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PoliticsRegulatory3TuesdayMarch42014FIDDLECLASSESEveryMondayNightat700p.mLocatedatAuroraCollegeinFortSmith1stFloorCultureRoom-Room116acrossfromthecarpentryshopGuitarsandothersimilarinstrumentswelcomeaswell.Beginnerswelcome.Minimumage8yearsold90yearsyoungTherewillbea5.00drop-infeetocoverexpensesstrings.ForfurtherinformationcontactBartHartop867-872-2154gail_barthartophotmail.comRegulatorcreatesconictofinterestworriesContinuedfrompage1.Themovetoassignacabi-netministertotheregulatoryportfoliohascreatedsomeconcerninthelegislature.WeledehMLABobBrom-leysaidtheshiftfromhav-inganarms-lengthagencysuchastheNEBinchargeofpetroleumtoamemberofgovernmentistroubling.Justlikewedontletcabi-netdecidecourtcasesthereareverygoodreasonstokeepoilandgaslanduseplanningandlandandwaterpermitsoutofthepoliticalrealmandunderthecontrolofimpartialboardsBromleysaid.WeknowITIinterpretsitsroletobeoneofpromotingandsubsidizingindustry.Thisisclearlyaconictofinter-estheaddedaccusingtheGNWTofmakingpowergrabsduringthetransition.ButaccordingtoMilten-bergertherearerewallsinexistencetopreventpoliticalinterferenceinwhatissup-posedtobeanimpartialdeci-sion-makingprocess.WhenyoutalkresponsibleministerssomepeoplethinkitmeanstheministersaregoingtodoeverythingbutinfactthatsnotthecasehetoldTheJournal.Responsibleministersimpliesthattheressomepow-ersofdelegationundercom-monlawWehavetobeverycarefulveryawareoftheseadministrativelawprinciplesinhowweactandstructureourselvessothatweareseentobeasneutralandobjectiveaswecanbe.Wevegottoknowwhatourauthoritiesarewhatwedodirectlyourselvesordel-egatedownandwewanttobeverycarefulaboutcreatinganykindofapprehensionofbias.ThepremieraddedthatLandswouldbeprimarilylookingaftertheenvironmen-talassessmentprocessnotITIandthathavingthreerespon-sibleministersalongsidethereviewboardsystemwouldensuredecisionsmadeondevelopmentaretransparent.NewoilandgasofcecreatedAnewOfceoftheRegula-torofOilandGasOperationsisbeingintegratedintoITIwhichwillincludeaChiefConservationOfcerandChiefSafetyOfcerasestablishedundernewmirrorlegislationforpetroleumoperations.Fundingforthenewofcewillbedrawnfromthereservesestablishedforunanticipateddevolution-relatedcostssincethedecisiontocreatetheofcewasmadeafterthe2014-15mainestimateswerecompleted.Inthefutureitwillbefundedthroughtheregularbusinessplanningprocess.Thetwonewofcerswillberesponsibleforensuringpublichealthandsafetyconservingresourcesandprotectingtheenvironment.ThedepartmentplanstoapplypoliciesinheritedfromtheNEBinitiallymakingadjustmentsgoingforwardthroughadevolveandthenevolvestrategyRamsaysaid.BoththeNEBandtheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorwillprovidetechnicalsupportservicestotheoilandgasofceafterde-volutionfortwoyears.Thesetechnicalserviceswillassistwiththedecision-makingprocessbutultimatelythedecisionwillbemadebytheNWTRegulatorconsistentwithNWTlegislationandreg-ulationsRamsaysaid.NewresponsibilitiesformineraldevelopmenttakenonbyITIwillincludepolicyandplanningissuinglicensesandpermitsforprospectingandrecordingmineralclaims.LanduseplanlaysroadmapforafterdevolutionByMEAGANWOHLBERGThenewregulatorthatwillcomeintoforceasofApr.1hasanalpieceofpolicytoguideitsdecision-makingonfuturedevelopmentintheNWTnowthattheterritoryslong-awaitedLandUseandSustainabilityFrameworkhasbeenreleased.TheframeworkformedafteryearsofconsultationswiththepublicandAborig-inalgovernmentssetsoutageneralpolicyoutliningNorthernersrelationtothelandanddesiretoprotectit.AsthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesas-sumesitslandmanagementresponsibilitiesafterdevo-lutionwewillbeguidedbyacriticalpolicyfoundationtheGNWTLandUseandSustainabilityFrameworkstatedthenewministerforLandsRobertC.McLeodlastweekinthelegislature.Theprinciplessetoutintheframeworkwillguidethisgovernmentinmakingrespon-sibleandresponsivedecisionsaboutlanduseandlandman-agement.Ourdecisionswillbebalancedandsustainableconsideringecologicalsocialculturalandeconomicvalues.The20-pagedocumentti-tledNorthernLandsNorth-ernLeadershipoutlinestheguidingprinciplestoapplytoapost-devolutionlandscapewhichincludesupportingthesustainabilityofthelandwhilegarneringbenetsandwealthfromitsresources.Itnameslanduseplanningasbeingthemajorpriorityofthegovernmentandac-knowledgesthatnewlandclaimsandself-governmentagreementswillhelptoshapeandinformthepol-icyframeworkastheyarenegotiated.TheGNWTconsidersre-gionalland-useplanstobetheprimaryinstrumenttodenewherecertainactivi-tiescantakeplacethedoc-umentstates.TheGNWTrecognizesthatthepurposeofregionalland-useplanninginsettledclaimareasintheMackenzieValleyistopro-tectandpromotetheexistingandfuturewell-beingoftheresidentsandthecommuni-tiesofthesettlementareashavingregardtotheinter-estsofallCanadians...ItisaGNWTprioritytopromoteandsupporteffectiveland-useplanninginallregionsintheNWT.Theframeworkispartofabroadersetoflawsandpoli-ciesdesignedtomanagenewauthoritiesafterdevolutionincludingtheWaterSteward-shipStrategyMineralDevel-opmentStrategyEconomicOpportunitiesStrategyandProtectedAreasStrategyalongwiththemyriadofmir-rorlegislationrelatedtore-sourcemanagementcalledforinthedevolutionagreement.Alltheseactsagreementspoliciesstrategiesandframe-workswilloperatetogethertoensurethatthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesdecisionsandactionsaboutpubliclandresourcesandwaterareconsistentbasedonsoundpolicythinkingandreecttheprioritiesandvaluesofNorthernerssaidPremierBobMcLeod.TheframeworkisintendedtobeusedindiscussionsoftheIntergovernmentalCoun-cilonLandandResourcesManagementcreatedthroughthedevolutionagreementtoensureAboriginalgovern-mentsareincludedintheintegratedlandmanage-mentsystem.PhotoAlasdairVeitchGNWTPoliticsDevolutionTheNWTsnewLandUseandSustainabilityFrameworklaysoutprinciplesforprotectingandeconomicallybenettingfromthelandanditsresources.