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4TuesdayNovember252014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedatStarPressInc.WainwrightAB.PublisherManagingEditor........................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising..............................HeatherFoubertHayRiver867-874-4106adsnorj.caAdministrationCirculation......................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics...................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caProductionGraphics..................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALLETTERSTOTHEEDITORShowusthemoneyNWTFinanceMinisterMichaelMilten-bergerisonhisannualtourseekinginputonhowtheupcomingbudgetshouldbefor-mulated.Thisisyourchancetoshapegov-ernmentdirectionandpolicy.UnlikeEducationMinisterJacksonLaffer-tysattempttopushthroughthenewjuniorkindergartenprogramMiltenbergerknowsfromhisexperienceswiththeWildlifeActthatNWTresidentsdemandtohaveasayorgetverycranky.CreditJusticeThomasBergerforthat.Heestablishedthoseexpec-tationsduringthe1974MackenzieValleyPipelineinquiry.ThanksinparttohimtheNorthwestTerritorieswithitsstyleofconsensusgovernmentandpenchantforconsultationisoneofthemostdemocraticjurisdictionsontheplanet.Makenomistakethefinanceministersmeetingsaremeanttosellthegovern-mentsplansandmethodology.AbudgetisofNWTresidentsisforecast.Futurerev-enueswillbedown.Thatisnotimetobegoingdeeperindebt.2.DiamondsarenotforeverandwithinadecadetheminesaroundYellowknifeareallscheduledtoshutdown.Whatwillre-placethemMiltenbergeristalkingaboutspending80milliontobuildaroadnorthtowardBathurstInlettoencourageresourcedevelopmentintheSlaveGeologicProvince.ButnoneoftheresourcedevelopmentsintheNWTpastorcurrentcameaboutasaresultofanykindofgovernmentincen-tive.ThegasfieldsaroundFortLiardandsouthofHayRiverthediamondminesandthegoldminesbeforethemtheESSOoilwellsatNormanWells-allthoselastingresourcedevelopmentscameaboutbecausethemarketpriceswarrantedthemandthecompanieswantedthem.Certainlytheynegotiatedsomesweetheartgovernmentsupportbuttheyweregoingtoproceedanyway.Marketdemandandpricingwar-rantedit.Isaplanforaroadtoresourceswhichwouldaddconsiderablytotheter-ritorialdebtagoodinvestment3.Miltenbergersaidtheyhavebeencon-sideringwaystoenticemoremineworkerswhocommutefromsouthernCanadatoliveintheNWT.Hesaidtheonerouscostofpowerisadetractorandsoheisdedicatedtoreducingthosecosts.NWTresidentswillalsobenefitfromthatbutshouldntitbetheotherwayaroundInsteadofloweringthecostoflivingtoattractmineworkersthepriorityshouldbetolowerthecostoflivingforallNWTresidents.MineworkerswillthenfindtheNWTamoreattractiveplacetolive.Itisamatterofperspective.TheforemostconsiderationshouldbetothepeopleoftheNWTalways.Miltenbergerisagoodfinanceministerandthefinancedepartmentiscompetentanddeservesaccoladesformanagingadiffi-cultjobinchallengingtimes.Howevertheircorepriorityiswrong.Theywantgrowthanddevelopment.ThelotofthepeopleoftheNWTissecondary.Fosterstrongercommunitiesbydevelop-inglocaleconomies.Lowerthecostofliv-ingsothequalityoflifecanimprove.Thatshouldbetheirprimaryconcern.DothatandtheNWTwillbewellposi-tionedtotakeadvantageofresourcedevel-opmentswhentheydocome.CommunitieswillbegroundedandstrongandnotheldhostagetothedevastatingcyclesofboomandbustthatcharacterizethewaytheNWTeconomyisdesignednow.Cometothemeetingsandhaveyoursay.MaketheNWTabetterplacetolive.Makenomistakethe-nanceministersmeet-ingsaremeanttosellthegovernmentsplansandmethodology.EditorTherereallyisnopleasingtheDavidSu-zukiFoundation.OvertheyearsCanadaspesticideregula-torysystemhasbecomemoreprotectiveofhumanhealthandtheenvironmentmoretransparentandmoreinclusiveofnon-gov-ernmentalorganizations.Meanwhiletheplantscienceindustrycon-tinuestoinvestinresearchtodeveloptoolsthathelpfarmersprotectthecropstheygrowfrominsectdiseasesandweedsandgrowsafeaffordablefood.Asaresulttodayscropprotectionproductsareappliedatever-de-creasingratesaremoretargetedthaneverbeforeandhaveneverbeensaferforpeopleortheenvironment.Theplantscienceindus-tryunderstandsthatagricultureslong-termsustainabilitydependsonmaintainingbio-diversitywithinnaturalecosystemsandag-riculturallandscapes.AndthanksinparttoourtechnologiesCanadianagriculturehasneverbeenmoresustainablethanitistoday.Itismind-bogglingtoreadthatafounda-tionthatclaimstoadvocateforasustainablefutureissuggestingthatwegobacktoag-riculturalpracticesfromdecadesagowhensoilerosionwasanepidemicyieldswereonlyafractionofwhattheyaretodayandbeepopulationswereactuallymuchlessrobustthantheyaretoday.Thetruthofthematteristhatactivistgroupslikethisarentlook-ingforsolutionstheyrelookingforpublicproleasevidencedbytheDonatebut-tonthatisalwaysprominent.Whileweworkwithallstakeholdersin-cludingtheCanadianHoneyCounciltoiden-tifysolution-focusedapproachestoensureasustainablefutureforagricultureandbee-keepingactivistgroupssuchastheseareen-trenchedinunworkablepositionsanddontseemtocareiftheyjeopardizetheprogressthatsbeingcollaborativelymade.PierrePetelleVice-presidentofchemistryCropLifeCanadaPesticidesarenotasbadasyouthinkCORRECTIONSIntheNov.18issueofTheJournalFortSmithMtisCouncilvicepresidentAllanHeronwasmistakenlyidentiedastheor-ganizationspresidentKenHudsoninaRe-membranceDayphotospread.TheJournalapologizesforanyinconveniencesthismayhavecaused.effectivelyagovernmentspoliticalandeco-nomicmanifesto.Miltenbergerisaveteranofsuchmeetingsandissellingthegovern-mentsachievementsandplans.HoweverMiltenbergerprovedthathedoeslisten-ifenoughpeopledemandthesamechanges.HelaunchedtheNWTsHer-itageFundlastyearwithacontributionoffivepercentofroyaltyrevenuesfromde-volutionbuthebowedtopublicpressureexercisedduringhiscommunitybudgetmeetingsandincreasedannualpaymentsfive-foldto25percent.ThereareseveralthingswethinkneedtobescrutinizedinthegovernmentsplansandperhapsanewdirectiondemandedofMiltenberger.1.AlothasbeenmadeofthecampaigntogetthefederalgovernmenttoraisetheNWTsborrowinglimityetprojectionsbythefinancedepartmentpresentedatthemeetingsarenotoptimistic.Fewifanyresourcedevelopmentprojectsareonthewayinspiteofsignificanteffortstoencour-agedeveloperstocometotheterritoryinthepastfewyears.InadditionanetlossVotingdelegatesoftheNWTMtisNationoptedtore-electtheirpreviousexecutiveatlastweeksAGMinFortSmith.FromleftGarryBaileywasre-electedpresidentBettyVillebrunvicepresidentandDannyBecksecretary-treasurer.AllthreepromisedtoworkhardforthemembershipasthenationapproachesitsnalnegotiationswithCanadaoverlandsandresourcesinthecomingmonths.PhotoMeaganWohlberg