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4 Tuesday May 12 2015 The Northern Journal is an independent newspaper covering news and events in the western Arctic and northern Alberta. 2013 CCNA BLUE RIBBON CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013 C M C A AUDITED The Northern Journal is published weekly by Cascade Publishing Ltd. Printed at Star Press Inc. Wainwright AB. Publisher................................................................................. Don Jaque 867-872-3000 ext.21 donnorj.ca Editor.........................................................................Meagan Wohlberg 867-872-3000 ext.24 newsnorj.ca Reporter....................................................................... Dali Carmichael 867-872-3000 ext.25 reporternorj.ca Comptroller ..................................................... Dixie Penner 867-872-3000 ext.23 dixnorj.ca Advertising.............................. Heather Foubert Hay River 867-874-4106 adsnorj.ca Administration............................................Jeremy Turcotte 867-872-3000 ext.26 adminnorj.ca Production Manager ......................................Sandra Jaque 867-872-3000 ext.22 sandranorj.ca Graphics........................................................Paul Bannister 867-872-3000 ext.27 graphicsnorj.ca Letters to the Editor Policy The Northern Journal welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and include a phone number so the author can be veried. Names will be withheld on request in special circumstances where the reasons are determined to be valid. The Journal reserves the right to edit letters for length libel clarity and taste. Opinions expressed in letters and columns are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. Advertising Deadlines Display ad deadline is Thursday at 400 p.m. Classied ad deadline is Thursday at 500 p.m. Email adsnorj.ca Subscription Rates Prices include GST. 47.25 in Fort Smith 52.50 elsewhere in Canada 105 in the USA overseas 164.30. EDITORIAL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Consensus government must be improved A more democratic robust form of government par- ticularly one that holds the current government more to account and forces it to perform well is possible within the consensus gov- ernment framework. The Alberta election was a great example of the party system functioning as it should a cornerstone of democratic reform and gov- ernment renewal. The trouncing of the Al- berta PCs by the NDP was about a tired self- serving political dynasty getting the heave- ho replaced by an alternate leader with new energy who captured the imagination and trust of the Alberta electorate. Almostalllong-servingrulingpartiesbecome stagnant in time and a good house cleaning is routinely needed. The party system recog- nizes that need and by design provides a wait- ing alternative that promises to be capable in taking over the reins of government. The consensus government system in the NWT and Nunavut is missing that important characteristic. When a government loses its mojo lacks creative thinking has no vision or worse becomes corrupt there is no ready replacement no viable hopefully attractive alternative within the design of consensus government - as it is now. That means there is no option for renewal. That is a problem. Nunavutisonly16yearsoldandstillevolving asanentity.Itisstilllearninghowtogovernand manage its jurisdiction. The woeful state of its correctionalsystemparticularlytheovercrowded BafnRegionalCorrectionCentrewhichissaid to be so bad it is unsafe for inmates is but one example. Its aging community power plants and the need for costly replacements will likely emergeasacrisisinthecomingdecade.Sufce tosayreworkingthedesignofitsconsensusgov- ernment system is not Nunavuts rst priority. The NWT has a depth of maturity in gov- ernment operations but its consensus style of government is still developing and needs rening particularly on these two issues 1. How the premier is elected 2. A renewal mechanism should the govern- ment become stale and needs to be removed. The process by which the premier is elected in the NWT is both a constriction to democracy and less robust in terms of the evolution and improvement of the gov- ernment than it could be. In the party sys- tem the leader and hisher political follow- ers if they have their act together have an enunciated vision of how the future under their direction will unfold often backed by a political philosophy that rationalizes that vision. That is completely missing in the NWT where the premier is selected by fel- low MLAs after a speech that follows a few days of lobbying. The premier has no require- ment to offer up a vision to the populace no description of what will be aspired to in the future nor a revelation of the character or direction hisher government will take. Im- portantly there is a lack of process in that election no running the gauntlet over time so candidates are challenged forced to de- velop and rene their vision improving it as they go. The lack of any participation of the public in the premiers election is a par- ticular aw. Secondly if after a period of time the pre- mier and hisher government becomes un- popular there is no mechanism for replace- ment. There is no optional new government ready and waiting to transition into place. The benecial side of party politics which offer the opportunity for systemic renewal is completely missing. Those issues need to be addressed. This is not a criticism of the current government. It is a point of principle. The NWTs consensus system and Nunavuts as well needs to be improved. Though a party system would not work in either case with such small popula- tions and seems in both cases the majority of residents prefer the consensus model a more democratic robust form of government par- ticularly one that holds the current govern- ment more to account and challenges even forces it to perform well is possible within the consensus government framework. The status quo is not acceptable. What is needed is a constitutional conference a symposium where Northerners are brought together and the evolution of the means and methodology by which people are governed in the NWT are discussed. A consensus might be reached on how the mechanisms of government can be improved but the shar- ing of ideas alone would make the exercise worthwhile. A footnote If an effort is to be made for consensus government to evolve and improve in the NWT please do not allow or especially solicit southern academics and experts to come and tell Northern residents how to evolve our future government. Northerners are amply intelligent and capable of coming up with their own solutions. Albertans have immediate expectations Editor I vividly recall former Saskatchewan NDP Premier Allan Blakeney stating When youre out of touch youre out of ofce following the Spring of 1982 shellacking the NDP re- ceived at the hands of Grant Devines Pro- gressive Conservative party. I also recall Brian MulroneyKim Campbell not say- ing that when they should have after their crucixion in the 1993 fall federal election and the Liberals never saying that no mat- ter how badly they have been beaten here and there throughout the last 75 years. It would have been impossible for hyper-ar- rogant Pierre Trudeau to even think such let alone mumble it. Maybe thats the lesson for the Alberta PCs. They were out of touch. Although the elec- torate seldom articulates itself in such a way its axiomatic in politics that out of touch usually means out of ofce and that the electorate is never wrong. I also think that the attractiveness of NDP leader Rachel Notley was underestimated by her opponents the media and virtually ev- eryone else. She was impressive right from the get go. However attractive and bright shining as she and her colleagues may be now it will not be easy for them to stay that way as they try to meet their constituencies expectations amidst the very serious eco- nomic challenges currently facing Alberta. Its also going to be tough for them to purge the entrenched ultra-right wing thinking they will find in government departments. Theyll need more than four years and that may be longer than the predominantly me- first-right-now Alberta electorate is ready to remain patient. Listen for grumbling to start in about six months. Dennis Hall Saskatoon PhotoDonJaque Prospective Parks Canada reghters Melanie Jewel and Aaron Lepine run over ob- stacle ramps carrying 25 kg 55 lb hose packs in the Fort Smith Curling rink last week part of reghter tness testing being held in communities across the NWT as incident management teams prepare for what is predicted to be a hot dry and intense re sea- son. From left Wes Steed of Environment and Natural Resources ENR Katie Ells- worth of Parks Canada and Jordan Salazar in the middle shout support and offer water while Louie Beaulieu on the right also from ENR tracks progress. The reghters also had to carry a 28.5 kg 62.5 lb simulated water pump and pull a 56 kg 123.2 lb sled do- ing numerous laps with each all part of the national standard training and certication needed to be a Type 1 exportable initial attack reghter with Parks Canada. Firefighter fitness testing