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NWTthronespeechcallsforstrongeconomyHealthenvironmentandeconomylinkedsayscommissionerPoliticsGNWT7TuesdayFebruary122013WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Ph867875-5100Fax867875-5155E-mailinfowescleannwt.comwebwww.wescleannwt.comSpayedNeuteredUp-to-datewithroutineshotsHousetrainedJustintimeforValentinesDayCupidisachocolateandivorystripedyoungandplayfulfemale.ShewouldmakeagreatpetPleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.CupidChocolateIvoryMixVeryadoptableByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheNWTgovernmentpushedanagendaofresource-basedeconomicdevelopmentinlastweeksthronespeechemphasizingthatjobsandwealthfromdevelopmentareneededtoimprovetheliveli-hoodsofNortherners.WecannothavehealthyeducatedpeoplewithoutastrongdiversiedeconomystatedthethronespeechreadbyCommissionerGeorgeTuc-carowhichopenedthefourthsessionofthe17thAssemblylastWednesday.Wehavegolddiamondsandrareearthmetals.Weareapotentialenergypowerhousewithworld-classoilandgasresourcesinthecentralMack-enzieandtheBeaufort-DeltaandhydropotentialtorivalQuebecsJamesBayproject.ResponsiblesustainabledevelopmentoftheseresourceswillhelptocreateastrongandthrivingeconomyhereintheNorthwestTerritoriesandweneedastrongeconomyifwewanttobeabletolookafterourpeopleandourenvironment.Tuccarosaidastrongre-source-driveneconomywillcreatejobslettingpeoplesupportthemselvesandtheiryourgovernmentcontinuestoinvestinthehealthandwell-nessofourresidentshesaidaddinglaterTheGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesunder-standsthatahealthysocietyandhealthyeconomydependuponahealthyenvironment.Thesecondannualspeechfromthethroneisdesignedtochartthecourseoftheassemblyoverthenextyearoutliningthegovernmentskeyprioritiesandupdatingresidentsonpendingbigticketitems.Itwasnosurprisethatde-volutionmadethelistasoneofthebiggesttargetsforthisassembly.TuccarosaidanalagreementthatwillseeNorth-ernersmanagingpubliclandsandresourceswillbekeytoaburgeoningNWTeconomy.Thisagreementholdsthepromiseofsignificanteco-nomicenvironmentalandpo-liticalbenetforallresidentsstillremaintobeworkedoutaboutthespeciclegisla-tiveauthoritiesbeingtrans-ferredincludingthoseintheMackenzieValleyResourceManagementActwemustrememberthatsignicantauthorityandresponsibil-ityisbeingreturnedtothepeopleoftheNorth.Apartfromdevolutionthethronespeechtouchedonlastyearssuccessesinclud-ingtheopeningoftheEastThreeSchoolinInuvikandtheDehChoBridge.TuccaronotedtheimportanceoftwomajorupcomingprojectstheMackenzieValleyFibre-Op-ticLinkandtheInuvik-Tukhighway.Hepraisedthenewresi-dentialschoolscurriculumtheMinistersAddictionsForumandananti-povertystrategycurrentlyintheworksandnotedtheimpor-tanceofAboriginalgovern-mentsaspartnersinGNWTinitiatives.Theterritoryisstrongerwhenweworktogetherandourpeopleallwillbenetfromcontinuinggoodwillandcoop-erationbetweenallthegovern-mentsthatserveandrepresentthemhesaid.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGThefederalgovernmentisfailingtoproperlymonitorresourcedevelopmentproj-ectsnorthofthe60thparal-leldespiterecordedconcernsraisedinternallybygovern-mentstaffaccordingtoanewreportbyCanadasenviron-mentalwatchdog.LastweeksreportbytheCommissioneroftheEnvi-ronmentandSustainableDe-velopmentScottVaughanclaimsboththeenvironmentandgovernmentcoffershavebeenleftunprotectedbyalackofmonitoringonthepartofthedepartmentofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevel-opmentAANDC.TheauditfoundAANDCfailedtoconductover70percentofrequiredsitevisitstoallresourcedevelopmentproj-ectsintheNorthwestTerrito-riesin2011includingminesandthatemployeeswithinthedepartmenthadraisedredagstonoavail.Departmentalrecordsin-dicatethatmembersofthedepartmentsstaffraisedcon-cernsinternallyaboutthelevelofmonitoringbeingdoneVaughansreportstates.ThoseinspectionsVaughannotedareanecessarycondi-tionforcompaniesobtainingalicenceorpermitandensurethattermsgoverningsuchis-suesasfuelstoragethestruc-turalsoundnessoftailingspondsanddisposalofhazard-ouswastesarebeingadheredto.VaughanalsofoundthatAANDCisnotkeepingsat-isfactoryrecordsofexistingprojectsrequiredtoensurecompanieshaveenoughmoneytocoverthefullcostofdecom-missioningafacilityandrestor-ingthesite-andwhetherthoseassurancesareexpiredornot-sothatthedepartmentisnotstuckfootingthebill.Healsofoundthatthede-partmentdoesntcompareonaregularbasiswhetherornotthenancialdepositsfromcompaniesforeachlicenceandpermitaresufcienttomeetthecostsofreclamationoflandandwater.Hesaidassurancesfromthreeof11minesinNunavutaloneaccountedforsecurityshortfallstotalling11million.Inadditionthecommis-sionerraisedconcernsaboutthegovernmentspolluter-paysprinciplewhichholdsthatliabilityforimpactsonhumanhealthandtheenvi-ronmentremainswiththeowneroroperatoroftheminebutdoesnotrequirethemtohaveinsurance.Intheeventthatthefundsonhandarenotsufcienttorestoreasiteonfederallandsthereisariskthatthegovern-mentwouldhavetoassumethesenancialimplicationsreadsthereport.FurtheranalysisshowedAANDCaccepted17.6mil-lioninpromissorynotesforreclamationcostsfromcom-panieswhicharenotguaran-teedbyabankinCanadaandthusdonotsatisfylegislativeandregulatoryrequirements.Wehaveconcernsaboutthecontinuingenforceabilityofthissecuritythereportstates.Additionalconcernsraisedincludetheoutdatedvaluescontainedwithin1971regula-tionswhichcapsecuritiesforland-usepermitsat100000.Thislimitdoesnotreectcurrentcostsforreclaimingasitethecommissionerwrote.VaughanrecommendedthatAANDCfollowthereg-ulationsforinspectionsanddevelopacomprehensivein-ventorysystemtokeeptrackofprojectsandthesecuritiesrequiredtomeetexpectedrec-lamationcosts.AANDCspokesperonGen-eviveGuiberttoldTheJour-nalthatthedepartmentisal-readyengagedintheappro-priatemonitoringrequired.AboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentCan-adaAANDCregularlyveri-esthelevelofsecuritiesforminesandotherprojectstoensuresecurityissufcienttocoverthecostsofrecla-mationshesaidinanemail.Thedepartmentsriskmanagementprocessen-suresthateachoperationismonitoredinacarefulandconsideredmannertopro-tectpeoplepropertyandtheenvironment.Shesaidthefrequencyofinspectionsisdictatedbytherisksposedbytheprojects.Whilesomeoperationsrequiremonthlyinspectionslowerriskoperationsrequirelessfrequentinspections.Inspectorsassesseachlebasedonpossibleimpactsonpeoplepropertyortheenvironment.ThedepartmentasawholehasrespondedthatitagreeswithVaughansrecommendationspromisingtoimplementariskassessmentframeworkandmanagementstrategyforinspectionsandadjustsecuritiesasrequiredtoreducetheliabilityofthedepartment.Wehavereviewedthecommissionersreportandwillcontinueworkingtoim-provetheriskmanagementandinspectionsprocessesandensurethatappropriatesecuritiesaremaintainedatalltimesGuibertsaid.NorthernminesnotbeinginspectedwatchdogrevealsReportndsweakfederalmonitoringofoperationscleanupatminesitesIndustryMiningfamilies.Businesseshesaidwillbenetfromnewoppor-tunitiesinvestmentandin-creasedconsumerspendingwhilegovernmenttoowillbenetfromrevenuegrowth.Atthesametimehenotedthatbuildingastrongecon-omymustbebalancedwiththehealthofitspopulationandtheenvironment.Wecannothaveastrongdiversifiedeconomywithouthealthyeducatedpeopleandbusinessesinvestorsandgov-ernmentsintheterritoryhesaidencouragingresidentsnottobreakfaithwiththeirgovern-mentasitentersthenalstagesofnegotiationswithCanada.Thegovernmenthasconsideredthefinancialtermsoftheagreementverycarefullyandiscondentitwillbeabletomanagetransferredresponsibilitieswithoutdrawingonresourcerevenues.WhilenaldetailsImageMeaganWohlberg