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4TuesdayApril142015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.EDITORIALLETTERSTOTHEEDITORBillC-51-thethreatofIndigenousterroristsThisbillwouldretrogradedemocracyinCanadaandseriouslyerodethequalityofcitizenshipCanadianscurrentlyenjoy.PrimeMinisterStephenHarperattheendofthetwo-daySummitoftheAmericascon-ferenceApril10-112015PanamaCityPan-amaannouncedanewCanadianprogramtofurthersecuritydemocraticgovernancehealthandbordermanagementprojectsfortheregion.HespokeofCanadascommit-menttoworkingwithourneighboursforamoreprosperousandsecureregionthatisrootedincorevaluesoffreedomdemocracyhumanrightsandtheruleoflaw.MeanwhilebackhomeinCanadaopposi-tiontohisgovernmentsplantoenactananti-terrorismbillisgrowing.ManyseeitasanassaultonCanadascorevaluesoffreedomdemocracyhumanrightsandtheruleoflaw.SomeofCanadasmostinuentialleadershavevoicedconcernsthatthenewanti-ter-rorismbillC-51ishazardoustothefuturehealthofthecountry.NonehavestatedthoseconcernsmorepowerfullyandpassionatelythantheIndigenousBarAssociationIBA.InanopenlettertoallCanadianslastweektheIBAlaidouthowitfearsBillC-51willbecorrosivetoCanadiandemocracyBillC-51fundamentallymisrepresentsthenecessarybalancebetweenfreedomandse-curity.ThebillappearstopresumeanethosofmistrustofCanadiancitizens.ThisbillwouldretrogradedemocracyinCanadaandseriouslyerodethequalityofcitizenshipCa-nadianscurrentlyenjoy.Importantlythisbillwouldsignalaneweraofchoosingapoliticsoffearoverapoliticsoffreedom.TheIBAletterwarnsthenewbillwouldmobilizeCanadassecurityandsurveillanceapparatuseswithoutprotectingthefundamen-talrightsandfreedomsofCanadiansandthatthenewbillwouldcriminalizedissent.BeyondimpactingfreedomsallCanadianscherishtheIBApointsoutthatBillC-51islikelytoresultinthetargetingofFirstNationCanadians.TheIBAsaysBillC-51willbringotherwiselawfuladvocacyinpursuitofcon-stitutionally-entrenchedAboriginalandtreatyrightswithinthediscourseofterror.TheIBAhasavestedinterestinthisaswellasadepthofawarenessofpastinjusticesinthetreatmentofCanadasIndigenouspeoples.ItisanationalassociationcomprisedofFirstNationsInuitandMtislawyerslegalacadem-icsarticlingclerksandlawstudentsinclud-inggraduateandpost-graduatelawstudentsanot-for-protfederalcorporationmandatedtopromotetheadvancementoflegalandso-cialjusticeforIndigenouspeoplesinCanadaaswellasthereformoflawsandpoliciesaf-fectingIndigenouspeoples.PollsshowsupportforBillC-51isdropping.OrdinaryCanadiansarestartingtorelatetoitspotentialimpactpersonallywhatmighthappentothemiftheystronglydisagreewithsomethingthegovernmentisdoingabouthuntingrightseducationlabourdisputeshowanimalsaretreatedorwhatever.Ifanindividualiscaughtupinacausethatinvolvespublicdissentthatinanywayinhibitstheordinaryfunctioningofsocietythatpersonmaybecomethefocusofoneofourcountrysmanynationalsecurityagencieswiththeirnewfoundpowers.Allper-sonaldatawouldbetrackedandmovementswatched.Itisascarythought.InitslettertheIBAobservesthatatthecoreofBillC-51isanefforttoundulyprivi-legeeconomicinterestsoversocialpoliticalandlegalinterests.WhetheryouareaconservativethinkerlikeStephenHarperoryouopposewhathedoesandwhathestandsfortheIBAassessmentringstrueforboth.TheHarperConservativeshavemadegrowingtheeconomytheprioritywhilelawandorderisthetorchtheybear.Suc-cessfulcorporationsarethekeytoeconomicwell-beingandmustbefacilitated.Anythingthatimpedescorporatesuccessmustbedealtwiththroughtheruleoflaw.Thatthinkinghascharacterizedthecurrentgovernmentthroughoutitsnineyearsinpower.Dissentwillbecriminalized.Thosewhoin-hibitprogressaretroublemakers.Environmen-talgroupsthattrytoblockcorporategrowthnomatterthereasonareterrorists.FirstNa-tioncitizenswhoblockadeindustrialactivityareterroriststoo.Iftraditionallandorrightsareimpactedtheyshouldusethecourts.BillC-51willsimplyconrmthosesentimentsinlaw.Transgressorswillgetwhattheydeserve.TheHarperConservativeshavethemajor-ityandthepower.ItistheirstatedintenttoremakeCanadaintheirimage.BillC-51ispartofthatprocess.ManyCanadiansdonotwantthecountrytobechangedthatway.Theyfeeldissentisacriticalaspectofadynamicevolvingsociety.Theydonotwantintrusionofgovernmentintotheirlivesnordotheywantpoliceandsecu-rityagencieswithsomuchunfetteredpower.Ifthatishowyoufeelanelectioniscoming.Nowisthetimetodosomethingaboutit.AfullcopyoftheIndigenousBarAssocia-tionopenlettertoCanadianscanbefoundontheNorthernJournalwebsitewww.norj.caEditorIreadwithinterestastoryaboutthelargeturnoutinInuviktothegovernmentsrstpublicconsultationintheTerritoriesonthedraftregulationsgoverningfrackingintheNWT.ItappearedthattheoverwhelmingresponseattheInuvikmeetingwasoneofpublicconcernaboutwhethertheTerritoriesshouldbeengaginginthisactivityatalles-peciallyconsideringtheriskitposestothelandwaterandanimals.WhatreadersmightnotknowisthatthereisanonlinepetitionontheNWTgovern-mentwebsitecallingforamoratoriumuntilstrongregulationsareinplace.Therearemanyquestionsaroundthosepresentlypro-posed.Ofcoursetherearemanywhoareaskingwhetherweshouldbedabblinginfrackingatallconsideringthethreatposedtotheenvironment.Sofarcloseto800peoplehavesignedthispetitionwhichwillbetabledinlateMay.ThecoalitionbehinditFrackingActionNorthFANishopingtohearfrompeoplethroughouttheTerritoriesbeforethepeti-tionistabled.IfanyoneiswillingtocarryapapercopytogetsignaturesfromthosewhoInthestoryWoodBuffalobisonTBstudystoppedinitstracksprintedintheMar.24issueoftheNorthernJournalKenHudsonwasincorrectlyreferredtoasthepresidentoftheNWTMtisNa-tionwhenheisinfactthepresidentoftheFortSmithMtisCouncil.TheNWTMtisNationpresidentisGarryBailey.TheJournalapologizesfortheerror.CORRECTIONdonothaveaccesstocomputersthatwouldbewelcomedbyFANwhocanbecontactedthroughitsFacebookpageorwebsite.Thankyouforspeakingoutonthisissue.Consideringwhatishappeningtoourenvi-ronmentmanybelieveitistimetolookatsustainabledevelopmentandenergysourcesthatwillnotcausethesameamountofir-reparabledamage.Pleasenotethatfrackingisprohibitedinmanyotherprovincesandcountries.NancyVailYellowknifePetitionavailabletoNorthernersconcernedwithfrackingPhotoAshleyMcLarenMelFortierposeswithhiswinningpikeattheFortSmithFishingDerbyonMar.27-29.