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COLUMNS5TuesdayMarch182014FortSmithHayRiverForecastForecastNorms-7Cand-19CNorms-4Cand-18CYellowknifeInuvikNorms-17Cand-27CNorms-10Cand-22CLastweekMLAsvotedinfavourofamotionthatwillallowthemtoaskthefederalgovernmentpermissiontoex-tendtheircurrenttermofof-ce.SpecicallythemembersofCabinetsupportedbyfourordinaryMLAsGroenewe-genMenicocheBlakeandYakelayamadethecall.CriticismbythepublichasbeenswiftandstrongandfromMLAswhovotedagainstthemotion.TheMLAsputtingfor-wardthismotionJaneGroe-newegenandMichaelMilt-enbergerrationalizeditasacommon-sensemove.TheysaythatfederalterritorialandsomemunicipalelectionshappeningatthesametimemayconfuseTheConservativeshaveprovenagainwithBillC-23theFairElectionsActthattheyhavemasteredtheartofpoliticaldoublespeak.WeintheOfcialOppositionhaverenamedBillC-23theUnfairElectionsActbecauseofitsmanyprovisionsthatwilllikelyreducevoterturnoutinthenextelectionandenhancethead-vantagesfortheConservatives.HowdoesthisworkyoumayaskArentweallonthesideofincreasingvoterturnoutThepercentageofpeoplevotinghasdroppedsteadilyoverthepastfewdecades.Thisisverypronouncedamongyoungervoters.Surelythisisatrendthatanyoneconcernedwiththehealthofourdemoc-racywouldwanttochange.Whenoneexaminesthepro-posedConservativelegislationtheoppositeisthecase.TakeforinstancevoteridenticationcardswhichhavebeenusedbyhundredsofthousandsofCana-dianvoterswhentheygotothepolls.WithC-23thesecardswhicharesentbythegovern-menttoallvoterspriortotheelectioncannotbeusedbythevotertohelpestablishtheiridentityortheiraddresswhentheyarriveatthepollingstation.WhyhasthisbeendoneTherearenocasesonrecordofanyvoterfraudutilisingtheseessentialnoticesthatgotoCanadiancitizens.Anotheraspectofcurrentvotingpracticesthatwillbetakenawayisvouchingbyonepersonintheconstitu-encyforanotherwhomaynothaveproperidenticationwiththemwhentheygettothepollslikethe120000CanadianswhousedthisprocessinthelastelectionincludingmanypeopleinNorthernCanada.Forfamiliesseniorsdisabledpeopleandstudentsthevouch-ingsystemwasonewaytoes-tablishtheirrighttovoteatthepollingstationonelectionday.Onceagaintherearenocasesofvoterfraudinthisinstanceandthestudiesthathavebeendoneonthesubjectshownode-liberateabuseofthevouching.ToobadfortheseCanadi-answhoinopinionpollshaveshownthattheyarelesslikelytovotefortheConservativeParty.AnotherverycontentiouspartofBillC-23istherestric-tionontheabilityoftheChiefElectoralOfcerCEOtopro-motetheimportanceofgettingouttovote.InotherwordstheCEOcanonlyadvertisethebarebonesofhisjobhowtovoteproperidenticationandlocationofpollingstations.Anyothereffortssuchaspromot-ingyouthtovoteorexplainingtheimportanceofvotingwillbeprohibited.Thisaspectofthelawiscompletelyridicu-lousanditsinclusioninBillC-23canonlybeexplainedasvotersuppression.SixyearsagowhentheConservativesbroughtinthenewrequirementsforvoteridenticationItookastandagainstthatbillsayingthatitwouldplaceanunnecessaryburdenonNorthernersandmanyotherCanadians.Thatturnedouttobethecase.Nowwiththislegislationthesitua-tionwillbecomemuchworse.WhatistherationaleforthislegislationDotheConserva-tivesunderstandthroughtheirextensivepollingthattheirfu-tureelectoralsuccesslieswithselectivevotersuppressionThistypeofbehaviourisrampantrightnowintheUnitedStateswhereRepub-licangovernmentsindifferentstatesrealizingthatminoritiesdontvoteforthemarecon-stantlyupgradingtheirelec-tionrulestocutthesegroupsout.Wedontneedthistypeofanti-democraticbehaviourinCanadaandallofusshouldbevigilantagainstit.InParliamenttheConserva-tivesforcedclosureondebateonthesecondreadingofBillC-23.Theyrefusedatcommitteetoholdpublichearingsacrossthecountrytondoutwhatpeoplethinkofthelegislation.TheyareusingtheirmajoritytopushthisbillthroughtheHouseofCommonsprocess.TheSen-atewilllikelybenohelpastheyareamajorityofConser-vativeswhotaketheirordersfromPrimeMinisterHarper.Whereisourdemocracygoingwhenfundamentalis-suesliketherightsofvotersaretreatedinthisfashionDennisBevingtonMPWesternArticFromtheHousethenewvotingbillMLAsshouldbevotedinnotappointedbyOttawaInourMar.4issueweincorrectlyidentiedamaninoneofourphotosinthefeatureOCanadaanthemgets51newNorthernvoicesasKamalAdamofSudan.ThatmanisactuallyHenokTesemaandheisfromEthiopia.TheJournalapologizesfortheerror.CORRECTIONandfatiguevotersandstrainresources.TheyalsosaythatanextendedtermwillallowfordevolutiontobeimplementedmoresmoothlyifthesameMLAshaveanextrayearinofce.AndnallytheyarguethatinotherterritoriesMLAscanhaveve-yeartermsandsomeprovincesareconsider-ingmovingtheirelectiondatestoavoidseveralelectionsbeingheldwithinclosetimeframes.Buttheyseemtobeforget-tingonethingelectionsarewhatgivesthemtheirposi-tionslegitimacyandauthor-itynotthePrimeMinisterorafederallawandcertainlynotthemselves.EvenifallofwhattheysayistruetheheartoftheissueiswhetherMLAshavetheauthor-itytochangetheirowntermofofce.Noneofusasworkingpeoplehavetheauthoritytochangethelengthofourem-ploymentwithoutouremploy-ersconsent.Onceouremploy-menttermisupwemustleave.WhyisitdifferentforMLAsTheshortansweristhattheyaredoingthisbecausenoonecanstopthem.Andiftheirem-ployerthepeopleisannoyedMLAswillonlybedisciplinedthroughthevotingprocessafterthefactwhenMLAshavebeeninofceforalongertimethantheywereelectedfor.Thelegitimacyofourpo-liticalsystemwhatmakesitlawfulandgivesitauthorityrestsontheconsentofthevoters.WhatvotersgavetheirsupporttointhelastelectionwastohaveanMLArepre-sentthemaccordingtotheexistinglawsamaximumoffouryears.FortheMLAstoseeksomeoneelsenamelyPrimeMinisterHarpertoex-tendtheirtermswouldmeantheMLAsareeffectivelyputtherebythePrimeMinister.TheMLAswillbeinofceforanextendedtermbecausetheywillbeputtherebythefederalgovernmentnotbythepeopleoftheNorthwestTerritories.Tomethisseemstobecompletelyatoddswiththemantrathathasbrandedde-volutionmoreNortherncon-trollessinterferencefromOttawa.Whilehavinganelectionafterfouryearsmaysomehowinconvenienceputtingdevolu-tioninplacenoonehastoldushowsoitsabitofamysterythelegitimacyofourgovern-mentrestsonhavingthatelec-tionwithinthefour-yearman-dateofthislegislature.AnddeepdowntheMLAsknowit.WatchingCabinetonTVastheystoodtovoteonthemo-tiontheylookedashamedhandsclaspedinfrontofthemlookingdownorlookinggrim.Theywerecaughtinastanceofshameratherthanofpride.ThatonlyoneofthemMilt-enbergerbotheredtospeaktothemotionwasalsotelling.ThatGroenewegenattemptedtostopBobBromleyfromre-peatingthecriticalcommentsofordinarycitizensinthehousewasalsotelling.PremierBobMcLeodhadnothingtosayaboutthisfundamentalbreachofdemocracyorwhyhethinksthatourMLAsshouldbeef-fectivelyappointedbyStephenHarperratherthanelectedbythepeopleoftheNorthwestTerritories.SurelytheleaderofthisgovernmentmighthavesaidafewwordsratherthanhidebehindsilenceItishardnottonoticethatGroenewegenistakingmostoftheblameforthisshamefulturnofeventsratherthanthepersonforwhomitssuccess-fulconclusionwillbenetthemostthepremier.SoonitwillbeStephenHarp-ersandtheConservativegov-ernmentsmomenttorevealtheirpolicyregardingthebasisoftheNWTlegislatureslegitimacy.HowwillHarpergainfromex-tendingalegislaturestermthiswayWeareusedtoseeingthiskindofmoveasittinglegisla-tureextendingitsownterminofceorpowersbypassingalawratherthanhavinganelec-tioninplacessuchasLibyaZimbabweorpost-SovietRus-siaplaceswhicharepoliticallyunstableandviewedashavingcorruptsystems.Itstandstorea-sonthatourCabinetwouldhavecheckedinwithHarperbeforemakingitsmotion.BecausesuchapotentiallypoliticallyriskymovewouldcertainlynothavebeenmadewithoutsomekindofindicationfromHarperthathewillsayyes.IfitwasmadewithoutanassurancefromHarperrsttheMLAswhovotedforthemotionhaveleftthemselvesopentothehumilia-tionofhisrefusalandtobeingturfedfromofcebyanangryelectorateinOctober2015fortheyhavehungtheirpoliticalfuturesonthepossibilitythattheelectoratewillhaveforgot-tenallthisintwoyearstime.GettingtheiryesfromHarpermusthappenwithinoneyearthroughaprocessthatwilllikelykeepthisissuefreshinthemindsoftheelec-torate.IfCabinetandtheMLAssupportingthemotiondontgettheirapprovalduringthefallof2015incumbentswhovotedforthismotionwillfaceanelectionwherethisissuewilllikelybefrontandcentreamonganelec-toratethatwillbealittlelesstrustingthanlasttime.StephanieIrlbacher-FoxPhDisalifelongNorthernerpoliticalanthropologistandthemotheroftwoboys.ShelivesinYellowknife.JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKCelebratedNorthernwriterandartistBernWillBrownhasanewbookcomingoutthatwillbethefrstoitskindtotellthestoryotheSahtuDene.NorthernerpublishesrstbookontheSahtuDeneJohnTseleiewithagrainofsaltbutapersonhasgottohaveseensomethinginsixtyyears...StephanieIrlbacher-FoxNorthernJournal2014