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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...CBCstrikeNorthernerscanexpecttostillndlivecoverageoftheNunavutelectionontheirtelevisionsetsaccordingtoCBCNorthwhichisfacingtheprospectofsomework-ersgoingonstrikeatthattime.Televi-siontechniciansalongwiththosewhoruncamerasandtakecareofsoundarethreateningtowalkoffthejobiftheirpayisnotincreased.IssueFebruary9199920YearsAgo...McMurraycommitstoroadlinkAmajordelegationfromFortMcMurraywillbecomingnorthattheendofFebruarytodeliveramessagetheywantaperma-nentroadlinktoconnecttheNWThigh-waysystemtotheircity.CitycouncillorJimCarburythecitysrepresentativeontheroadcommitteesaidthedelegationiscominguptorepaythemanyvisitsNorth-ernershavemadetothem.IssueFebruary9199430YearsAgo...CouncilgivesupThetownofFortSmithisgivingupaneight-yearbattlewithalocalresidentandpayinghimthemoneytheyowehim.TowncouncilvotedlastTuesdaytopayArmandoBerton1164.65foradeposithepaidtohaveserviceinstalledonalothepurchasedin1976.IssueFebruary919844TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.20adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.26designnorj.caTuesdayFebruary112014TheinitiativeproposedbyNWTFinanceMinisterMichaelMiltenbergertoimport2000newresidentsintotheNWTinthenextveyearstobolstertheworkforceisfarfetched.AssuminghighstandardsofskillsandeducationwouldbeappliedwhereareallthesenewbodiestocomefromHardworkingskilledemployeesarehardtondanywhere.AllofWesternCanadaisinadecadeslongboomandofferinganewbetterlifeintheNWTincompetitionwithAlbertaSaskatchewanandBCwithwagesatleastashighnicerclimatesandurbanamenitiesisatoughsell.Immigrationasasolutionisevenharder.Findingandat-tractingnewcomersfromafarwouldnotbeeasyandpeoplefromotherculturesandlanguagegroupscomeatacost.Beyondtraininglanguagecoursesandorientationprogramsareessentialandtheyareneithercheapnoreasy.Theywouldmeanbiggergovernmentandmoreexpenses-notagoodwaytogo.ThatasidetheremaybeashortageofworkersbuttoomanyintheexistingNWTHaveyounoticedfederalFinanceMinis-terJimFlahertyalwayslookslikeheneedsavacationThatdemeanorofunderlyingfatiguemaybethebadgeofthejob.Beingresponsibleforthescalmanagementofthebusinessofgovernmentaswellasmakingmovesthatenhancethenationseconomyessentiallytryingtopredictthefutureisaprettybigresponsibility-certainlythetough-estofallcabinetportfolios.Itisalsoathanklesstask.Immediatelywhenanewbudgetisreleaseddetrac-torsabound.Itgetspersonaltooandtheauthorislikeatargetinashootinggallery.Muchofthatisthenastycutandthrustofpartisanpolitics.Discreditingiskeytothegame.Accoladesarenonexistent.Anewbudgetinsomewaystranscendspoliticshowever.Itsasmuchabouttheme-chanicsofrunningthecountryasfurtheringapartisanagenda.OfcoursethetwoareTrialsandtribulationsofnanceministeringintertwinedbutstillcreatinganewbudgetisonahigherlevelthantherestofthepo-liticallymotivatedbusinessofgovernment.Italsofacesahigherlevelofcriticism.Theoppositiondoesitsthingndingeverypos-sibleawthenthereareregionalcorpo-rateandotheruniqueagendaseachwithexpectationsandcriticaladvocatesoutsidepartylines.Itisatougharena-impossibletopleaseeverybodyorsometimesevenanyone.ThenewbudgetlastweekintheNWTalthoughinanonpartisanconsensusgov-ernmentcontextfacedalmostidenticalchallenges.Theswordswereout.FinanceMinisterMichaelMiltenbergerhadthehon-ourofbeingthersttofacethebravenewworldofdevolutionwithitsupcomingowofmoneyfromresourcerevenues-newrulesandmuchgreaterexpectations.AfterseveralyearsofcarefullymanagedCo-managingtheNWTsfutureneedstightNWTbudgetsmoneyforinfrastructureandcapitalprojectslikeschoolshospitalsandgymnasiumsisonhand.Ontopofthattheowofnewmoneyfromresourcesisonitsway.Thechallengeistochartanewcourseinunknownpotentiallyprosperouswatersavoidingmissteps.Itisaboutchart-ingthefuturedirectionforthebuddingnewjurisdiction-Canadasyoungestandpos-siblymostcomplex-thatistheNWT.Milt-enbergerandhisstaffhavetheirhandsfull.Asexpectedthedocumentwasnotper-fectandintheeyesofsomeitwasdown-righttawdry.Miltenbergersideaofatrustfundsettingaside5percentofresourcerevenuesforfuturegenerationssparkedparticularinterest.Somesaythemoneycouldbebetterspentnowonimportantthings.Othersarguethat5percentispaltrypointingtoNorwaysoverowingvaultsasevidencemuchmoreshouldbesetaside.populationneedjobsyetforavarietyofreasonscannotconnectwiththem.Thatsituationshouldbexedbeforesubscribingtonewproblematicplanstoimportlabour.Socialandeconomicissuesabound.Letsputourenergyintorectifyingthem.ThereistheissueofpoorschoolattendanceandgraduationratesofFirstNationstudents.Obviouslyadifferentapproachtoeduca-tionisneeded.TheNWThasbetteraca-demicnumbersthanmostjurisdictionsandiswellplacedtoleadthecountrywithso-lutionsthatofferFirstNationcommunitieswhattheyneedbutanewcommitmenttoenhancingeducationisneeded.Inaddi-tiontheNWTcannotdependonlyonbigminingprojectsalonetomakeuptheecon-omy.Theyareshortlivedandjobrotationroutineswithweeksawayfromhomearenotsuitedtoeveryone.TheNWTgovern-mentisdoingapoorjobofsupportinglocalbusinessesinsmallcommunitiesessentialinfosteringastrongeconomicfoundation.Thereismuchthatcouldbedone.TheotherthingmissingfromthebudgetwasanefforttocoordinatewithFirstNa-tiongovernmentsinmanagingandsee-ingtotheterritorysneeds.Devolutionmoneywillnowowtothemaswellandtheytoowillhaveimportantrolesinen-hancingeducationcommunitybuildingextendinginfrastructureeconomicdevel-opmentandsoon.Withthatnewwealthcomesmoreresponsibilityofgovernancewhichshouldincludetransparencyandaccountability-thehallmarksofanygoodgovernment.ManyNWTcommunitieshavemultipleFirstNationandMtisgovernmentsinad-ditiontoalocalcouncilandanNWTgov-ernmentpresence.Insomecasestherearemoregovernorsthangoverned.Eachhavetheirownbureaucracyandbudgets.Allofthenewmoneythatwillcometothosegovernmentswithoutexceptionshouldbewiselyappliedtowellplannedpurposes.CommongoalsacrosstheNWTareneededandasharedapproachinachievingthem.Thatrequirescollaborationconsensusandleadership.High-5forGildayHuddledintheirsleepingbagsDaphneCloutierTaraStocktonandGraceClarksaluteMichaelGildaysqualifyingsuccess.The27year-oldskaterdidntmakethenextroundduetoafaultwhenjudgespenalizedhimforbumpinganotherskaterbutwillcompeteagainonThursdayinarelayevent.PhotoBillBraden