Tell NWT Premier Bob McLeod to Stand up for Canadian justice!

Stand up for Canadian justice! Tell Northwest Territories Premier Bob McLeod to join other provinces and territories and refuse to pay for the Conservatives' cruel Crime Bill. Together, we can make Canada safer, not meaner.

http://www.leadnow.ca/keep-nwt-safe

In the last few days a group of provinces have taken a powerful stand against the Conservatives' cruel Crime Bill. Quebec and Ontario have said that they will not pay the huge costs for a federally imposed fill-the-prisons approach to justice that has failed everywhere it has been tried.¹ Many other provinces are pushing back, publicly and privately, against policies that will cost us dearly while creating a revolving door for prisoners.²

From prosecutors to prisons, our provinces and territories are responsible for paying for most of our criminal justice system. If the provinces work together and refuse to pay for the Crime Bill's costly and ineffective measures, then the federal government will have to go back to the drawing board and negotiate a better way forward.

This is a crucial moment. The Northwest Territories government is concerned about the bill and its costs. We need to speak together right now to show Premier Bob McLeod that his constituents do not want to pay more money to be less safe.

Tell Premier McLeod to refuse to pay for the cruel Crime Bill, and support a Citizen's Assembly for Canadian Justice!

Opposition to this bill is growing across the political spectrum. Newfoundland and Labrador's Justice Minister, a Conservative named Felix Collins just spoke out and called the Crime Bill a "costly gaffe" that would "undermine democracy."³

Collins said that "most groups, most experts and most witnesses who have given presentations on this bill would advocate that the federal government is proceeding in the wrong direction, and that this procedure has been tried in other areas before and has proven to be a failure."³

Collins is right about the experts. Take the Canadian Bar Association, which represents 37,000 legal professionals. They strongly criticized the Bill for its "punitive approach to criminal behaviour, rather than a focus on how to prevent that behaviour in the first place, or rehabilitate those who offend."³

And then there's tough-on-crime Texas. In 2004 Texas had the highest incarceration rate in the world. In 2005 they had a budget crisis. That's when Texas got serious, and discovered that crime prevention, through drug treatment programs and a host of other proven solutions, is cheaper and more effective than mandatory sentences and other fill-the-prisons policies.⁴

Texas has learned something that Canadians have known for a long time: it is better to help people be a part of society than it is to pay to force them out.

We need a united provincial alliance. Send a message to your Premier and Justice Minister now to make Canada safer, not meaner.

References:

1. Provinces wont foot bill for crime legislation, McGuinty warns PM: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/provinces-wont-foot-bill-for-crime-legislation-mcguinty-warns-pm/article2222867/
2. Quebec Justice Minister Jean Marc Fournier says province wont pay costs of new federal crime bill: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20111101/quebec-justice-minister-jean-marc-fournier-says-province-wont-pay-costs-of-new-federal-crime-bill-111101/
3. N.L. joins Ontario, Quebec in criticism of crime bill: http://m.ctv.ca/topstories/20111102/newfoundland-feds-crime-bill-111102.html
4. Texas conservatives reject Harper's crime plan - 'Been there; done that; didn't work,' say Texas crime-fighters (CBC): http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/10/17/pol-vp-milewski-texas-crime.html
5. Critics of omnibus bill 'advocate for criminals,' Conservatives charge (Globe and Mail): http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/critics-of-omnibus-bill-advocate-for-criminals-conservatives-charge/article2205213/
6. Study: Prevention Fights Crime Better Than Jail (Seattle Times): http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960620&slug=2335526
7. Tough on crime will likely lead to more crime, bigger deficit (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives): http://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/news-releases/tough-crime-will-likely-lead-more-crime-bigger-deficit-report
8. Crime rates fall to lowest level since 1973 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/07/21/crime-rates.html
9. Open letter to the Government opposing mandatory sentences from over 550 Canadian experts and public health professionals (Urban Health Research Initiative): http://uhri.cfenet.ubc.ca/content/view/90
10. A Meaner Canada : Junk Politics and the Omnibus Crime Bill (Alex Himelfarb) http://afhimelfarb.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/a-meaner-canada-junk-politics-and-the-omnibus-crime-bill/
11. What's Wrong With Harper's Omnibus Crime Bill (Behind the Numbers) http://www.behindthenumbers.ca/2011/09/20/whats-wrong-with-harpers-omnibus-crime-bill/
12. Rough Justice in America: Too many laws, too many prisoners - Never in the civilised world have so many been locked up for so little (The Economist): http://www.economist.com/node/16636027
13. Salvaging a faulty crime bill (Irvin Waller) http://www.themarknews.com/articles/6942-salvaging-a-faulty-crime-bill
14. Incarceration and Crime: A Complex Relationship, (The Sentencing Project) http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/inc_iandc_complex.pdf
15. For the full text of the bill, see the Parliament of Canada website: http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&billId=5120829

Spectacular Ethical Deficit Northwest Territories

Spectacular Ethical Deficit Northwest Territories
Originally uploaded by The MediaMentor 

Via Flickr:
N.W.T. government investigating alleged whistleblower
Government worker alleged to have leaked documents about MLA Daryl Dolynny
'...Paul Thomas is professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, specializing in public sector ethics.

"He seems to have been suffering from an ethical deficit, and he seems to be mixing his private interests with the public interest in a way that's inappropriate,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the Northwest Territories is one of the few jurisdictions yet to enact a law to protect so-called whistleblowers – government employees who shed light on wrongdoing.

The president of the Union of Northern Workers, Todd Parsons, said the territory needs it...."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2011/11/06/north-gnwt-investigates-alleged-whistleblower.html

N.W.T. government investigating alleged whistleblower

©2011 George Lessard mediamentor.ca
editorial comment

First major snowfall of the 2011/2012 winter season in Yellowknife NWT

WHAT ABOUT THE GNWT? Criminal justice - Five provinces unite with Quebec and Ontario - A majority of provinces worry about the prison costs attached to bill C-10

When are we going to hear the GNWT position on this issue? Seems to me we should have heard something about this by now....

Justice criminelle - Cinq provinces se joignent au Québec et à l'Ontario -Une majorité de provinces s'inquiètent des coûts carcéraux entraînés par le projet de loi C-10
Criminal justice - Five provinces unite with Quebec and Ontario - A majority of provinces worry about the prison costs attached to bill C-10 http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/canada/335142/justice-criminelle-cinq-provinces-se-joignent-au-quebec-et-a-l-ontario

Quebec will refuse to pay for omnibus crime bill
[excerpt]

"....Quebec's justice minister called the federal government's omnibus crime bill a "Band-Aid solution" Tuesday and said his province will refuse to absorb the added costs associated with it.

Jean-Marc Fournier, testifying at the House of Commons justice and human rights committee, said Bill C-10 will wind up causing more crime, not less, because it is an unbalanced piece of legislation that doesn't focus enough on the rehabilitation of criminals, particularly young offenders.

He said the legislation is meant to put more people in jail and that will result in higher recidivism rates unless more is done to get at the root causes of criminality and to successfully reintegrate offenders into society so they can go on to lead productive lives.

"What we want is a sustainable protection of the public," he said. "We wish to see a reinsertion of the youth in society so that society can benefit from it."

Fournier said Quebec takes a different approach to dealing with young offenders that is more focused on rehabilitation than incarceration and that it is working. He encouraged MPs to take their time and to examine the evidence from his province and to reject the Safe Streets and Communities Act in its current form.

He said young offenders often come out of prison worse than how they went in and attention needs to be paid to the root causes of their criminality in order to prevent them from re-offending.

Fournier said the Conservatives' bill is more of a short-term solution to fighting crime and he repeatedly warned it will mean more repeat offenders in the court and corrections systems.

"C-10 does not take into account the return of the young offender, of the individual into society," he said.

"What you've got is a Band-Aid solution here, you're not curing anything," Fournier told the committee...."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/11/01/pol-omnibus-crime-bill.html

Provinces won't pay for crime bill, says Ontario premier
[excerpt]
"...Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty warned the Harper government that provinces across the country will not pick up the tab for any new costs associated with the federal omnibus anti-crime bill that is expected to be passed into law.

The premier first spoke of his reluctance at paying for those costs Tuesday in Ottawa, the same day Quebec's justice minister said his province would not foot the bill for any new costs.

'It's easy to sit on high in Ottawa and pass laws.'— Dalton McGuinty, Ontario premier

McGuinty on Wednesday appeared to harden his stance on the issue, and suggested the federal government would run into opposition from all provincial governments.

"What we're saying at this point is that crime continues to come down in Ontario and I'd be surprised if any premier of any of the provinces and territories is prepared to welcome new expenditures being foisted upon us by the federal government because they've got some plans with respect to criminal law," McGuinty said.

He said the Ontario government is focused on issues like health care, education and transit.

"It's easy to sit on high in Ottawa and pass laws, but if there are accompanying costs, we're not prepared to accept those here in Ontario. I don't think premiers across the country are prepared to accept those," he said.

"I think there's a corresponding responsibility on the part of the federal government to say if there are new costs, they are going to pick up the tab." ..."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/11/02/mcguinty-crime-bill-costs689.html

#NWT UNION OF NORTHERN WORKERS financial_statements_2008__2010.pdf and 2012__2014_budget.pdf

RT @Northern_Clips: #NWT #NWTpoli #UNW #UNION OF NORTHERN WORKERS #BUDGET 2012 - 2014 - TOTAL EXPENSES 2014 $3,915,456.01 - 2013 $3,804,355.35 - 2012 $3,696,490.63 - 2011 $3,605,325.91
http://www.unw.ca/theme/user/2012__2014_budget.pdf

RT @Northern_Clips: #NWT #NWTpoli #UNW #Union of Northern Workers Statement of Operations 2010 Revenues $4,810,345 - 2009 $4,302,538 - 2008 $3,314,148 financial_statements_2008__2010.pdf
http://www.unw.ca/theme/user/financial_statements_2008__2010.pdf

FROZEN EYES PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY PART-TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

Patrick Kane [Patrick@uphere.ca] on behalf of Frozen Eyes Photographic
Society has requested distribution of the following job posting:

FEPS Executive Director Position

Frozen Eyes Photographic Society has an opening for an Executive
Director position.

The job description is attached.

The deadline for applications is Monday, Nov 7 at 9 a.m.

Contact:
Patrick Kane
Photography, Up Here Publishing Ltd.,
800, 4920-52nd Ave.
Yellowknife, NT, Canada
X1A 3T1
www.uphere.ca
Patrick@uphere.ca

FROZEN EYES PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY (FEPS) PART-TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION, OCTOBER 2011

PURPOSE

• The Executive Director is given the delegated authority by the Board of Directors to provide leadership and management in support of the vision, mandate and objectives of Frozen Eyes Photographic Society.

ACCOUNTABILITY

• The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors, by providing overall direction and co-ordination necessary for the effective and efficient delivery of all programs and services of Frozen Eyes Photographic Society. This will include but is not limited to administering the "Youth Take Charge" project, funded by the Department of Heritage Canada, and other current programs and services, as well as any other sources of funding we may access in future.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1.
Program and Service Delivery

• Lead the day to day operations of the Society. Plan, formulate and manage "Youth Take Charge" and other ongoing projects. Coordinate board members, contractors, staff and volunteers to meet project deadlines. Continually work to foster a strong youth membership and maintain good standing relationships with schools and organizations throughout the Northwest Territories (NWT). Develop the necessary policies for such programs and services, in order to further the objectives of the Society by working closely with the Board.
• Ensure that the Society is in good standing with Legal Registries and government departments; this would include ensuring that obligations with government taxation authorities are kept up-to-date. Identify resources needed to achieve the goals of the Society through project timelines and work-plans in conjunction with the Board. Attend all Board meetings. Encourage team building by facilitating open communication and a positive working relationship with the Board, contractors and volunteers. Identify and obtain needed supplies and equipment for FEPS.

2 Fundraising and Financial Responsibilities

• Seek and obtain funding from government at all levels and other bodies including, but not limited to, foundations, community organizations, corporations and business groups for use in the Society's programs and services. This includes seeking new funding sources annually, to maintain and expand programming.
• Ensure that the Society's programs and services generate revenue for FEPS whenever appropriate. Monitor existing sources of funding (ensuring that all reporting requirements are met) such as grants, contributions, and in-kind donations and work with key organizations to maintain annual funding.
• Identify and research on-going and alternative funding opportunities for the Society and generate proposals for contributions and grant funding. Administer the funds of the Society according to the budget approved by the Board.
• Work in conjunction with the President and the Treasurer with regard to all financial issues. Ensure financial documents are maintained on an on-going basis.
• Maintain accurate book-keeping procedures as outlined by Society policies and procedures.
• Complete all necessary reports as required by the Society.

3 Public Relations

• Act as an advocate for the Society and promote community awareness for its programs and services throughout the NWT. Participate in networking and community relations activities on behalf of the Society.
• In conjunction with the Board, serve as media liaison for the Society and promote its programs and services. Maintain constant communication with partner organizations and related groups.
• Maintain good standing relationships with sponsors, funders, and other community organizations. Provide an annual Executive Director Report at the Annual General Meeting.

Term

• The Executive Director is hired by the Human Resources Committee through an as-needed competition. The Executive Director is a part-time position which will be occupied by the selected candidate until the end of their contract term, or they resign from the position, or are terminated by the Board of Directors.

Renewal

• This job description is to be reviewed every six months by the Human Resources Committee with any and all changes brought forward for discussion and vote by the Board of Directors.

Super Channel Feature Documentary Award deadline 5 pm on November 27, 2011

Sylvie Powell [spowell@medialanecom.com] on behalf of Super Channel has distributed the following contest announcement:

Super Channel Feature Documentary Award

Are you a Canadian documentary filmmaker who wants to make the leap from producing hour-long broadcast documentaries to producing feature length documentaries for theatrical release?  Super Channel would like to help you make that leap!

The Super Channel Feature Documentary Award will be awarded to two teams to assist in the development of their feature documentaries.  Enter now and you could receive the following:

*       15-20 hours of mentorship with a senior feature documentary producer
*       $3,000 budget to benefit your project and attend the Hot Docs Forum 2012

The director and producer must each have at least one hour-long television documentary credit, and may not have more than one feature-length (75 minutes +) documentary credit.  The director and producer may be the same person provided that this person meets the above eligibility requirements regarding credits in both roles.  All entrants must be Canadian citizens.

Visit www.superchannel.ca/creativeaward for our Prizes, Guidelines and Terms & Conditions and for details on eligibility, submission and prizes.

Contest closes at 5 pm on November 27, 2011.  Late entries will not be accepted.

Sylvie Powell
MédiaLane Communications Inc.
(613) 290-1497