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3TuesdayJune102014Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.MaleAdultGreyandwhitemixLookingforanewhomeTheFSASisdesperatelyseekingvolunteersforthesummermonths.MostofourvolunteersareheadingoutoftownforJulyandAugust.IfyoucanhelppleasecallDixieat872-3516.Photoswantedfor2015FortSmithPetDeskCalendarFillingupfastGetyourpicturesinsoonIfyouwouldliketohavephotosofyourpetstakenarrangementscanbemade.PleasecallChrisat872-5547.BecauseofthehighvolumeofrequestsSpecialconsiderationwillbemadeforpetsnotinpreviouscalendars.Pleasesubmitphotosoflivingpetsonly.Thereisnofeetohavephotosinthecalendar.IfyouhaveanyquestionsorneedmoreinformationpleasecallChrisat872-5547oremaildewolfnorthwestel.netDeadlineisAugust31ThisadsponsoredbytheNorthernJournalContinuedfrompage1.IflegislationispassedatthefederallevelgrantingtheNWTthesamepowersastherestoftheprovincesandterritoriestoshifttheirelectiondatewhenconflict-ingwithotherelections-amoverecentlytakenbyManitobaandSaskatche-wan-thedebateastohowlongtheextensionshouldlastwillbedebatedagainbyMLAs.MiltenbergerpreviouslytoldTheJournalheexpectsthemotiononthefloortobeforaone-yearexten-sionbecauseofthegovern-mentspreferenceforfallelectionswhichhesaidarehistoricallymoresuccess-fulintermsofvoterturn-outandeaseofcampaign-ingthanspringsummerorwinterelections.InaninterviewwithTheJournalFridayMcLeodsaidtheterritorymaycon-siderfollowingitspro-vincialcounterpartsandMLAsdividedonlengthoftermextensionPoliticsElectionspushtheelectiononlysixmonths.SomeMLAsfeelweshouldhaveitthesamedayasthefederalelection...oth-erssaywecanchangeitamonthorthreemonthsbutnobodywantsanelectioninthemiddleofwinter.MaybewecandothesameasManitobaandSaskatche-wan-nobodyraisedafussinManitobaandSaskatchewan-theymovedsixmonthstothespringhesaid.AttheendofthedaywhathappensatthefederallevelmaystilldictatewhentheterritoryvotesMcLeodsaid.ThePrimeMinistersaidIffederallywegoforearlyelectionthenyourelectiondaywillstaythesamehesaid.withfilesfromMariaChurchSomeMLAsfeelweshouldhaveitthesamedayasthefederalelection...otherssaywecanchangeitamonthorthreemonthsbutnobodywantsanelectioninthemiddleofwinter.PremierBobMcLeodByMARIACHURCHAccountabilityandtrans-parencyaretermsbeingun-derscoredbyacommitteecall-ingfortheGNWTtointroduceaterritorialombudsman.TheStandingCommitteeonGovernmentOperationsreleasedareportlastThursdayoutliningtheprosandconsofintroducinganombudsmanintheterritorywhichwouldactasanindependentimpartialofcewithpowerstoinvesti-gatecomplaintsofgovernmentwrongdoingfrommembersofthepublic.TheNWTisoneofonlythreejurisdictionsinCanadawithout.Thereportdeterminespub-licneedforanombudsmanoutweighsconcernsaboutcostcitingdevolutionasamajornewdevelopment.Neverbeforehastheter-ritorialgovernmentbeenmorecomplexorsophisti-cated.Neverbeforehastheneedforanombudsmanbeengreaterthereportstates.MichaelNadlichairofthecommitteetabledthereportinthelegislaturelastweekbeginninganewchapterinadiscussionthatstretchesback20years.Asimilarreportin2012foundtherewasnopress-ingneedfortheterritorytocreateanombudsmanandCommitteestressesneedforNWTombudsmanJusticeOmbudsmancalledformoreinformationonwhatpubliccomplaintsarenotbeingaddressedbyavailableprocesses.Thenewreportrespect-fullydisagreeswiththe2012ndings.Thesheernumberandcomplexityofthevarioustribunalsandprocessescancontributetocitizenspercep-tionsofpowerlessnessandunfairnessthereportreads.Theombudsmanisanat-uraldevelopmentintheevolutionofresponsiblegov-ernmentitstates.Theofcewouldnothaveanypowerstoreversegovern-mentdecisionsbutwouldbeanavenueoflastresortforthepublicthatisimpartialfreeandeasilyaccessiblethereportstates.MLApleasedwithmovementFrameLakeMLAWendyBisarovicechairofthecommitteehasbeenvoicingtheneedforanom-budsmanintheterritoryforanumberofyearsandtoldTheJournalonFridaythereportisanimportantfirststeptofinallyigniteaproperdebate.Weveneverhadarealfulldebateontheissueandthisreportisintendedtodothatshesaid.Bisarosaidtheconcernsaboutexpenseandbureau-craticcomplexityneedtobeweighedagainsttheneedforaone-size-fits-allofficeofappeal.IfIhaveaproblemandIreallydontknowwheretostartIcangotothatofceandtheywilltellmewheretostartandtellmeifIhaveacaseshesaid.OnepointofcontactissomethingwhichIthinkiscertainlynecessary.Thebureaucracycanbeahugelabyrinth.CurrentlytheNWThasseveralstatutoryofficesofappealincludingthelanguagescommissionerconictofinterestcommis-sionerinformationandpri-vacycommissionerequalpaycommissionerhumanrightscommissionandhumanrightsadjudicationpanel.Thecombinedcostofallstatutoryofcesispro-jectedat1.91millionfor2014-15.Thehumanrightscommissionandadjudica-tionpanelaloneaccountfor1.52million.Costisoneofthemajorcriticismsofintroducinganombudsman.InYukontheofceiscombinedwiththeInformationandPrivacyCommissionerandeatsup768000peryearwhileinQuebecthecostforanom-budsmanaloneisaround14.8million.AccordingtoprojectionsinthereporttheNWTOfceoftheOmbudsmanwouldcostanestimated400000inyearoneand600000inyeartwo.Costscouldincreasedepend-ingonworkload.PublicfeedbackcrucialBisaroHearingfromresidentsoftheNWTisacriticalstepinthedebatearoundimplement-inganombudsmanintheter-ritoryBisarosaid.Wearelookingforinputfromanybodyanywhereagrouporanindividual.Wereallywouldliketohearfrompeopleonwhattheythinkpositiveornegativeshesaid.Thereportisintendedtoprovokediscussion.ThereportispostedontheNWTLegislativeAssemblywebsiteandwillbeavail-ableforpublicviewinganddiscussionthroughoutthesummer.ItwilllikelybeupfordebateinthelegislatureinOctober.ThestandingcommitteeiscallingfortheNWTom-budsmantobeintroducedasabillinthelegislaturebeforetheendofthe17thAssembly.Toviewthereportvisithttpwww.assembly.gov.nt.cadocuments-proceedingstabled-documentsPhotoBillBradenAnewreportcallsfortheGNWTtoestablishanarms-lengthombudsmantoaddresspublicconcernsaboutgovernmenttreatment.