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FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvik4TuesdayApril82014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMorinvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.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.caGarrettDerrah867-872-3000ext.10adsnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caWeeklyNormsHigh1CLow-10CWeeklyNormsHigh-2CLow-13CWeeklyNormsHigh-9CLow-20CWeeklyNormsHigh4CLow-9CEDITORIALStephenHarperall-powerfulStephenHarperrunsCanadasgov-ernmentsystemwithanironhand.HispartywithitssolidmajoritydominatesParliament.DuringhissevenyearsinpowerHarperhastakenadvantageofSenateappointmentssohisConserva-tivescontrolthatbranchofsobersecondthoughtaswell.HisownMPscomplainthatinCanadasversionofanexecutivebranchthePMOPrimeMinistersof-cestaffhavefartoomuchpowerandinuence.Thejudiciaryistheremain-ingbastionHarperdoesnotrun-butheisworkingonthat.Effortstoappointsympatheticjudgestocourtsacrossthecountryareongoing.Democracieswithbuiltinchecksandbalancesarestructuredsothatnooneleadercanevertakecompletecontrol.Typicallyonebranchofgov-ernmenthasavetoovertheothersothattheyhavetoworktogether.Some-howthathasbrokendownovertimeinCanada.StephenHarperhastakenadvantageconsolidatedpowerandisre-makingCanadainhisconser-vativeimage.HaveyouwatchedtheConservativeattackadsagainstJustinTrudeauHeisdepictedassleazyapersonofpoorjudgementbyinferencesomeonewhodoesnothavemuchintellectualcapacity-certainlynotprimeministermaterial.Trudeauisgrow-inginpopularityandhasbeenidentiedbytheConservativesastheirnumberonethreat.WilltheirattempttodiscredithimworkTheyarealreadycampaigningforanelectionthatis18monthsaway.IfJackLaytonhadnotbeensocruellyremovedfromthescenebycancerthoseadswouldbeabouthim.Hewouldbethebigthreat.LaytonhadtheleadershipofCanadainhissights.His106seats-themosteverfortheNDPthemostwomentheyoungestMPsofanypartysolidinQuebec-allsocommendable.Hecon-solidatedtheMaritimesandmadeinroadsintoWesternCanada.Hewasonaroll.Harperhasbeendoggedbycontro-versyandgrowingnumbersofanoftenangrypublicareastoundedbythewayhemanhandlesParliamentaghastathisagendaagainsttheenvironment.Laytonwouldhavelookedlikeasaintnexttohim-theonealwayssmilingpositivetheotherfrumpyandcontrolling.ItmaybethatrecentpollsinhisfavourdonotreectthepopularityofTrudeauasmuchastheydotheCanadianpublicsconcernaboutHarpersslicinganddicingWhowillbethenextPrimeMinisterways.Ifthepublicisgrowingunhappywithhimanti-TrudeauadsbytheConserva-tivesmightbackre.Iftheirpollingdropsfurtheritwillbeverybadnews-forthem.CanadianswillgotothepollstoelectanewprimeministeronMondayOct.192015ayearandahalffromnowyetthereisalreadyexcitementabouttheprospectsoftheloomingbattle.Thecampaignhasalreadybegun.WeCana-diansloveourpolitics.IfafederalelectionwerecalledtodaywhodoyouthinkwouldwinandhowthenwouldthepartiesstackupintheHouseofCommonsGiventhelayofthecur-rentpoliticallandscapeaminorityCon-servativegovernmentwouldlikelyresult.TheConservativeshavebeeninpowersince2006andaregettinglonginthetooth.Theyhavebeenhurttoooftenfromwithinandtheirauraofrighteousnessandentitle-mentisnotunlikethatoftheLiberalswhentheyweregiventheoldheave-hobyCa-nadianssevenyearsago.Iftheydontturnaroundthegrowingoppositiontheyhavethemosttolose.WhatofthechancesoftheNewDem-ocratsunderTomMulcairHeisrelent-lesslyferventasanoppositionleaderhisMPshavebeenstalwartperformersanddevoidofcontroversybuthehastoshowthathispartyismorethansimplydenedintermsofwhattheConservativesarenot.HeisseenasstodgybyCanadians.Ifheistobethefutureprimeministerhehastoloosenupandshowheandhispartyhaveavisionworthvotingfor.ThereisgoodreasonwhytheConser-vativesaresoworriedaboutTrudeau.Heistheoneleaderthathaspopularappealtheonlybrightlightamongthethree.Withonly34seatsinparliamentandnowheretogobutuphehastoprovehimself.ThewaitforthatamongCanadiansisalmostaudible.WhatwouldourcountryendupwithVerylikelyembattledandreducedConser-vativerankstheNDPstrugglingtomain-tainitscurrentstrengthandasurgebytheLiberals.WiththethreepartiescloseinsizeandtheConservativesslightlyintheleadwewouldgetaminoritygovernment.Itisnotabadprospect.Therearesomereallybenecialthingsabouthavingaminoritygovernment.TheConserva-tiveswouldbereinedinforonenolon-gerabletodominateforcedtoworkwithotherparties-thewayparliamentaryde-mocracyshouldbe.TheLiberalswouldbeinstrivingmodeanemergingforcepoisedmuchastheNDPwasaftertheelectionin2011.Itallhasgreatpossibilities.Anythingwouldbebetterthantherancourandoppressive-nessthatcharacterizeourgovernmentnow.Wecansurelydobetterthanthat.PhotosCraigYeoBrigetteDePapetheformerroguepagewhomadeheadlineswithherStopHarpersigninParliamentin2011wasinYellowknifeontheweekendleadingaworkshoponcreativeandeffectivegrassrootsactivism.TheeventssponsoredbytheNWTCouncilofCanadiansincludedaspeakingengagementonFridaynightatNorthernUnitedPlacewhereDePapespokeaboutwaystostimulatesocialandpolticialchange.