Ambe Chenemu, founder of the Black Advocacy Coalition Up North (BAC Up North), policy and partnership advisor with the Tlicho government, has announced he is running in Yellowknife Centre in the 2023 territorial elections.
In his platform, Chenemu sees problems in housing, wellness and education that he wants to address. He also wants to build a stronger Northern economy.
“A strong economy is also important for everyone,” Chenemu said.
Growth in the business sector is also important, he continued, adding that government sometimes needs to get out of the way.
“The way we handle business in the territory right now is too government-centred,” he said. “The government is not the expert in running the economy.”
He said a lot of people have wanted to start a business in the NWT, but they cannot get funding or support because there are certain criteria they didn’t meet.
Certain programs need to be taken out of government control and put into capable hands to make them more accessible for the community and for the people who are willing to invest, he added.
“I was going to start a business in the software industry, so I looked around here (and) found nothing, there was nowhere I could go to,” he said. “You know where I went? I went to the Yukon. I spoke to Tech Yukon, and they took a look at my project. They said ‘Here are the things that we can help you with’. And Tech Yukon is a government-funded organization.”
There are roles for the government in the economy, though, he added.
“The government’s role is to lead economic growth, and that triggers the wellness of the population and affordability,” he said.
He believes the government should always know the priorities and focus on action instead of just writing reports, and at the same time, use what we have to create a better future.