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4TuesdayFebruary242015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedatStarPressInc.WainwrightAB.Publisher.................................................................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising..............................HeatherFoubertHayRiver867-874-4106adsnorj.caAdministration............................................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionManager......................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caGraphics........................................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALLETTERSTOTHEEDITORFightingterrorbytakingawayourfreedomsStephenHarperwithhisregressivecon-servativeapproachtogoverningCanadahasroutinelyalienatedgroupsoverthelastde-cadeasheworkstoreconstituteourcountryinhisvisionbutBillC-51dubbedtheAnti-terrorBillhasthepotentialtocompromiseourfundamentalfreedomsandrights.Every-oneshouldbeconcernedaboutit.TheLibertarianPartyofCanadafeaturesthoseconcernsonitswebsitewithanimageoftheprimeministerusingbinocularswiththecaptiondontspyonusStephenironicsinceHarperonceprofessedtobeaLibertarian.ManyleadingCanadiansaresimilarlycon-cerned.InanopenletterfourformerCana-dianprimeministersonethemaProgressiveConservativepublicizedtheirconcernsabouttobetroubling.InsituationswheretheyfeelitnecessarytheirpowerswillbenotbelimitedbylawnorwilltheyhavetooperateaccordingtotheCharterofRights.Thatisfrightening.Thosenewpowerswillnotjusttargetter-roristsinCanadathatmightsympathizewiththebutcherscallingthemselvesISISorBokoHaram.Theproposedpowersaremuchmoresweeping.AnyindividualsorgroupsofCana-dianswhoaredenedasproblematicmaybetargeted.DontlikeaproposedhydroprojectpipelineortheoilsandsindustryandwanttoprotesttheminsomewayYoumaybebrandedaneconomicterroristandndyourselfonthebadsideofverypurposefulmenindarksuitsdrivingbigblacksuburbans.Suddenlyyourlifewillnolongerbeyourown.AnRCMPreportfrom2014surfacedlastweekwarningofagrowinghighlyorganizedandwell-nancedanti-Canadapetroleummove-mentthatconsistsofpeacefulactivistsmili-tantsandviolentextremistswhoareopposedtosocietysrelianceonfossilfuels.Thewordterroristisnotusedbutthelanguageissimi-larandthewarningtoneistelling.FinanceMinisterJoeOliverspokeofen-vironmentalistsandotherradicalgroupsin2012becausehesaystheythreatentohijacktheregulatorysystemanddisruptdevelopmentprojects.HewasspeakingaboutoppositiontopipelinesthatwouldcarryoilsandsbitumentotankersontheWestCoast.Thatoppositionincludedpeacefulprotestsandpresentationsathearings-whatheconsiderstoberadicalyetallofitwasdonewithinacceptednormswithinthesystemandwellwithinCanadianlaw.PeoplelikeOliverarepositionedtosettheagendaforCSISandotherCanadiansecurityagenciesinawaythatisnotopennottrans-parentandnotsubjecttooversight.PollsshowmostCanadianssupporttheneedforstrongermeasurestocombatterror-ism.Withanelectionloomingpoliticalpar-tiesarepayingattentiontothosepollslook-ingforapoliticalcausetochampionthatwillwinvotes.TheHarperConservativesareintheleadtakinganti-terrorismasthecen-trepieceoftheirre-electioncampaign.ThisisaslipperyslopeasCanadiansalsowanttheircivillibertiestoremainprotected.InBillC-51theHarperConservativeshaveinadvertentlycreatedanopportunitytolookgood.Iftheyrelentandadjustthebilltoin-cludegreateroversightbalancingtheincreasedpowersandbroadermandateofthesecurityagenciestheywillbeseentobelisteningtothepeoplescoringpointsuppingtheirpopularity.Iftheydonotlistenandmakenochangestothelegislationitwillbeamistakequitepos-siblyonethatcontributestotheendoftenureofStephenHarperasPrimeMinister.EditorIdontunderstandtheworkingsofgovern-ment.Weacceptgovernmentdecidingtoengageinwaratacostof122millionoversixmonthswhilethesamegovernmentsayswecantaffordtopayforhealthforrefugeesclaimantsorhelpwithmorehumanitarianaidforpeopleinMa-lawiorPalestineorEthiopia.Whyisitsoeasyforgovernmenttobuybombsbutdifculttobuyfoodrelieforbuildaffordablehomesforthegrow-ingnumberofhomelessWhycangovernmentspend80000ayearkeepingsomeonelockedupinjailbutcantprovideenoughresourcesforanimpoverishedsinglemomprovideenoughdol-larsayeartosupportandfeedherchildandgotoschoolorlookforworkIdontunderstandhowgovernmentndsitsoeasytospendmoneyforanInquiryonSenatorswhoarerippingCanadiansIdontunderstandourgovernmentoffbutdoesnthavemoneytoexaminewhytherearesomanymissingindigenouswomen.HowisittoothateversincethediamondminesweredevelopedtheGNWTseemstothinkitsappropriatetoclawbackImpactPaymentBen-etsforthoseonsocialassistancethepoorestinourcommunitieswhileeveryoneelsegetsthefullbenetAndIreallydontunderstandwhywekeepelectingpeoplewhoseemtolosesightofthecon-ceptofdemocracyassoonastheygetintopowerandreplaceitwithapartisanideologies.WhydowewasteourhopeourvisionourhumanityonpeoplewhodontreallyleadusintoahealthierkindermorebalancedlifeIreallydontunder-standandIfearinthisyearofelectionshistorywillrepeatitself.PatrickScottYellowknifeAnopenletteronthestrikeactioninHayRiverEditorAlternativesNorthhaslistenedwithdismaytorecentmediareportsthatcharacterizestrikingHayRivertownworkersasholdingcommunitymembersparticularlyrecreationcentreusersashostagethroughthewithdrawalofservices.AlternativesNorthstronglysupportsthefun-damentalrightofworkerstowithdrawtheirla-bourwhennocollectiveagreementisinplaceandagreementcannotbereachedonanewcontract.SincetheTownisawarethatstrikeactionbyitsworkerswillresultinthelossofuseofcommu-nityfacilitiestheresponsibilityforthelossofthoseservicesisequallysharedbybothpartiestothenegotiations.AnagreementcanbereachedthroughthewillingnessoftheTowntore-enternegotiations.WeurgetheTowntore-opennegotiationssothatservicemayberestoredtoallcitizensandworkersenjoyafairwage.BenMcDonaldAlternativesNorthPhotoCarlaUlrichTheGranddaughtersoftheDrumawomensdrumminggroupfromHayRiverperformasongduringtheNWTCreeLanguageProgramssongwritingworkshopontheweek-end.TheworkshopledbymusicianVeronicaJohnnycombinedlanguagelearningwithmusicandwasheldFridayandSaturdayinHayRiver.UnliketheRCMPwhosedutiesinvolvethelayingofchargesandcourtproceedingsallofitpublicprocessalloperationsofsecurityagencieslikeCSISarecloakedinsecrecy.thelegislation.Theysaygreateroversightisneededifsecurityagenciesaregrantedmorepowers.SixformerjudgesoftheSupremeCourtalongwithseveralrespectedlawpro-fessorshavevoicedsimilarfears.Manynews-papersincludingmostofthenationaldailieshavewritteneditorialsechoingthosesenti-ments.TheHarperConservativesarecertainthebillisawlessdeterminedtopushthelegislationthroughunaltered.GreenPartyleaderElizabethMaywasha-ranguedbyConservativememberswhenshestoodintheHouseofCommonsandsuggestedthebillwillcreateasecretpolicebutthatisexactlywhatCSISwillbewithitsnewpowers.UnliketheRCMPwhosedutiesinvolvethelay-ingofchargesandcourtproceedingsallofitpublicprocessalloperationsofsecurityagen-cieslikeCSISarecloakedinsecrecy.ThenewpowersCSISandtheothernationalsecurityagencieswillacquireunderBillC-51willexpandboththebreadthoftheirmandateandthedepthoftheirpowers.UnliketheRCMPthepowersofthesesecurityagenciesarenotdenedbythenewlegislation.Ratherthenewpowersaregeneralizedenablingthemtopursuewhatevertheyortheirpoliticalmastersdeem