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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...SupremeCourtrejectsHousedecisionAfterrejectingclaimsfromtheCityofYellowknifethattheywontbeadequatelyrepresentedinapost-divisionGovernmentoftheWesternTerritoriesMLAsnowmustreturntotheHousetodebatetheissueagain.LastweekTerritorialJudgeMarkdeWeerdtdeclaredthatpartoftheNWTActthelawsconcerningelectoralboundarieswasun-constitutionalandmustbexedbeforetheterritoriessplitApr.1.IssueMarch9199920YearsAgo...MinistermovestoreviveIzokAnattemptisunderwaytorescuethetrou-bledIzokLakeminingprojectwithMinisterofMinesJohnToddheadingtoTorontothisweekfordiscussionswiththeMetallMin-ingCorporation.Theproposedbasemetalmine250kmsouthofCopperminewasre-centlyputonholdafterMetallsaidlowzincpricesaswellashighinfrastructurecostsmadetheprojectnotviable.IssueMarch9199430YearsAgo...MunrolooksatLiberalleadershipNorthernAffairsMinisterJohnMunroisconsideringenteringtheraceforPrimeMinisterTrudeausjobtopreventaswingtotherightinLiberalpolicy.AtameetingofNovaScotiaLiberalslastweekendMunrowascriticalofformerFinanceMinisterJohnTurnerthoughttobetheleadingcontenderintheleadershiprace.IssueMarch819844TuesdayMarch112014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caTheactbytheNWTLegislativeAs-semblytoextenditslifeanextrayearisundemocratic-becauseofthena-tureoftheNWTsconsensusgovern-mentsystem.Forthemandateofthecurrentgovernmenttocontinuebe-yondthefouryearsitwaselectedinordertoproceedwithitscurrentgoalsandobjectivesapprovalofthepeopleisneeded.IntheNWTconsensussystemthepremierisnotelectedbythepeopleandnoplatformiseverenunciatedbythepremierorthegovernment-neitherinordertobeelectednoraftertheycometopower.Inapartysystemthereareatleasttwoopposingplansforthefutureofferedtotheelectorate.Theychoosetheonetheyfeelisbest.NotintheNWT.Notonlyaretherenooptionstochoosefromthegovernmentneverpresentstothepublicwhatitbelievesinorwhatitaspirestodo.Thereisneveranop-portunityforthepublictoagreeordis-agreewithwhatthegovernmentplans.Becauseofthatthegovernmentneverhasatruemandatefromthepeople.ThatisaawinNWTsconsensussys-temrestrictingthedemocraticprocess.TheonlywaythepeopleoftheNWTareenfranchisedwheretheirelectedleadersaretrulyaccountabletothemisintheselectionofanMLAforasettermatelectiontime.Thereissomethingelsethatismiss-ingbecauseofthewayconsensusgovernmentiscurrentlystructuredthatthisarbitraryextensionofMLAstermleaveswanting.Whenduringanelectionapoliticianfacescitizensandpresentsideasandplansforthefuturetheyareatoncecriticizedsupportedandchallenged.TheyrationalizetheirpositionsandexplainthemeansofTheneedforamandatefromthepeopleimplementation.Theweeksofcam-paigningintherunuptoanelectionaredynamicandevolutionaryagrowthprocessthatmakessomecandidatesbetterandstronger.Candidatesarejudgedandthegoodonesrisetotheoccasion.Thewinnersaretheonesseenbytheelectorateasthemorecapablewiththebestideas.Govern-mentsneedasimilarprocess.Theytooneedtobechallengedtoevolve.WeneedonlylookatwhatistakingplaceinQuebecrightnowtoseethisinaction.TheNWTgovernmentmayhavebeendoinggoodthingsforthelastthreeandahalfyearsbutiftheywerechallengedforcedtorationalizeanddefendwhattheyhavebeendoingaprocessofac-countabilityinvolvingcriticismsupportandchallengeswouldsurelyleadtore-nementandselectiveimprovement.ThatishowitshouldworkbutintheNWTthatismissing.Infacttheonlyoptionnowforthosewhodisagreeiscivildisobedience.ForexampleinstallinghydrodamsontheMackenzieRiveralongwithmanyothermajorhydroprojectsonriversthroughouttheNWTisintheterrito-rialgovernmentshydrostrategy.Thatplanisanactivepartofgovernmentpol-icyyetapprovalforithasneverbeensoughtfromtheNWTpopulation.Pre-mierBobMcLeodhasbeeninChinaseekingcooperationandinvestment.WasheaskingforChinesecapitaltobuildhydrodamsorevenofferingown-ershipofdamsonNWTriversinordertogetthemgoingHowareNWTresi-dentstodealwithsuchthingsiftheygetnoopportunitytoaskAtthetimeofthelastNWTelectionOctober2011devolutionhadbeendiscussedwiththefederalgovernmentfordecadesandhadgraduatedtotheagreement-in-principlestage.Thisassemblytotheircreditmadegreatstridesinbringingadevolutiondealtocompletion.Bythisspringitwillbeadonedeal.HowevermanypeopleintheNWTfeelthedevolutionpackageasnegotiatedgivesuptoomanypow-erstothefederalgovernment.ForonetheNWTwillnothavethepowertoap-proveordisproveanymajorresourcedevelopment.AdditionallymanyNWTresidentsinparticularsomeFirstNa-tionsgovernmentsthatarethreateningcourtactionalsofeeltheeliminationoftheregionallandandwaterboardsisabetrayaloftrust.Inanelectionthoseimportantmatterswouldbedebatedthebasisforselectionofcandidates.Indoingsothepeoplewouldhaveasayandverylikelyarefinementoftheexistingdealwouldresult.Thatpro-cesswillnowhavetowaitayear-andthusmayneverhappen.Notethatwearenotsayingdevo-lutionisbadnorarewebeingcriti-calofthepremieroranymemberoftheNWTgovernment.Wearesimplysayingthatforagovernmenttoin-vokesuchveryimportantchangestothefabricoflifeofallNWTresidentsitshouldfirstlayouttheplansandreceivepublicapproval.IntheNWTthatonlyhappensinanelectionattheridinglevel.NWTMLAswereelectedforfouryearsandtonowextendtheirtermsdelaystheprocessthatwouldhavevettedapprovedandhopefullyenhancedthegovernmentsagendaandimportantlyrenewedtheirman-datefromthepeople.Whatsuffersaredemocraticprinciplesandgoodgovernance.PhotoAdamHillHayRiversPoutineMachinebeamsafterscoopinguptheirfthconsecutivevictoryaschampionsoftheirannualhometownPolarPondHockeytournament.Morethan30mixedmensandwomensteamscompetedinthemostlyfor-funtournamentontheiceattheFishermansWharfovertheweekend.