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PoliticsEconomics10TuesdayJune42013NWTeconomicstrategyputsfocusonresidentsByMEAGANWOHLBERGWith90recommenda-tionsxatingoneverypos-sibleeconomicsectorintheterritoryfromshingandagriculturetoartstourismandresourcedevelopmenttheresonethingthatholdsthemajorityofthemtogethersaysthepanelresponsiblefordevelopingthenewEco-nomicOpportunitiesStrat-egypeople.WhatwascommonacrosstheNorthwasweheardaboutanumberofNWTresidentswhoarenotworkingsaidformerpremierJoeHandleychairoftheadvisorypanelchargedwithgettingfeed-backfromeverycommunityintheterritoryoverthepastfourmonths.Soifwedevelopastrongeconomyithastobeforthepeopleherehesaidinaninterview.Manyconcernsheardbythepanelduringits87meet-ingsincludedissuesofworkersbeingowninfromthesouthyouthnothavingenoughtrain-ingtogetjobsandpeoplebeingforcedtoleavetheircommu-nitiesforlackofemploymentmanyofwhomheadsouthandneverreturn.SimilarlyHandleysaidmuchofthemessagerepeatedoverandoverhadtodowithhelpingentrepreneursandnotjustthebigsoutherncompanieswhocomenorthtomineordrillforoilandgas.Weheardoverandoverthatsmallbusinessesneedagricultureandsheries.TourismwasalsosomethingheardineverycommunityoftenwiththemessageDoAuroraCollegetobettermeldwiththeavailablejobmarket.Gapsinenergyandtrans-portationinfrastructurewerealsoidentiedfromthespill-overattheTaltsonDamtotheneedforapermanentroadfromWrigleytoFortGoodHopetoaccommodatedevelopmentintheSahtu.Alsoidentiedintherecom-mendationsarefurtherchangestotheregulatorysystem.ThereportsuggeststheGNWTundertakeaninternalgovern-ment-wideregulatoryreviewtoeliminateanyduplicationorlackofclarityinitsexistingpermittingprocess.HandleysaidthepushcamemostlyfrompeopleinterestedinbigbusinesssuchastheChamberofMineswhocom-plainthefederalregulatoryre-viewistakingtoolongalongwithpeopleinterestedinagri-culturewhoseeaccesstolandasanissue.Peopleareveryinterestedinapost-devolutionsystembecauseitwillbeeasierforaccessinglandHandleysaid.Otherpolicy-relatedissuesincludedamendinggovernmentprogramstomakeiteasiertonavigateforentrepreneurs.Theresalotofconfusiononwhodeliverswhatwhethermoneyorsupportandthefeel-ingistheresallthesedevelop-mentofcersbutnooneknowswhichonetotalkto.Soclean-ingthatupseemstobeaprior-ityHandleysaid.ThoughmanypeoplehadconcernsandcomplaintstoraiseHandleysaidtheresponsefromcommunitieswassurpris-inglypositive.Iwasstruckbyhowop-timisticandpositivepeoplearehesaid.HesaidthepanelsharesthatoptimismthattheterritorialgovernmentwillbeabletodopositivethingswithwhatwasheardaroundtheNWTandtherecommendationsindevelopingtheeconomicstrategy.Imoptimisticthegov-ernancecommitteewillgetonwiththestrategyrightaway.Wevehadveryposi-tivefeedbackfrommembersofCabinet.Toreadthereportvisitwww.nwtopportunities.comdocumentsCommitteewantstoseemoregovernmentfundsforNWTNGOsByMEAGANWOHLBERGMoremoneyneedstobemadeavailabletosupportnon-governmentalorgani-zationsNGOsintheter-ritorythatprovidecriticalservicesonbehalfofthegovernmentaccordingtoaterritorialgovernmentstand-ingcommittee.TheStandingCommitteeonGovernmentOperationsvoiceditsconcernwiththeNWTsNGOStabilizationFundlastweek.CommitteemembersdedicatedTuesdayJune4tobringingtheissueupintheLegislativeAssem-blythroughstatementsandoralquestions.Thecommitteescon-cernsincludetheneedtoprovideclearerinformationtoapplicantsoverlyrestric-tivescreeningcriteriaandprioritizationofprojectsandinadequatefundinglevelscommitteechairMichaelNadlisaid.WeconveyedourconcernstoPremierBobMcLeodinaletterlastDecemberbutthegovern-menthasnotchangedeitherthepolicyorthefundingfor2013-14.FundingforNGOsavail-ableunderthepolicytotals350000peryearanumberthathasnotincreasedsincetheprogramsrstfullyearofoperationin2010-11.Lastfiscalyear27or-ganizationsappliedforfundingreachingatotalof1082657.Ofthose21wereconsideredeligiblewithrequeststotaling807207.Butonly11projectscouldbeprioritizedforfundingtoatotalof481845meaningeightofthe11successfulapplicantsdidnotreceivethefullamountrequested.SomeoftheorganizationsleftoutwerealreadyengagedwithfundingagenciesatthelocallevelNadlisaid.Unfortunatelytherearesomeverylegitimateorga-nizationsthatsometimesareoverlookedhesaidfromsoupkitchenstodaycarestoorganizationshelpingthehomeless.Nadliishopingtoincreasetheamountofavailablefund-ingtoatleast500000andredirectmoreofthatfundingoutsideofYellowknife.Theresarealcriticalneedinoutlyingcommunities...tohaveafairdistributionofthesefundsthatgoalongwaysinhelpingorganiza-tionsthatdodelivercriticalservicesintermsofassistingpeoplewhoareinrealneedNadlitoldTheJournal.Oneofthemainmissionsofthecommitteeistoensurethepolicyisfairacrosstheboardforeveryone...IthinkithastobenotexclusivetoYellowknife.Intheendhesaidthecom-mitteeislookingforacleardecision-makingprocessforapplicantsincludingalistofprioritycriticalservices.Ithinksomeanalysisneedstobedonetomakesureitsfairlydistributedhesaid.ApartfromDehchoMLANadlithecommitteecon-sistsofMLAsWendyBisaroFrameLakeDarylDolynnyRangeLakeNormanYake-leyaSahtuandAlfredMosesInuvikBootLake.MLAMichaelNadliPoliticsGNWTIfwedevelopastrongeconomyithastobeforthepeoplehere.PanelchairJoeHandleyFilephotosupporthesaidnotingthatpeopleputalotofemphasisonrenewableresourcedevelop-mentlikeforestrysmall-scalesomethingnow.Oneoftherecommendationsincludesre-establishingatour-ismoperatortrainingprogramintheNWTandimprovingli-abilityinsuranceoptionsforsmalloperators.Thattiedinwithmoregen-eralconcernsaroundeduca-tionwhereincommunitieswantedtoseehigherqualityGrade12graduatescomingoutofschoolsintheterritoryandtheresurrectionofthere-centlyclosedWesternArcticLeadershipProgramaswellasachangeinprogrammingat