
This week, we want to emphasize the achievements of students still on that journey to the end of their high school career.
Not only did two East Three students top the podium in their divisions at the NWT Territorial Track and Field Championships in Hay River, coach Kenzie MacDonald said the whole team exceeded expectations and that he looks forward to returning with a more experienced team next year.
Joshua DeKwant, for his part, travelled to Ottawa to represent the whole territory at a national geography competition.
While he did not make the finals, he went in knowing that he would be one of the youngest competitors, and was looking forward to the learning experience.
There are any number of notable achievements this week on the part of students, although we only covered a few, and while they are certainly impressive and worthy of note, one small comment in the newspaper stands out this week.
Paul O'Connor told the Drum that he had wanted to go to the track and field championships last year, but that his grades weren't good enough. He worked hard, studied, and got them up, and went on to the event and achieved third place in an important race.
It may not sound like much, but it shows that there is room for growth within the system, that students can find the motivation through sport, or travel, or team spirit, or whatever it is, to do better and succeed.
I didn't have time to get all the details of O'Connor's struggles due to a rushed interview while he was waiting to board the plane home in Yellowknife. There is a tendency, however, to pigeonhole children (and people in general) as "good" or "bad" quite early on. Afterward it seems like those in the second category have to fight that much harder to be seen as anything but deserving of the label they were mistakenly given.
East Three does a remarkable job of being inclusive and helping all kinds of students get the most they can out of the system.
Things like track and field championships and geography challenges only throw that work into better light.
GNWT shamed into respecting human rightsYellowknifer - Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Up until recently, the territorial government has ignored a dilemma regarding the human rights of women going through the court system in Yellowknife.
For years it has been routine practice for the Justice Department to house women awaiting court appearances in RCMP cells if they haven't been sent to the women's correctional facility in Fort Smith. This is because there is no proper place in Yellowknife for these women to stay. There is the North Slave Correctional Centre but the department insisted only men could be housed there.
RCMP cells are much less hospitable than regular jail and are not meant for long stays. Prisoners are not given pillows or regular showers. The lights are kept on 24 hours per day. There is no music, television or books. Prisoners are not allowed to call anybody but their lawyer.
This problem has come to fore on numerous occasions. In 2008, Yellowknifer reported an Inuvik woman was held in RCMP cells for 17 days, in conditions her lawyer Hugh Latimer regarded as "disgusting."
Last spring, a woman was held in cells for five days and only given one shower.
This February, a woman was lodged in RCMP cells for 12 days, prompting her lawyer to argue her human rights had been violated.
Justice Robert Gorin agreed, finding in his ruling the practice of housing female prisoners in RCMP cells is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Previously, the territorial government has argued making room for women at the North Slave Correctional Centre wouldn't be possible because it would require expensive renovations. After Gorin's judgment, it turns out officials only had to make changes that were "organizational in nature with re-purposing of specific space," according to a Department of Justice spokesperson.
It's wonderful the government has taken measures to solve this problem but galling that it took a judge's assessment that the practice violated charter rights to do it. Why did it take such a big, public push to get bureaucrats on the right track? Why did they hide behind arguments that change is expensive before they were prompted to come up with a better solution?
It shouldn't take a Charter challenge to push the territorial government to respect the human rights of its citizens, especially when all it takes is a little re-organization to make it happen.
Territorial officials might be a little red in the face after this but hopefully it serves as a lesson to make sure their standards meet the Charter of Rights and Freedoms before a judge has to shame them into realizing it.
Significantly cutting Co2 will impoverish the worldEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, June 8, 2016
As most regular readers of Kivalliq News realize, I am not an advocate of the current battle against global warming, climate change or whatever the politically-correct term is in any given week.
While there can be no denying Mother Earth is undergoing changes, she has imposed her will upon mankind before under similar claims of gloom, doom and despair.
To me, however, this has always been a case of reading what the environmental warriors plan in their attack upon climate change, researching the effects of said plan, and realizing unless we all want to go back to living in caves or grass huts, the numbers just don't add up.
So, I was keenly interested in getting the high points of Cambridge University electrical engineering professor Michael (M.J.) Kelly's peer-reviewed article on the matter.
And I wasn't surprised to learn Kelly's opinion is that fighting global warming with green energy will impoverish the world.
The bottom line is, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions enough to actually slow global warming by the tiniest bit, would not only greatly reduce living standards around the globe, it would plunge most of it into destitution.
The reason being, of course, fossil fuels have paved the road out of stifling poverty for countless people for hundreds of years.
Kelly further points out the grand plan of developing wind and solar power may actually increase CO2 emissions, which isn't likely to accomplish much in the slowing of global warming.
He also pours a dose of cold reality over those who support the notion of wind-, solar- and biofuel-generated power by mentioning the fact these methods simply don't justify the massive subsidies needed to support them.
We're not talking a relative handful of folks with the wherewithal to go off grid with their sea-can homes or cabins near the woods, we're talking massive cities with massive energy needs.
Kelly dares to ponder how these first-generation renewable-energy projects, as part of the de-carbonization project, have made it so far without being challenged by engineering reality.
Well, in our era of political correctness gone mad, one reason is that anyone who actually speaks out against the madness is either shouted down (if lucky), or shut out of energy and science funding entirely.
No soup for you!
Kelly points out in 2010 wind power alone received $5 billion in subsidies, while solar and wind power receive 326 and 69 times more in subsidies than coal, oil and natural gas per amount of energy generated.
For all that money, in 2015 solar and wind power accounted for only 0.6 and 4.7 per cent respectively of electricity generated in the United States.
Another huge part of the problem are those who rabidly, or mindlessly, support wind and solar power without understanding the methodology or economics involved.
But the court of public opinion can be quite damning without worrying over conclusions such inconvenient truths may uncover.
That is why, as Kelly once so rightly pointed out in a letter to The New York Times, the climate change denier is a myth in the heads of the environmentalists, that seems to prevent them from entering into conversation with anyone who dares to criticize environmentalism.
Fuel for thought!
