 |
Cece Hodgson-McCauley
Guest comment
Monday, September 24, 2007
The News/North Sept. 12 article by Labour Vice President Steve Paterson, sure gave me a wake up call, (re: China Junket?) because of the regular member of the house criticizing and questioning the idea. I thought the trip was cancelled, because of the amount of money ($200,000 gone down the drain) and especially when the government and premier are outgoing and a new government being voted in.
I understand Brenden Bell is running for MP in Ottawa? I think he just lost my vote! What is wrong with us ordinary citizens, or what about the regular member, to allow this to happen.
Brenden Bell is saying the mission based on invitation from China? Who invited them, some lowly clerk in China's government or was it the big man himself President HU Jintao? What a joke, before we get mixed up with countries we better develop all throughout our territory (accessibility) with roads and more roads! And why push tourism?
Forget tourism until they can offer it to the whole territory! The tourists themselves have told us, why don't you complete and extend the road down the MacKenzie Valley? So that we can make the big boys - go up north through Whitehorse across the Dempster to the Delta and we can come back south through the MacKenzie Valley?
That's what we the people from the Delta and Sahtu have been begging for, all to deaf ears of GNWT. First, they have Aurora Viewing on their brain; second, big game outfitting takes care of itself; - but third NTCL? They will be absolute on the MacKenzie, the frigging river is drying up - and besides, most of the boats and barges are running in the Arctic Ocean to service Inuit and Inuvialuit, after all they own the Co. GNWT wants to compete with in-roads our neighbours have already made with China?
They mean the Yukon and Alberta? Well, they have roads! And we sure can't compare ourselves with those governments, remember the time, a few years ago, the Chambers of Commerce of the NWT, B.C. and Alberta met in Grand Prairie? B.C. and Alberta told NWT Commerce, "we would sure love to come and do business with you, (but) you don't have roads!" So, until they complete the extension of the road from Wrigley to Tuk, the NWT may as well go back and bury their head in the sand!
So, what to do now? Just keep a close eye on the election coming up, maybe you shouldn't vote any previous MLAs, except the women
We need strong, tough dedicated people, with vision and the guts to do the right thing because the whole government needs an overhaul.
I keep threatening to sue the Federal Government because they lied to us in 1960 - when they let civil servants create the GNWT. They promised us a good government, just look at their record for the past 47 years.
They created a system to fail the people, no encouragement, so much frustration among grassroots people in small communities, welfare is booming in a land of opportunity.
They have truly failed the ordinary citizens in the education and training department - people at the grassroots have questioned the system, but, nothing changes - the justice system is sick! A department that eats up it's bigger share of our money than education, we don't need so many lawyers and why do we need supreme judges? And correctional facilities, jails need some stimulus. Inmates become brain dead, upgrade the inmates - include trades schools in institutions etc etc...
Anyhow - maybe this trip to China is another good reason to see the Feds? Or should we sue the MLAs, all who went on this junket to China and their business friends, sure turns you off. Especially when they cut money from Education and any programs that effect children.
By the way - I'm talking to the Globe and Mail, we need publicity in our neck of the woods, we want out of isolation, isolation!
- Cece Hodgson-McCauley is the founding chief of the Inuvik Dene band and will remain honourary chief for life. She can be reached at fax (867) 587-3003 or by phone (867) 587-3037.