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4TuesdayJune172014FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvikWeeklyNormsHigh19CLow8CWeeklyNormsHigh19CLow10CWeeklyNormsHigh19CLow7CWeeklyNormsHigh21CLow8CEDITORIALTheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMacKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverKakisaLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesPaulatukSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhatiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheManningMorinvillePeaceRiverRainbowLakeRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.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.................867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caDearMr.PrimeMinisterWeareveryconcernedaboutthechangesbeingmadebythefederalgov-ernmentwherebymoreandmoresci-entistswhoworkinournationalpublicservicearenotallowedtospeakabouttheirworktothepublicandthemediaandanever-growinglayerofcommuni-cationsstaffhasbeencreatedtocon-trolwhattheyareallowedtosay.Weappealtoyouasachampionoftransparencyandopennessinhowgov-ernmentconnectswiththepublicandasanadvocateofsmallermoreefcientgovernmenttochangethis.Therearefourconsiderationswefeelareimportant1.Theworkofgovernmentscientistsinmostcasesshouldbeavailabletothepublicinitspurestform.Thereisnopointinvettingcontrollingadjust-ingormassagingthatinformationes-peciallywhenitisdonebyacommu-nicationspersonwhoknowsnothingaboutthesubject.2.Canadahasawonderfulde-mocracy-asclosetoafreeandopensocietyasyoucanndontheglobe.Underyourwatchthatinformationisbeingtweakedorevenalteredtosuitpartisanorotheraimsquitepossiblythathavenothingtodowiththeintentofthegovernment.Thereisnowaytocontrolhowthisinformationwillbeal-teredorshaped.WearesureyouwouldnotwanttoseeafutureLiberalorNDPgovernmentexerciselicensetoshapeinformationtosuittheirobjectives.Itisadangerousroadtogodownandaprecedentthatmustbeavoided.3.Anewcostlylevelofbureaucracyisgrowinginsizebecomingentrenchedgainingpower.Moreandmorecom-municationsstaffarebeingplacedbe-tweengovernmentemployeesandthepublicsothatthemessageisproperlypresentedtothepublic.Theyhavecompletelicensewithminimalcontrols.Thesearepeoplewiththesametrain-ingandoftenthesamewayofthinkingasjournalists.Somearegoodsomenotsogood.Thedifferenceisthattheirworkisnotsubjecttopublicscrutiny.In-formationispowerandinsomecasescanhavegreatvalue.Underthecurrentimbalancespokespeopleareabletowieldithowevertheywish.Thisisverydangerous.4.Freedomofthepressisimportanttoourdemocracy.Journaliststoooftencannotdotheirjobswellbecausethesituationwhichdemandstheywaitforandaccommodatetheneedsandwantsofcommunicationsstaff.Simplyputithasbecometooencumbering.Itgetsinthewayoftherealstory.Weappre-ciatethatyoupersonallydonothaveahighregardforthemedia.Thede-mandsputonyouandyourcolleaguesandthewayyouaretreatedmustbehardtotake.Weaskthatyoulookbe-yondthoseexperiences.InyourworldwiththespotlightofallofCanadacon-stantlyuponyouthemediaarevora-ciousandunrelenting.Considerthevalueofjournalistsoutsidethatbub-ble-thoseofuswhoservetownsandcitiesacrossthecountry.AfreepresshasplayedacriticalroleinfosteringmostWesterndemocraciesincludingCanadas.Freedomofthepressisafundamentaltenetinmostconstitutionsincludingourown.Havingcommunica-tionsstaffinsertedbetweenallaspectsoftheworkingsofgovernmentandthepressandpublicencumbersthat.Thepubliccanlongerbeinformed.Thatisnotgood-foranyone.TheNorthisCanadashinterland-purepristinespecialandrichwithnaturalresources-futurewealththatyouhaveindicatedwilldriveournationseconomyforhundredsofyears.AlongwiththatistheevolvingstateofNorthernpeople-notablyAboriginalNorthernersmanyofwhomstillliveandcherishauniquelifestylethatiscloselyconnectedtotheland.Wewanttotellthosestories.Inordertodosoresponsiblyweneedtobeabletoaccessinformationfromgov-ernmentscientistswithouthavingitinter-pretedormassagedbycommunicationsstaff.Pleaseseetoitthatyourgovern-mentmakesthatchange.YoumustknowthatCanadawillbeabetterplaceforit.PleaseMr.Harperrestorefreedomofinformationandfreedomofthepresstoourfederalgovernment.OpenlettertoStephenHarperPhotosDanielDepoeSarahDaitchofFortSmithjumpsforjoyuponcompletingherMastersdegreeinDisputeResolutionattheUniversityofVictorialastWednesday.DaitchsresearchcenteredonevaluatingthenewmandatoryresidentialschoolscurriculumforhighschoolstudentsintheNWTandNunavut.