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OPINION5TuesdayMarch192013FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms-7Cand-19CNorms-4Cand-18C-9Low-10Low-5High-3High-15Low-4High-19Low-11Low-13Low-4High-3High-13Low-5High-18Low-6High-2HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-16Cand-27CNorms-10Cand-22C-25Low-31Low-27Low-31Low-11Low-15Low-7High-7High-16Low-6High-21Low-8High-20High-17High-21High-15HighEditorTheNWTdevolutiondealomitsathirdoftheNWTmajorFirstNationsmapsincludedfailstoreachconsensuswithFirstNa-tionsYellowknife.IsthequickiedealnegotiatedbetweenOttawaandYel-lowknifeagifttominingcompaniesormerelyun-loadingthecostlyburdenofregulatingNWTminesTheHarpergovernmentannounceditwilltransferfederalpowersovermin-ingtotheyounggovern-mentoftheNWTonMar.11.HoweveraverylargepartoftheNWTisNOTincludedinOttawasrusheddevolutiondealDehchoFirstNationsandAkai-tchoTerritoryseemapsonwebsiteswww.dehcho.orgmembers_map_de-hcho_territory.htmwww.akaitchoterritory.comAkaitchoMap.aspx.Thehastytransferofenvironmentalandmin-ingauthoritytotheyounggovernmentoftheNWTwillresultinweakerenvi-ronmentalprotectionandalostopportunityforfullparticipationinresourcemanagementbyallFirstNationsandcommunities.EdnaCamsellDevolutionaquickiedealwithfedsTherecentfurorovertheexpenseaccountsofsenatorshasmademanypeoplenotonlyquestiontheintegrityoftheinstitutionbutitsvalueaswell.Thenationaldebateoveritsfuturehasbeengivennewlife.AsaresulttheConser-vativesbillonreformingtheSenatemayshowupintheHouseofCommonsfordebateassoonasthisspring.DoesthefederalSenatehaveafutureTheprovinceswhoallhadSenatesintheirlegis-lativeassemblieswhentheyjoinedConfederationhavedisbandedthem.Expensiveandineffectiveweremorethanenoughreasonsforourprovincialleaderstoditchthiscolonialhangover.Letslookatoursoleremain-ingSenateinCanada.Herewehaveanappointedbodyofre-spectablecitizensostensiblytheretoprovideasecondlookattheworkoftheelectedpol-iticiansprovidingthemwithadvice.TheyareassuredtheirTheCanadianSenate-tobeornottobepostsuntiltheyturn75yearsofage.Itsoundsmoreusefulthanitturnsouttobe.Regionalrepresentativesasoursenatorsaresupposedtobebylawbe-comesmeaninglesswhenallsenatorsareregularparticipantsinthefederalcaucusofeithertheConservativesorLiberals.Regionalrepresentationmeansverylittlewhenparti-sanideologytakesover.ForexamplethesenatorfromNunavutvotedtorejectcli-matechangelegislationpassedbytheelectedHouseofCom-mons.SobersecondopinionisajokewhenallConservativesenatorsjoinhimindefeatingthislegislationpriortoevenhearingtheevidenceinSen-atecommittees.Whatwehavenowisahighlypoliticizedsenateheav-ilyweightedwithHarperCon-servativeappointmentsmorethan50percent.Inalllike-lihoodthatnumberwillin-creasebythenextfederalelec-tionslatedforthefallof2015.TheoppositionbothNDPandLiberalknowwhatproblemsastronglypoliticizedSenatewillpresenttoanynewgovernmentthatmightcomeatthattime.AnewlyelectedgovernmentattemptingtoreformConser-vativelegislationaspartofitselectionmandatewilllikelybefrustratedanddelayedindoingsobythislegacyofConserva-tivesenators.IsthesolutionastheCon-servativePartysuggestsinBillC-7toelectsenatorsforlimitedtermsThisbillwasintroducedover12monthsagoandhaslanguishedsince.Byturningthesenatorsintopoli-ticiansbyraisingtheirproleintheirregionswillthisre-allyservethestatedgoalsoftheinstitutionWillsuchaneffortsim-plymeanthatthelegislativewilloftheelectedHouseofCommonsbefrustratedtoagreaterdegreeTakealookatourneighbourstothesouthwherethetwoelectedHousescanhardlyeveragreetoany-thingandwheregridlockisassistinginthefailureoftheAmericanstate.TheappointedCanadianSenatehaslostmuchofthesupportthatitmayhaveclungtoovertheyears.Itisvulner-ableandtheactionsofahand-fulofhighrollingpersonali-tieshavetarnishedit.Thereisamoodinthecountryforchange.TheConservativescouldbringtheirbillforwardandtheyhavethemajoritytopassitquickly.Arethesechangessensibleandgoodfortheop-erationofourdemocracyorwilltheycauseevenmoredifcultyingoverningthiscountryLETTERTOTHEEDITORCORRECTIONInlastweeksbriefTransmissionlineworkerinjureditwasincorrectlystatedthattheinjuredworkerwasaNTPowerCorp.employee.TheinjuredmanwasemployedbyacompanyworkingundercontractforNTPowerCorp.Weapologizeforthiserror.Manyofusstrugglewithtaxes.Theimageofsomeonehaulingamessybigboxfullofreceiptsintoalong-sufferingbookkeeperoraccountantisclassic.Keepingrecordsandreceiptsthroughouttheyearisjustsensibleespeciallyifyourunasmallbusiness.Butfortheorganizationally-chal-lengedoroverly-busypersonthatmeansmostofusitiseasiersaidthandone.HereisanewapproachusingthatAsmartwaytofiletaxeswonderfullittleSwissArmyKnifeliketoolweallcarryaroundnowadayscalledasmartphone.Itisinfactsomuchmorethanaphone.Inthiscaseusethecameratotakeapictureofreceiptsassoonasyougetthem.YoucanuploadthemtoanynumberofvirtualstoragesolutionslikeDropboxorRackspaceandofcourseGooglehasacloudstoragesolutionjustdownloadtheappoftheoneyouwant.Oryoucane-mailthereceiptpicturetoyourselfbutalwaysputsomethingeasytosearchinthesubjectlinethatiscommontoallofthemlikeReceiptandthenthedate.YestheCanadianRevenueAgencyCRAwillacceptvirtualreceiptcopiesfortaxling.NorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKAcoalitionofAlbertadoctorsmedevacpilotsandruraladvocatesisstillurgingtheprovincialgovernmenttoreconsideritsplanstomoveairambulanceservicestotheEdmontonInterna-tionalAirportnearLeducdespiteattemptsbyPremierAlisonRedfordtoquellworries.Doctorsunconvincedmedevacmovewonthinderhealthnorj.caHelenHudson-MacdonaldThiswillalsoaffectNWTresidentsasusualourGovtisntpeepingStellaWasylyshynmythoughtsex-actlysophoneyourMLAlolDennisBevingtonMPWesternArctic