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PoliticsFederal11TuesdayApril232013MPreleasesreportonNorthernimpactsofBillC-45ByMEAGANWOHLBERGWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonreleasedhisownreportontheNorthernim-pactsofomnibusBillC-45onMondayhopingthein-formationonthehugepieceoflegislationwilleducatenotonlyresidentsandFirstNationsbuttheterritorialgovernment.The35-pagereportdonewithLutraandAssociatesoutofYellowknifeoutlinestheimplicationsfordemoc-racyAboriginalpeopleandcommunitieschangestoenvironmentalprotectionimpactsonsocialsecuritylabourrightsandjobsandwaysNorthernerscantakeaction.Theendresultofallthechangesissomethingweneedtotakeheedofes-peciallywiththeenviron-mentBevingtontoldTheJournal.Itsreallyunfor-tunatehowthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritorieshasnttakenthetimetodotheirownpublicanalysisofthechangesespeciallyatatimeofdevolutionwhereweretakingonresponsi-bilityforenvironmentandenvironmentalassessmentinabiggerway.Weneedtoknowwhatweneedtodoinourownterritorialgovern-menttoreplacesomeofthepiecesthatarenowmissing.ThereportencouragesNorthernerstopresstheter-ritorialgovernmenttotakeactiononllinginmissingpiecesoflegislationtoen-surethependingdevolutionagreementtransboundarywateragreementwithAl-bertaandproposedamend-mentstotheNWTsminingregimehonourtreatyandAboriginalrightsandpro-tecttheenvironment.Withdialogueanden-gagementofNorthernerssomeofwhathasbeenlostmightberegainedorremadethroughourownpublicandAboriginalgovernmentsthereportstates.BevingtonsaidFirstNa-tionsespeciallywillhaveanimportantroleindefendingtheenvironmentandshouldbesupported.IthinkFirstNationsaregoingtoberequiredtostandupfortheirrightsandIthinkwecanallbenetiftheydothat.Anyonewhowantstoprotecttheenvi-ronmentknowsthatifFirstNationsstandupfortheirrightsontheenvironmentthatgenerallymeanstheyllbeprotectingthemBev-ingtonsaid.MondaysreportfollowsonetheMPsofcedidlastyearreportingtheeffectsoftheConservativesrstomnibusbillC-38whichmadechangestotheCana-dianEnvironmentalAssess-mentActandFisheriesActamongothers.Hesaidthetwobillsneedtobeunder-stoodtogether.InmanywaystheressimilarthemesthatareinthisreportthatareintheC-38reportthecurtailingofpublicinformationtheimpactsonAboriginalpeo-plesthechangestothebasicsocialsecuritynet-EIandpensionsBevingtonsaid.Hesaidtheamendmentsmakeupthepiecesofapuzzlethatwhenlookedattogethershowacompleteoverhauloftheenvironmentalregula-toryregime.WhatIwouldsayisthisanalysisshowshowallthosethingsmakeadifferenceandthatswhatIthinkwewantpeopletounderstandBevingtonsaid.Whenyoulookatonethinginisolationitdoesntlooklikemuch.Whenyoulookatallthestepsthathavebeentakentogetheryouvegotaseri-ousproblem.ToreadthereportonlinevisitBevingtonswebsiteatwww.dennisbevington.ca.TheSlaveRiverisjustoneofthemanyriversintheNWTforwhichprotectionwasliftedduringtherecentamendmentstotheNavigableWatersProtectionActcontainedinomnibusBillC-45.FilephotoSaltRiverFirstNationelectionresultsappealedByDONJAQUEFriedaMartselosbeganhernewtermaschiefoftheSaltRiverFirstNationSRFNthismonthunderacloudofcontro-versymuchasherprevioustwostintsaschiefinrecentyearsended.HenryBeaverJr.alosingcandidateforchiefintheApr.2by-electionledacomplaintundertheSRFNelectioncodethefollowingday.Inhislengthystatementheclaimserrorsmadebytheelectoralofcerdirectlyaffectedtheconductandoutcomeoftheelection.Theve-pagedocumental-legestherewereanumberofcaseswhereelectorsreceivedtwosetsofcouncillorballotsandnochiefballotandthescrutinyproceduresduringvotecountingwereinadequate.Theappealprocesshastem-porarilybeenputonholdduetotheillnessofoneofthethreepanelmembers.MartselosisnowinherthirdtermaschiefoftheSRFNinthelastsixyears.ShewasoustedfromofceonlyoneweekintohertermaschiefinApril2007byacouncilwhose21resolutionsatthetimecalledhergoverningstyleautocratic.Electedagainin2008sheresignedaschiefinAugust2011claimingcouncilwasnotworkingtogetherfol-lowingseveraltumultuousyearsofinghtingoncouncil.Sheranandwonaschiefforathirdtimethisspring.Her95votesintheAprilby-electionwereenoughtotriumphoverthethreeothercandidates.Theelectionwascalledfollowingtheresigna-tionofDavePoitrasaschiefinlateJanuary.InherrstmembershipmeetinglastweekasthenewchiefMartselosmadeanumberofpronouncementsincludingonethatallcom-mitteesofthecouncilaretobeterminatedimmediatelyandthenumberofcouncilmeetingspermonthdramat-icallyreduced.Shetoldthegatheringthechangesarenecessaryduetonancialrestraint.Themeetingwhichre-quiresaquorumof40wasdominatedbythenewchiefssupportersaccordingtosomeoftheveterancouncillorswhosaidsheewfamilyandfriendsinfromEdmontonforthemeeting.SeveralcouncillorstoldTheJournaltheyexpectedtoseesomeamountofcol-laborationwiththenewchiefbutwerefrustratedwithherdictatorialwaysintheirat-temptstoevenhaveasayatthemeeting.Wewerestunnedcaughtlikeadeerinheadlights.ClearlyshehasnorespectforuscouncillorJudithGalesaid.Shedoesnotcarewhatthecollectivethinks.Weareadisenfranchisedpeople.AmotionbyformeractingchiefConnieBenwellforafo-rensicauditofpreviousSRFNfinancialtransactionswasvoteddownatthemeeting.AnothermotionbyBen-wellthattheminutesoffu-turemeetingsbeprovidedtocouncilmembersinatimelymannerwasalsorejected.MartseloswastravellingtoOttawathisweekonbehalfofSRFNandwasnotavail-ableforcomment.PoliticsFirstNations