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4TuesdayMarch172015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.EDITORIALLETTERSTOTHEEDITORPossibleoutcomesinthenextfederalelectionStephenHarperrodeawaveofprosperityforthelastveyearswhilemostoftherestoftheworldsufferedduringaworldwidere-cession.AboomingeconomyfueledbyhighoilpricesandCanadianbanksthatthrivedwhilemanyothersfailedthankstoregu-lationssetdownbyformerLiberalnanceministerstogethermadeHarperlookgreat.Theeuphoricruncametoanabruptendwiththecrashinoilprices.ThosesameheadsofstatethatHarpersanctimoniouslylecturedonhowtoxtheireconomiesarepassingCanadaby.MeanwhileHarpersgovernmentisfraughtwithscandalandmajormistakesarebeingmadebyhisadministration.ManyCanadiansareconcernedaboutthedramaticchangesheismakingtothecountryandagrowingnumberofhissupportersareques-tioninghisdogmaticleadershipstyle.ThestinkofscandalwilldogHarperoverthenextseveralmonthsasthecourtcasesofex-senatorsrevealbehind-the-scenesugli-nessreminiscentofthesponsorshipscandalthatbroughtdownthelastLiberalgovern-ment.Embattledandlong-in-the-tooththeHarperConservativesarevulnerable.WillthiscomingOctoberbetimeforCanadianstochooseanewpathWouldyouwantJustinTrudeauasPrimeMinisterCanadiansarestillunsureofthat.FortwoyearshehasbeenseenastheleadingalternativetoHarperbuthehasstilltowineithertheheartsormindsofmostCanadi-ans.Hehasmadeboldmovesactingswiftlyanddecisivelyonmajorissuessometimeswithinspiredsolutionsyethasalsofumbledattimes.WillheevershowthathehasthechopstoleadthecountryWhatofThomasMulcairHeisnotyouth-fulandcharismaticlikeTrudeauinfactheisstaideventedious.Wouldthoseimpres-sionspreventCanadiansfromvotingNDPEditorInresponsetoyourMar.3articleMLApushesfortransparencywithNWTlobbyistregistrythispushbyMLAstocreatealob-byistregistryisadmirable.MostprovincesandmanylargecitiesinCanadahavelobby-istregistriesanditssomethingthatshouldcertainlybeontheradarhereintheNWT.Lobbyingwhetherithappensoftenornotisalegitimateactivityandinturnthepublichastherighttoknowwhichindividualsororgani-zationsareinuencingourgovernment.Sincedevolutionwascompletedthiskindoftrans-parencyisevenmoreimportantnowthatourministersareregulatorsandhavethepowertoapprovedenydevelopmentpermits.TheonlyclearargumentagainstsettingupaLobbyistRegistryisconcernsoverthecostandtimerequiredtosetitup.Iwouldsuggestthatthisgovernmentcouldstartdisclosingmoreinformationtoday.ThebestexampleofacheapandsimplesolutiontothisproblemisinCal-garywheresince2014themayorandallcitycouncillorshavebeendisclosinganymeetingsthattheyortheirstaffholdonaquarterlybasis.Thislowcostwayofimprovingtranspar-encyingovernmentwouldbeeasytoimple-mentintheNWTandshouldbeimplementedbyApril1sttherearenobarrierstothiskindofdisclosure.ButourregularMLAsshoulddomorethanjustpassmotionsanddemandactionfromCabinet.Theyshouldsetanexampleandim-mediatelyadoptsuchasystemofdisclosureintotheirCodeofConductorotherpolicyoftheAssembly.ItisjustasimportantinaconsensusgovernmentforregularMLAstoalsodisclosewhotheymeetwith.IfMLAstakealeadershippositionCabinetissuretofollow.Ratherthankickingtheballtothenextgov-ernmentthisgovernmentcanandshouldtakeimmediateactiononthisissue.WherethereisawilltheresawayandIhopeourgovernmenthasawilltoimprovetransparencynotjustthewords.DavidWasylciwLobbyregistryisagoodideaMulcairhasearnedrespectinhisroleasof-cialparliamentaryprotagonist.Heisseenasintelligentandtenaciousperfectattributesforaleaderoftheopposition.IsthatenoughtoearnhimamajorityintheHouseofCom-monsinthefallsohecansitinthebigchairItiswidelybelievedthatifJackLaytonMulcairspredecessorhadnotbeentakenbycancerhewasonafasttracktobecomingCanadasnextprimeminister.Mulcairinher-itedapartyinascendancyalargegroupofMPsastrongQuebeccaucusthestatusofLeaderoftheOfcialOpposition.Evenwithallthathehasyettoinspire.TrudeauandMulcairseemonanequalfoot-inginopposition.BothtakesimilarstancesinopposingHarpersoithasbeenhardtodif-ferentiate.ThedebateoverBillC-51changedthat.IthelpedMulcairthattheTrudeauLib-eralschosetheambiguouspositionofcondi-tionallysupportingthecontroversialanti-terrorlegislation.ThatgavetheNPDachancetostandaloneagainsttheHarperConser-vativesindenouncingthelegislation.WithformerSupremeCourtjusticesandprimeministersplusavarietyofnationalleadersexpressinggraveconcernsoverawsinthebillMulcairsstockvaluewentup.Inthisrun-upperiodsevenmonthsbe-foreCanadiansgotothepollsallpartiesaretryingtoscorepointsamongvotingblocksoversingularissuesbutastheelectionnearsjobsandtheslippingeconomywillbecomethefeature.TheHarperConservativesarepreachinglawandordertokeeptheirbaseloyalandplayingtoemotionalfearsoverterrorismbuttheirmantralateronwillbethattheyarethebestcustodiansoftheCa-nadianeconomy.TrudeauandhisLiberalsarerumouredtohaveaplanfortaxcutsforthemiddleclasswhichcouldbepopular.TheeconomyisnotseenasthestrongsuitfortheNDPandtherearefearsthattheywilloverspendonsocialprogramsrunupdebtandincreasetaxes.TheybadlyneedtochangethatimageconvincingCanadianstheywouldbegoodscalmanagers.WewouldberemissnottomentionEliz-abethMay.Principledhonestdiligentandverynicepossiblythemostappealingofanyleadershewouldbeluckytogaintwoseatsbutshewillwinvotersupportineveryriding.BecauseshewillmainlydrawvotesfromtheNDPortheLiberalssheisoddlyHarpersaceinthehole.Thestrongerhersupportthehappierheis.ThewaythingslookrightnowtheLib-eralswillpickupsomeseatsattheex-penseoftheHarperConservativesthankstoTrudeauscharismatheNDPwillwinafewseatsbutloseafewandHarperwillhangonenoughtoformaminorityCon-servativegovernment.EditorAlthoughthearticleBiggestmorelhar-vestinworldhistory...fromMar.10containsmanyerrorsandisfullofGNWTITIspinstillitisgreattoseegovernmentnallypro-motingthisindustryandmakingcommuni-tiesawareoftheamountofmoneythatitcangeneratelocally.MarieandIscoutedthelocalburnsandtheresacrosstheSouthSlavelastfall.TheLittleBuffaloandTsuLakereswillprobablynotproducemuchwethinkandourexperi-enceisthatthecostofairchartersprecludesprotabley-inharvestingoperations.Thepresenceofsomanysouthernpickersintheburnsalongthehighwaysystemcreatesasituationinwhichdespiteouryearsofhar-vestingexperiencewecannotcompeteanduntilGNWTdoessomethingtoprotectnorth-ernharvestersfromtheorganizedsouthernharvesterstheNWTwillnotbeabletofullybenetfromthemushroomharvest.ButlocalFortSmithharvestersmostofthemwillbefortunatethisyearbecausethebestlookingburnintheentireNWTisintheirareaalongHwy5betweenNyarlingRiverandthewesternWBNPboundaryandisopenforharvestingtopeoplewithaborigi-nalancestry.ThisrewillprobablyproduceasmuchormoreastheTroutRiverredidlastsummerandtherewillbenocompeti-tionfromsouthernharvestingoperations.Unlikelastyearwhenahugemushroomhar-vestwasdeniedtolocalharvestersbyWBNPbarricadingtheroadaccessintotheParsonsLakeburnitisdoubtfulthattheparkwillbeabletopreventpeoplefromharvestingpotentialmillion-dollar-plusbountyandthecommunityofFortSmithfromsharingintherewards.IfthemushroomsarethereIamsurethatbuyerswillappear.ItwouldbegreatifthelocalFirstNationswouldfol-lowtheDehchogovernmentsleadandhelptoorganizeandassisttheirmemberstopar-ticipateinthisindustry.JamesDarkesFortSmithBenetingfromthefungusamongusThestinkofscandalwilldogHarperoverthenextseveralmonthsasthecourtcasesofex-senatorsrevealbehind-the-scenesuglinessreminiscentofthesponsorshipscandalthatbroughtdownthelastLiberalgovernment.PhotoDaliCarmichaelFortSmithsnewestbusinessTheSweetestGroundshaditsopeningdayonMar.6.PicturedareownerLaurieYoungandstaffMichelleKiezerandMary-LynnBertonwhoserveupcandyicecreamandcoffeetothecommunity.