Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
PoliticsTerritorial2TuesdayNovember122013NEWSBRIEFSDiscoveryAirtoydirectfromCalgarytoNormanWellsCalgary-basedDiscoveryAirInternationalhasannounceditwillbeyingdirectfromCalgarytoNormanWellswithscheduledightsthreetimesaweekstartingNov.13.TheairlinewillprovidecorporateshuttleserviceusingaBom-bardierChallenger601jetequippedwitha12-passengerexecutiveinterior.Theannouncementfollowsrecentspecu-lationaroundNormanWellsbecomingthecentreofNorthAmericasnextshaleoilboomwithveoilcompaniesbuyinglandintheregion.DiscoveryAirInternationalisownedbyDiscoveryAirInc.whichownstheNorthern-basedairlineAirTindioperatingoutofYellowknife.AlbertaspetroleummarketingcommissiontoexpandroleNewlegislationproposedlastweekbytheAlbertagovern-mentwouldexpandtheroleofAlbertaspetroleummarket-ingcommissionallowingittoexplorenewopportunitiesfortheprovincesroyaltycrudeandbitumen.TheBuildingNewPetroleumMarketsActwhichwastabledintheleg-islatureunderBill34lastweekwillseeanincreaseinthegovernment-appointeddirectorsfromthreetoseveninclud-ingexpertsfromoutsidethepublicserviceandclaricationofthenancialtoolsavailabletothethecommissionwhichcouldincludeprovidingloansormakingequityinvestmentsinprojects.Thecommissioniscurrentlyresponsibleforsell-ingtheconventionaloilthatgovernmentreceivesinlieuofcashroyaltiesandfortheBitumenRoyalty-In-Kindpolicy.AlbertaBCreachpipelineagreementAlbertaPremierAlisonRedfordandBCPremierChristyClarkannouncedlastweekthattheyhavereachedaframe-workagreementformovingenergyresourcestonewmar-kets.AccordingtoapressreleasetheagreementwouldseethegovernmentofBCendorseRedfordsCanadianEnergyStrategywithAlbertaacknowledgingBCsveconditionsforpipelineapprovalincludingtherighttonegotiatewithindustryonappropriateeconomicbenets.BothprovincesagreedthatAlbertasroyaltiesarenotonthetablefornego-tiation.Whiletheagreementdoesnotpointtoaparticularpipelineitlaysouttherulesforfutureprojects.WINTERTIRESSAVELIVESSHORTERSTOPPINGDISTANCESBETTERTRACTIONTIRENORTHLTD.917MacKenzieHwySS22HayRiverNTX0E0R8Callusat867874-2686Weareyourwintertiresolution.WHENTHERUBBERHITSTHEROADMLAsignorelegalthreatstandgroundwith19electoralseatsByJACKDANYLCHUKWiththethreatofalegalchallengeloomingoverheadthelegislaturelastweekvoted10-7forwhatoneMLAlabeledtheworstofthreeoptionstoredrawtheterritoryselectoralboundariesforthe2015election.Offeredachoiceofcuttingthenumberofconstituenciesto18keepingthelegislatureat19seatsoraddingtwoMLAsoptedtoredrawboundariesofseveralconstituencieswithoutchangingthenumberofseats.ThisistheworstofthethreescenariossaidBobBromleywhoseWeledehconstituencywilllosetheYellowknivesDenecommunitiesofNDiloandDettahtoaslightlyexpandedTuNedheconstituency.Itdoesnotresolvetheissuesofunderandover-representation.Aswelltheissuesofcultureandlanguageremain.RangeLakeMLADarylDolynnysaidWereippingacoin50-50thatweregoingtogetaCharterchallenge21seatsIcanprobablyalmostguaranteewillkeepusoutofthecourts.Lastmonthagroupcall-ingitselfFriendsofDemoc-racyurgedYellowknifecitycounciltolobbycityMLAsfortwomoreseatsintheleg-islatureandwarneditwouldconsiderappealinganythinglesstothecourts.BillAhowholedthedelega-tiontocityhallsaidhewouldcontinuetopursuetheissue.Iwillbegettingintouchwithlikemindedpeopletodiscusswhattheoptionsmaybehesaid.InanemailtoTheJour-nalMayorMarkHeyckex-presseddisappointmentwiththedecision.TheAssemblyhasdecidedtostickwithwhatismoreorlessthestatusquo.Yellowknifewillcontinuetobesignicantlyunder-representedintheLeg-islatureandthatssimplynotfairtocitizenswholivehere.CitizensoftheTlichoregionwillalsocontinuetobeunder-representedasaresultofthisdecisionHeyckwrote.Fundamentallythisexer-cisewasaboutachievingthedemocraticprinciplesoffair-nessequityandeffectiverep-resentationinourLegislativeAssemblybutthatgoalhasclearlynotbeenachieved.DuringdebateseveralMLAsexpressedtheneedtoremovethepoliticaldimensionfromelectoralboundariesandIwholeheartedlyagreewiththatsentimentHeycksaid.InthefuturetheElectoralBoundariesCommissionshouldhavetheabilitytomakebind-ingrecommendationstotheAssemblyotherwisegrow-ingregionsoftheterritorywillcontinuetobepoliticallyunder-representedandcitizensinthoseregionswillberobbedoftherepresentationthatistheirconstitutionalright.The19-seatoptionmighthavebeenrejectediffourYel-lowknifeMLAsDavidRam-sayBobMcLeodGlenAb-ernethyandRobertHawkinshadnotvotedwithKevinMenicocheFrederickBlakeMichaelMiltenbergerRobertC.McLeodGilbertBouchardandAlfredMosesinitsfavour.Votingagainstthe19-seatscenariowereDarylDolynnyTomBeaulieuMichaelNadliWendyBisaroBobBrom-leyJacksonLaffertywhoseMonfwiconstituencywouldhavebeensplitintwointhe21-seatscenarioandNormanYakeleyawhowantsanotherMLAfortheSahtu.WhenIlookata19-seatmodelIdontreallyseeanywinhereforYellowkniferesidentsandtheressuchahugesetbackforMonfwiandalsotoalesseraspectwithSahtuDolynnysaid.MonfwiSahtuandmostofYellowknifessevenseatsarecurrentlyunder-representedwith25percentmorevotersthantheterritorialmean.Yellowknifehas48percentoftheterritoryspopulationbutjust36percentoftheseats.A21-seatlegislature-withnineinthecapital-wouldcomeclosesttofairrepresentationHawkinssaidbeforeMLAsrejectedtheproposaltoaddthetwoseats.SomeMLAsworrythatYellowknifewoulddominatethelegislaturebutBisarochallengedtheviewthatYellowknifewillalwaysgetthenumbers.Ilookatthissideofthehousethereare11membersofwhichfourarefromYel-lowknife.IlookacrosstheothersideofthehousetherearesevenmembersofwhichthreearefromYellowknife.WheresthemajorityinthatPremierMcLeodwhospokeonlybrieyduringthealmostvehoursofdebatesaidtheter-ritoryspopulationisnotgrow-ingandarguedforrealigningboundariesoveraddingseats.Weshouldntbeincreasingseatsbecausethepopulationismovingaroundsotojustre-solvetheproblemwelladdoneortwomoreseats.Ithinktheanswerliesinre-aligningtheboundariesMcLeodsaidWeareaconsensusgov-ernment.Wedonthavepoliti-calpartiessowedonthavetoworryaboutgerrymanderingwhenitcomestosettingelec-toralboundaries.AbernethycalculatedthecostfortwoMLAsat2.4mil-lionoveraterm.Hesaidthatmoneycouldfundcommunityjusticecoordinatorsthrough-outtheNorthwestTerritoriesorhiretwomorephysiciansorfourorveteachersayear.Idontbelievepeoplewhoarestrugglingfrommentalhealthandaddictionsorlivinginpovertyorpeoplethataretryingtomakepositivestepsintheirlivespeoplewhowantahealthyeconomywantmorepoliticianshesaid.HayRiverMLAJaneGroe-newegenwhochairedthedebateremindedMLAsthatthelasttimeYellowknifewasshort-seatedtheFriendsofDemocracywenttocourtandgotsevenseatsforthecityinsteadoftheveallotted.Bisarosaidtheboundaryquestionissopoliticallychargedthatfuturerecom-mendationsfromthecom-missionshouldbelegallybindingonthelegislature.Therecommendationofanindependentcommissionisbet-terthananydecisionthatthischambercanmakeBisarosaidandMLAsvotedtocon-siderthatforafutureagenda.MLAsvotedinfavourofkeepingthecurrent19seatsbutwithchangestotheelectoralboundariesofseveralconstituencies.ImageNWTElectorialBoundariesCommission