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3TuesdayMarch252014PhilipRabescaTchoThelatePhilipRabescafromBehchokwasthesonofthelateJimmyandAdeleDeninlaRabesca.Atalentedinterpreter-translatorheenjoyedsharinginformationandtalkingwitheveryoneespeciallyElders.HecontributedgreatlythroughhistranslationsfortheTchoCommunityServicesAgency.HeisrememberedespeciallyforhowhelivedhisTchocultureandtaughtmanypeopleaboutlivingontheland.NORTHERNVOICESIntheNorthwestTerritoriesournorthernvoicesareimportant.ThroughoutourvastterritorynineofcialAboriginallanguagesarespokenwithpride.Tocelebratethisdiversityregionallanguagecommunitiesnominatedindividualscommittedtocultivatingournorthernvoices.ThesechampionsareleadersinourAboriginallanguagescommunityandwethankthemfortheireffortsandcontributionstothesurvivalofourlanguages.MLAslikelytoaskforonemoreyearifpermittedByMEAGANWOHLBERGThoughotheroptionswillbeonthetablefordiscussionifgiventheexibilitytochangetheirelectiondateMLAsintheNorthwestTerritorieswilllikelybevotingontheorigi-nallyproposedone-yearex-tensionwhentheissuearisesagaininthelegislature.ThebachaMLAMichaelMiltenbergerwhosecondedthemotionearlierthismonthtoaskthefederalgovernmentfortheauthoritytoextendthelengthofthe17thLegislativeAssemblytoavoidoverlapwithfederalandmunicipalelectionssaidideallyhewouldliketoseeanautumnelectionin2016.Iwouldliketoavoidawinterelectionifitweremyownpersonalchoicehesaid.InallmyyearshereandalltheelectionsIvebeenthroughwevetrieddifferenttimesandwhatmadeOctober2016attrac-tivewasthatfallisthetimethatmostfolksupherehavesettledonafteryearsoftrialanderrorasthebesttimetohavetheseelections.Headdedthatanextensionofoneyearwouldalsocre-atefewercomplicationsforthenextassembly.Theissueofayearwouldcoincidewithourxedelec-tiondatessothe18thAssem-blywouldjustpickitupandwouldntmissastep.Theydgetfouryearstheywouldntgetthree-and-a-halfyearsorfour-and-a-halfyearshesaid.Thatwastheinitialthoughtfortheeaseandcon-venienceofhavingthatfour-yearxedelectiondatethatwedbeabletoadjustthisonetimeandbeabletogobacktotheregular.MotionreceivespublicbacklashThoughthemotionorigi-nallyaskedforadelayedelec-tiontotakeplaceinOctober2016oneyearlaterthannextyearsscheduledelectionitwasamendedtoaskonlyfortheexibilitytochangethedatetoanotherunspeciedtimeafterresidentsexpressedconcernsthatotheroptionshadbeenoverlooked.TheamendmentwasntenoughtoquelltheresultingbacklashhoweverasbothresidentsandsomeregularMLAsquicklyexpressedsuspicionthatthemovewasbeingdoneforselshreasonsonthepartofthegovernment.InhindsightMilten-bergersaiditwasprobablythewrongmovetospecifyadelayedelectiondateinthemotionratherthansim-plyaskfortheauthoritytochangethedateapowerheldbyeveryotherjurisdictioninCanada.IfgrantedtheauthoritytoamendthedateMiltenbergersaidtherewillbeadiscussionamongMLAsbutempha-sizedthattermswouldnotbeshortenedasrequestedbyanonlinepetitionthatisdemandinganearlyelectioninresponsetothemotion.Idontthinktheresgoingtobeanyplantogoearlyandcutintoouralreadysquishedagendabutyestherewillbedenitelybeadiscussionifwegettheauthorityaboutwhataretheoptionsforpro-ceedinghesaid.Imsurewellhaveawide-rangingdiscussion.TalkshadtakenplacewithfedsMiltenbergersaidthefed-eralgovernmenthasbeenawareoftheGNWTscon-cernssincelastJulywhentheissuerstaroseincon-versationandthatapossi-blechangetotheNWTActtoallowanewelectiondatewasoneofthemanypiecestalkedaboutinconjunctionwithdevolution.Therewasnothingformalwejustgottheauthoritytomaketheformalrequestlastweek.ButwerethereinitialexploratorydiscussionsonwhatareouroptionsYeshesaid.Thiswasoneofthemanyissuesthatcameoutwithde-volutionasweweremovingforwardlookingatallthesedatessoImeantheresnocollusionanymorethantherewasontryingtosortoutallthe1001detailsondevolu-tionandBillC-15.MLAstomakecallforthepublicThoughavarietyofresi-dentshavecalledthemovebyMLAstostretchtheirman-datebeyondthefouryearsforwhichtheywereelectedundemocraticMiltenbergersaidMLAsareelectedtomakedecisionsonbehalfofNortherners.Ifwehaveacouplehun-dredpeoplecomplainandhitthebrakesbecauseofitthatsatoughwaytorunagovernmenthesaid.IfwewouldhaverespondedtothepeoplewhoyelledtheloudestweneverwouldhavedonedevolutioneitherweneverwouldhavegottheWildlifeActweneverwouldhavegotmidwifery.Themotionwaspresentedwithoutformalpubliccon-sultationleavingnowayoftellinghowmanypeopleintheNWTareinfavourorop-posedthoughMLAsvotedinfavour11-7.Whileithasbeenmen-tionedthatthetermexten-sionwouldalsofacilitatethedevolutiontransfersetforApr.1Miltenbergersaidthatwasneverthereasonbe-hindthemotionwhichwasinuencedbysimilardeci-sionsbytheSaskatchewanManitobaandPrinceEdwardIslandgovernmentstomovetheirelections.Theprimereasonwasandstillistheoverlapofelections.Ifitwasntfortheoverlapofelectionswewouldntbehav-ingthisdiscussionhesaid.MiltenbergersaidthatMLAswouldlikelyhavealsobeencriticizedfornotdealingwiththeissueaheadoftimeifproblemsweretoariseduringconcurrentelections.Itwouldbeirresponsibleforustojuststandbyandnottrytomakesurewewerepre-paredhesaid.Theresnocollusionanymorethantherewasontryingtosortoutallthe1001de-tailsondevolutionandBillC-15.MLAMichaelMiltenbergerThebachaMLAMichaelMiltenbergeraddressesmediaafterwinninginthe2011territorialelection.FilephotoMothersaysshesnotaloneContinuedfrompage1.SincemydaughterwentmissingInevergaveupandIvebeentalkingtootherfamiliesofmissingandmur-dereddaughtersandalotofthemgeteasilyintimidated.ButmythingisthisismydaughterandshesnotheretodefendherselforgetjusticesoIhavetodoit.HopefullybymedoingthisIcanhelpotherfamiliescomeforwardandknowthattheyrenotaloneinthisshesaid.Werenotalonewejusthavetoreachoutandthesupportsthere.AbillboardnearNiskuAlta.whereTuccarowaslastseenaliveasksforhelpwiththecase.PhotoProjectKAREPoliticsElectionsJusticeHomicide