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PoliticsElectoralBoundaries2TuesdayJuly12014NEWSBRIEFSDepartmentofTransportationnearlytriplesdistracteddrivingnesThedepartmentofTransportationiscrackingdownondistracteddriversintheNWTbyboostingnesnearlythreetimeshigherthanwhattheywerebefore.Accord-ingtothedepartmentthenumberofconvictionsfordistracteddrivinghasincreasedintheterritorysinceJanuary2012whenprovisionswereputinplacetoneoffenders.AsofJune20theneincreasedto322from115.AccordingtoMinisterofTransportationTomBeaulieuthegoalistoeliminatedistracteddrivingintheNWT.AccordingtostatisticsinaGNWTnewsre-leasedistracteddriversarethreetimesmorelikelytobeinacrashthanattentivedrivers.PaulatukarmedrobberywasstagedRCMPTwoNorthernStoreemployeesinPaulatukareinvolvedinapoliceinvestigationintoarobberyatthestorethatRCMPallegewasstaged.PolicerespondedtowhatwasbelievedtobeanarmedrobberyatthestoreonJune19.AfterapreliminaryinvestigationRCMPdeterminedtherobberytohavebeenstagedbytheemployeeswhogavefalseevidence.A26year-oldand24year-oldbothfromNovaScotiaarefacingpotentialchargesoftheftover5000publicmischiefandpossessionofpropertyob-tainedbycrime.BotharescheduledtoappearinterritorialcourtonAug.20.Allcurrencyisbelievedtoberecovered.GovernmentofAlbertaboastsrecordincomeforheritagefundThegovernmentofAlbertaistoutingamassive16percentreturnonitsheritagefundcollecting2.1billioninthelastscalyeararecordincomefortheprovince.Thereturnisthethirdhighestsincethefundwascre-atedin1976.Thetotalheritagefundvalueisnow17.5billionwellonitswaytothegovernmentsgoalof26billionby2017-2018.Accordingtothegovernmentachunkofthechangewillsupportendowmentsforin-novationinAlbertawhilethebulkofthefundswillbeusedtopayforgovernmentprograms.FortSmithYellowknifeTravelmusttakeplacebetweenJuly12014andAugust312014.TotakeadvantageoftheseofferscallNorthwesternAirreservationstollfree1-877-872-2216Travemusttaepacetw00OnewayfromFortSmithtoYellowknifeSpecialStandbyFareforFortChipewyan9900allincludedone-wayuntilSeptember302014.FOLKONTHEROCKSSPECIAL31500fromFortSmithallincludedround-tripfare.TravelforthisspecialisbetweenJuly15thandJuly21stonly.ReservationsmustbemadebycallingourReservationsDept.www.nwal.caTel867872-3030Fax867872-2214Emailchartersnwal.caForCharterReservationsCalltollfree1-877-872-2216SUPERSUMMERSTANDBYSEATSALESUPERSUMMERSTANDBYSEATSALEBOOKYOURNEXTFLIGHTONLINEFNorthwesternAirOperatedbyNorthwesternAirLeaseLtd.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheCityofYellowknifeishopingalistofquestionssenttotheNWTSupremeYkasksSupremeCourttopipeuponboundarychangesCitywantstoknowifCharterrightsareviolatedbycurrentvotingdistrictsCourtwillsortoutwhetherornotthenewlyestablishedelectoralboundariessetlastmonthbytheLegislativeAs-semblyinfringeuponelec-torsCharterrights.CouncilpassedamotionlastweektohavethecityaskNWTJusticeMinisterDavidRamsaytoreferasetofquestionstotheSupremeCourt.ThosequestionsaskthecourtwhetherornottheboundariesoftheelectoraldistrictsestablishedbytherecentlypassedBill18de-niesorinfringesuponanyrightsorfreedomsguaran-teedintheCanadianChar-terofRightsandFreedoms.Italsoaskswhetherthevarianceinsizeofvoterpopulationsamongtheelec-toraldistrictsestablishedbyBill18similarlydenysorin-fringesuponthoserightsandwhetherornotsuchinfringe-mentsarejustied.TheCityofYellowknifeasreectedinoursubmissiontotheElectoralBoundariesCommissionlastyeariscon-cernedaboutthecontinuedunderrepresentationintheLegislativeAssemblyofourcommunityasawholeandofthevotersincertainYellow-kniferidingsMayorMarkHeycktoldTheJournalinanemail.OurneighboursintheTlichoregionfacethesameproblem.HeycksaidifRamsayre-fersthequestionstotheSu-premeCourtontheconstitu-tionalityofthelegislationitwouldthenallowallpartiestomaketheircasetoanim-partialbody.TheCityfeltthatarefer-ralwouldbealogicalandrea-sonablerststepasitallowsthecourttoofferanopinionwithoutanyonepartyhavingtolaunchafull-scalelawsuitHeycksaid.Shouldthemat-terbereferredtotheSupremeCourtwewoulddetermineournextstepsoncethecourthasrendereditsopinion.NorthwestTerritoriesMLAsrecentlyvotedtomodifyelectoralboundar-iesbycombiningpartoftheWeledehdistrictnamelythetwoYellowknivesDenecommunitiesofDettahandNdilowiththeTuNedheridingwhichrepresentsLut-selKeandFortResolution.Thatchangewasmadetocombattheover-represen-tationinTuNedhewhilefreeingupWeledehsMLAfromanoverabundanceofconstituents.BothWeledehandTuNedheMLAsstronglyop-posedthechangewhichtheysaidwasrejectedover-whelminglybytheirconstit-uentswhospeakdifferentAboriginallanguagesanddifferintermsofgeographyandsocio-economics.ThechangewhichkeptthenumberofMLAsintheNWTat19wasalsocriticizedbythoseinYellowknifeandtheTlichoridingofMonfwiwhoseelectoraldistrictsarecurrentlyovertheaccept-ablepopulationlimitforfairrepresentationandgrowing.MLAsweregiventhreeoptionstovoteonbytheNWTElectoralBoundar-iesCommissioninmakingtheirdecision.Apartfromthemodied19-seatoptionalternativesincludedaddingtwoMLAstoYellowknifeforatotalof21seatsorcreatingan18-seatassemblybyelimi-natingTuNedhealtogether.InitssubmissiontothecommissionlastyeartheCityofYellowknifesaiditgener-allysupportedthe21-seatop-tionwhichbothaccountedforthegrowingpopulationoftheterritoryscapitalandkepttheAkaitchocommu-nitiesofDettahandNdilointheirownriding.Withinthe21-seatscenariothecityalsoaskedformodi-cationsthatwouldseeIngra-hamTrailresidentsincludedinaYellowknifedistrictratherthanWeledehandotherneigh-bourhoodskepttogether.PhotoJackDanylchukYellowknifeisconcernedaboutthecontinuedunderrepresentationintheLegislativeAssemblyofourcommunityasawholeandofthevotersincertainYellowkniferidings.MayorMarkHeyckYellowknifeMayorMarkHeycksayscityresidentsareworriedelectoralboundarychangeswillmeanunderrepresentationintheLegislativeAssembly.