WAtch our show tonight

Nunavut's 10th anniversary is the focus of my work tonight, and I'm happy with it. Very happy.

Last night, we had people remembering what they were doing on April 1st 1999.

Today, we have:

Tons of traditional games
Me getting my ass kicked by grade school kids at said events
O Canada in Inuktitut
Some politicians
Incredible throat singing

and so on. Big day for Nunavut, and I'm happy we did some justice to it.

Tomorrow, what about the next 10 years, huh?

and in the debrief, I say the words, "We'll fill your belly full of seal."

6 eastern in the south, 7 eastern in the North. Tune in.

Tonight, on the TV

-- Find out out how much it costs to fly around in the High Arctic
-- Watch me ham it up with a map
-- Find out about $65 cranberry juice

I am the D block, second to last block of the show, and it is all me. Watch, enjoy, and discuss. How damn bad do you want cranberry juice if you are willing to pay that?

Of government websites and minor political hackery

I was looking around on line today, and checked out the message boards over at PEIInfo.com. It seems the the government of PEI has redesigned their website..

Now, as we all know, message boards are the second lowest form of human communication out there (comment sections on national news websites are the lowest).

The partisans over at the message board were bashing Rob Ghiz like a Japanese whaler, over the decision to......

wait for it........

put his picture on the website.....

and to use "Liberal" red (hey jerks, it is Colonel Grey maroon, not Liberal red. Blast him on that).

Off hand, I can think of ten things I would be more pissed off at Premier Rob about... let's start with:

1 - closing rural schools
2 - grabass Deputy Ministers and how much they get paid
3 - the performance of various ministries and their ministers
4 - which Liberal supporters received money from the mysterious Chinese
5 - why people in Western PEI are fighting over windmills
6 - a home EXPLODING in Cornwall (ok, maybe not Rob's fault, but it is Cornwall related, and I hope they find their cat)
7 - the price of milk
8 - the collapse of farming
9 - Government employees faking documents on ATIP requests
10 - Govt reworking the very same website to make sure that public info remains private

See, not hard. A little substance, and I didn't even have to interview anyone. I don't live there, I'm not even that mad about any of it. The one I'm really mad about is not on this list

The reasons are several,
most of them federal
(had to quote Public Enemy, because it does take A Nation Of Millions to Hold Me Back ;))).

The media is no better. "Senator" Duffy says something stupid and they can't do enough stories.....

and never once mention that using the image of two men together in bed as "disgusting" is a pretty damn homophobic thing to say....

But it got me thinking. The Government of Nunavut has a website, and it used to have Premier Okalik's smiling face up there. I remember because they changed his photo when he shaved his moustache.

Go check it now. No Premier Aariak on the front page. What is up with that?

Either Rob or Eva need some hubris, or one needs to lose some. They should sort it out at the next First Minister's meeting, or commission a study, whichever one is determined to be less effective.

Of 10 point plans and politics

Everybody knows that Tagak Curley wants to be the Premier, and under Nunavut's consensus system of government, he has a chance to be. The MLA's meet in a few weeks, to elect a Premier, a Speaker and a cabinet.

The Premiership (soccer reference ;) ) battle is going to be interesting, especially since it looks like Mr Curley from Rankin Inlet is running publically. He released a 10 point plan which outlines what his administration would do.

I like 10 point plans, they are long enough to contain policy but short enough to be digestable. Here is his, with my comments in ITALICS AND CAPS


In the next Legislative Assembly, Tagak confirmed his priorities, among others, will include to:

1. examine the feasibility of establishing a breakfast program for all schools in Nunavut;

NUMBER ONE FOR A REASON. SOME SCHOOLS HAVE TRIED THIS ALREADY, WITH GREAT RESULTS

2. improve health care including better and more reliable air travel for the ill and their families;

NO SURPRISE, IF I HAD A NICKEL FOR EVERYTIME I HAVE HEARD MR CURLEY OR ONE OF THE REGULAR MEMBERS BRING UP MEDICAL TRAVEL, I WOULD HAVE A SHIT LOAD OF NICKELS

3. double the number of new housing units to be built;

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

4. encourage more local Inuit training and employment opportunities;

WHY FLY PEOPLE OUT TO TRAIN, WHEN YOU CAN FLY PEOPLE IN TO TRAIN THEM

5. improve government contracting practices allowing more local business to benefit from government business;

KEEPING BUSINESS LOCAL IS A GOOD IDEA, BUT THERE ARE ALREADY BONUSES AND QUOTAS IN PLACE, EITHER THEY AREN'T WORKING AND NEED TO BE RE-EXAMINED, OR ARE WORKING AND THIS STATEMENT IS JUST POLITICS... GOOD POLITICS BUT POLITICS

6. more roads, and a harbour or a wharf for all communities;

A+ FOR THE IDEA, PROBLEM IS THAT WHARVES ARE A FEDERAL RESPONSABILITY. EITHER THAT TAKES A LOT OF TERRITORIAL MONEY BEING SPENT OF A FEDERAL RESPONSABILITY, OR IT TAKES CRACKING SKULLS WITH THE FEDS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

7. improve cargo handling at community airports and improved food mail for more affordable healthy food choices;

MORE FEDERAL AREAS, ALTHOUGH EVERYONE CAN AGREE THAT THEY NEED TO BE REVISITED

8. increase capacity for the local administration of justice, including more local court houses;

LOCAL OFFICIALS, SURE. LOCAL COURTHOUSES, I DON'T KNOW, DO WE NEED A BUILDING JUST FOR THAT? WHY NOT BUILD MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY HALLS, THAT COULD BE OF USE MORE THAN JUST ON COURT DAYS. WHY BUILD TWO BUILDINGS, WHEN ONE COULD DO TWO THINGS?

9. increase in number of local police; and

NO ONE IS GOING TO DISAGREE WITH THAT ONE

10. more reliance on elders and traditional knowledge for regulating local hunting.

AGAIN, IF YOU LISTEN TO MR CURLEY IN THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, USING MORE ELDERS IN WILDLIFE STUDIES IS A PET ISSUE OF HIS. SMART SCIENTISTS WILL TELL YOU, EYEWITNESSES TO LONG TERM CHANGE ARE INVALUABLE.

So, this sounds like the stuff he has been talking about all along. Gives it a ring of truth, don't you think, that consistant message.

I think Mr Curley's biggest challenge is going to be outrunning his reputation, as he has been known to speak his mind to his own detriment. That is a trait I know all too well, being one of those "talk first, think later" types myself.

I don't think that is always such a bad thing, but people here seem to prefer the strong silent type over leading with your chin. If people see this as a time where there needs to be a louder voice in Iqaluit, that could help as much as hurt.... we'll have to wait and see like everyone else.

His region kicked out all their cabinet ministers, the thirst for change is being fueled by the Kivalliq. Could be an interesting forum on leadership, and Mr Curley can't be discounted.

No matter who wins, please steal the breakfast plan idea from him, if it is not him who wins.

Me, I'm still wondering who will be the Speaker... I'll worry about Premier after a few days of post election non-political thinking.

For example, Friday's story.... SEAL SKINS!!! NO politics of any type, I feel like it is Christmas.

I hope they sit together

From today's National Post:

That breakthrough alone clinches Ms. Shea a cabinet gig as the province's government insider. But her apparently scandal-free performance as a P.E.I. cabinet minister makes Ms. Shea the surest bet as a rookie MP becoming a minister.

Runner-up for that claim is Leona Aglukkaq, the first Conservative MP elected for Nunavut. She might not be ready for a stand-alone portfolio --a one-term cabinet-equivalent gig in the territorial government is simply not in the same league as leading a large federal department -- but she has roots in a variety of public service roles that appear solid enough to rate being tested in a junior job.

It sounds about right. After Ms Aglukkaq came to our office for her "over the satellite" interview with one of our anchors, I used the chance to get in a personal message.

When you get to Ottawa look up Gail Shea.

Both of you are women coming from areas without strong Tory history, and are the only person in the party to represent a large group, Northerners for Leona and PEImiut for Gail, and both have served in a cabinet.

The other reason I suggested it, is because I know both of them professionally. I worked in Western PEI before coming here, and reported extensively on Ms Shea. The two have many personaility traits in common (both positive and negative, but they do match up nicely).

Turns out, the two know each other already, from Status of Women meetings. Ms Aglukkaq was quite pleased when she heard that Gail had won. Gail was also the only person I knew who had been to Nunavut before I moved here, and was effusive in her praise of -- as the Premier is wont to say -- "the good people of Nunavut".

The description of Gail as "scandal free" has at least one newspaper editor I know jumping up and down in rage... see, there was this thing called Polar Foods, where a bunch of fish plant owners collapsed the lobster processing industry on PEI, and ripped off the government for more than $20 million.

It hurt Gail's riding pretty badly. Some would call it a scandal. I would have at the time. Upon reflection, I feel more like all Islanders got mugged by some fish plant owners, due to a pretty lax loan guarantee system on PEI. She has to wear at least some of it, her government guaranteed the loans.

Watch me drop a name here. When I was travelling to Alert with Def. Min. Peter McKay, I interviewed him in front of the weather station up there. We are doing the bit where you take a long shot of the two people talking, for cutaways -- a two shot for TV geeks. McKay was the Minister responsible for PEI, since they didn't elect any Torys.

I usually make small talk, or crack a joke. For McKay, I simply said, "Do you think Gail has a shot in Egmont?" I figured a PEI Inside Baseball question would be a good way to break the ice.

He did laugh, and told a great story about driving through snowstorm from Pictou to Tignish for a fundraiser, going to the Legion in Tignish, and ending up on stage with Ms Shea in some sort of skit, where she was in costume and cracking jokes.

I thoguht to myself, "Wow, you really have been to Tignish."

I hope they both get into cabinet, mostly because I don't perceive either of them as being Reform Party based right wing lunatics. They may just be sneaking two Progressive Conservatives into cabinet... couldn't hurt.

Coming in two parts

Wow.... three hours of tape is a whole lot of tape.

So, here is what I did. I broke it into two parts:

Tonight in Part 1 -- lots of Sheutiapik and Okalik, with a dash of Glenn Williams and Madeleine Redfern. Good clips always force their way in.

Tomorrow in Part 2 -- everybody else

Basically, I couldn't get all the candidates into Part 1, and wanted to make sure everyone is in the story.

If you only listened on radio, you missed half of the show. Body language, demeanor and attentiveness go a long way to showing someone's views.

Tonight at 7 EST for our Northern viewers, 6 EST for those in the South. For Express-Vu customers, 7 EST on Channel 270, 6 EST on Channel 269.

I just looked at the line-up for the rest of the show, and it looks like we have a good one tonight (we have a good one every night, some good is just better than other good).

Buffy St. Marie, Chief Phil Fontaine, Part III of our Yellowknife Bureau's fantastic look at NWT Foster Care, an all-aboriginal Junior B hockey team, and why the heck did the Justice in change of the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission quit yesterday?

Tune in, turn on, and save your criticisms until after you have seen both parts ;)

What I asked

I love the AFN for giving me a chance to ask some good questions, and for being all around generally good people.

Also, I am going into the business of concrete steps, as almost question asked for them. Driscoll's Concrete Steps, coming soon to a location near you.

Almost four fours in the building, three for the debate, I have a lot of tape to look at, so with no further delay, here are the qusetions I asked, and of whom:

Iqaluit West: Sheutiapik and Okalik

1 – One of Premier Okalik’s platform planks is taking credit for Nunavut’s “successful” economy. According to Statistics Canada, the average income for a family in Nunavut is 49,270, the Canadian average is 63,866. StatsCan also said that in 2005, two-thirds of Nunavummiut reported not having enough food during the previous year due to lack of money, nearly four times the national average. My question, do you think Nunavut’s economy is doing well, and what can be done to help those who do not benefit from it?

Iqaluit Center: Sageatook, Redfern and Tootoo

2 – The Auditor General of Canada said this of Nunavut government, “"We found numerous cases of non-compliance with Nunavut's financial laws, including seeking the legislative assembly's approval to spend money after it had already been spent.” She also said , “"Current financial management is weak and fragile. Six years after Nunavut's creation, I am surprised how slowly financial management has improved." The report even included a section about the GN titled “A History of Breaking the Rules.” What would you do to make the Government of Nunavut meet it’s basic, legislated, fiscal responsibility to Nunavummiut?

Iqaluit East: Peter, Williams and Ariak

3 – Iqaluit is growing rapidly. Overcrowding is a huge issue here in the capital. So is crime, between the now frequent notices from RCMP of untreated violent criminals choosing to live in Iqaluit, to the Nunavut wide fact that a person is 12 times more likely to be a victim of sexual assault here, compared to the rest of the Canada. The RCMP are paid to police this community, yet haven’t delivered a report to City Council in eight months. Since you are all running to represent Iqaluit, what concrete steps would you take to make Iqaluit safer, healthier and all in all a better place to live?

Political Free For All

For Iqaluit based voters, we have an interesting proposition for you. At 7:30 Monday night at the always accomadating Francophone Center, there will be an All Iqaluit Canadidates Forum.

The questions will be provided by local journalists, three of whom you can see right here:


Photo (as well as my bad ass new header photo) Courtesy of Kate Nova

Would you want to face off against a panel like that? I guess that the candidates do.

My question for you, dear readers, is: What do you want me to ask them about?

I'm never at a shortage for questions, but I am interested in what you would ask them. When you spend too much looking at the small strokes, sometimes the bigger picture can get blurry.

I get three questions, and the other two clowns in that picture each get two. I have a pretty good idea what my first one will be, but I have all weekend to come up with bulletproof questions that can not be ignored, talked around or otherwise politicked. Help a brother out.

Come on down. Monday, Francophone Center. 7:30 PM. Punch and Pie

EDITOR'S NOTE: There likely will not be punch and pie.

Racism II

Inspired by the comments over Racism I, here is Part II.

Lots of people say that they see it everywhere in the territory. When you see it, now you know what to do. Write it up as a completely blind item, and post it on your blog. Let's see how far this goes.

There is a particular restaurant, in an unnamed location in this territory of 85 per cent Inuit people, where one of the staff members only waits on white people.

It is unbelievable, this person is in the position where they get to pick their own tables, and without fail, only white folks are at their table.

I don't know if it is a perception over tips, attitudes or just plain old bigotry, but that is what happens.

A person who decides who they will wait on, based only on their ethnic make-up, that is racist. And yes, I've seen it with my own eyes, too many times.

Racism I

From now on, when I see an instance of racism, I plan to tell you about it. Sadly, for Iqaluit, I don't think that Racism I will be the only one, just one in a series of ugly vignettes, and they are all true.

Here is the first one:

An Inuit woman gets into a cab, that already has another passenger. That is the way the cabs work here BTW, anyone can get into anyone elses cab. Think small buses, that go where you want them to.

She forgets her bank card, and tells the driver, "Can we go back to get it, you can charge me for the extra stop."

The driver obliges, because, you know, people forget their bank cards and he wants to get paid. The white woman who was already in the cab was not as kind.

They get to the bank, and she starts by saying, "You know, she is going to run off. She'll never pay you." When she comes back, money in hand, she is still going on, "Wow, what a surprise, you are going to get paid."

Making a determination that someone is not going to pay your cabbie, based on nothing but the ethnicity of the person who is supposed to pay, that is racism.

I don't know if that makes her a racist, but that is a racist statement.

Tonight, on our show

Tune in at 6 pm Eastern to see the Prime Minister's Visit to Iqaluit, and why he wouldn't answer my question. I'm more dangerous than I thought.

Plus, you know, all the actual news surrounding the visit. Tune in early, I am the lead item.

The Europeans are coming

International journalists are a fact of life here in Nunavut. At my work, we have one of the few satellite feeds in Nunavut, and we get a fair share of the TV guys who show up. We get some good ones (my buddy Per from Norway is a good example).

There is nothing worse than a journalist who has the story they want to write already written in their head before they even visit where they want to go.

That is why I fear for this summer. Check this from CBC today, on the subject of the many scientists visiting here for International Polar Year research:

Scientists won't be the only new faces northerners will notice this summer: Thomas said she's also noticed a big increase in the number of journalists interested in covering International Polar Year activities.

Journalists taking interest in the North, that is great. Problem is, many have the story already written in their minds before they board a flight.

This is from a BBC story (we aren't talking about fly-by-night operations here, we are talking big players). The author is discussing global warming in Nunavut. This what he had to say about the rink in Kugluktuk:

We later discussed sport and the popularity of ice hockey in Canada. Jack told us that until a few years ago, youngsters used to play on the ice rink in Kugluktuk, "but now it no longer freezes over so the kids can't play anymore".

There is a germ of truth in there, but it is set up to defend a false arguement. The entire article is about global warming, and the implication is that global warming is behind the problems with the rink in Kugluktuk.

The whole story is here

Or, what they call the whole story. I have reported on the rink in Kugluktuk. They can't make ice IN THE WINTER. Let me try that again, THEY CAN'T MAKE ICE IN THE WINTER!!!!

The problem isn't global warming, to make ice in the winter, they just have to leave the doors open. The problem is that they installed pipes to provide cooling for the ice surface when the rink was built, but never purchased the ice-making equipment to hook up to the pipes that run under the ice surface.

The pipes leach heat from the heated dressing rooms to the ice surface. That isn't a global warming problem, that is yet another infrastructure problem in a territory plagued by them.

I sent that story and a version of this warning to my friend Per, when he contacted us from Norway before landing here. He saw the problem right away, and promised me he wasn't looking to do anything like that.

Global warming is real.

A bunch of well-meaning left-leaning know-nothings, with their heady dreams of Arctic Adventure, and a set agenda before they get off the plane does nothing to help global warming, or the people of Nunavut.

Call me jaded, but I don't go out of my way to help international journalists anymore. The novelty has worn off, and their work is suspect.

I'll be looking for more factual errors over the course of the summer. Mis-spell a name, I'll cut you some slack. Invent implied facts, I'll jump up and down and scream bloody murder. I may even do a story about it if there are enough of them.

The Europeans are coming, man the battle stations with stacks of facts.

Why we get our Northern Tax Benefit

... also, why most people don't last more than a few years in Nuanvut.


Currently in Iqaluit
Friday, January 4, 2008 12:00:00 PM EST
Temp : -32.4°C Ice Crystals
Wind: NW at 21 km/h
Wind Gusts: 45 km/h
Windchill: -46.0° C
Visibility: 0.4 km

It is -51 with the wind chill.

We Made Holly Laugh

Last night, at long last, the network aired our "Year in Review" story from Iqaluit. You can find it here for a brief time, until the link becomes unstable:

http://www.aptn.ca/streaming/index.php?wmv=wednesday/six

Last item of the show.

We were so damn charming we made our anchor laugh. It was very cold outside.

Justice delayed

Justice delayed is justice denied, but no one in Nunavut is denying anything.

Here are the three parts in my three-part feature for APTN National News, titled "Justice delayed." Part one today, I'll edit and add parts two and three as they come up.

I received unprecendented cooperation from the Justice department, and I even have a judge in there. Anyone who has ever tried to interview a judge before knows, they just don't talk to reporters all that often.

Also, the next time I suggest a three-part anything that includes two lawyers, one judge, and a civil servant, kick me square in the nuts. They answer fine, they all just answer long.

Part One: Waiting for court (after the first commercial break)
http://www.aptn.ca/streaming/index.php?wmv=tuesday/six

Part Two: Standing room only at jail (before the first commercial):
http://www.aptn.ca/streaming/index.php?wmv=wednesday/six

Part Three: Things are different here (last item of the show):
http://www.aptn.ca/streaming/index.php?wmv=thursday/six