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Itsabigissueforus.Weareeithergoingtobemovingforwardwithconsiderableenergyandabilitytoengageorwearegoingtobetellingpeoplethatyestheseareallniceideasbutwearenotinapositiontoengage.MichaelMiltenbergerPoliticsFinance2TuesdayJune172014NEWSBRIEFSWesternArcticMPtobecomeNorthwestTerritoriesMPWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonwillsoonbesportingthetitleofNorthwestTerritoriesMPafterafederalbillpassedintheHouseofCommonstochangethenamesof31ridingsacrossCanada.BillC-37waspassedonJune6andisnowupforreviewbytheSenate.Bevingtonsaidinanewsreleasethatheispleasedwiththenamechangewhichwillmakeitconsistentwiththeridingsfortheothertwoterritories.Thebillmustre-ceiveRoyalAssentbeforethenamechangetakeseffect.ChargeslaidinFortLiardbreakandenteratwatertreatmentplantA20-yearoldFortLiardmanisfacingchargesafterturninghimselfintopolicefollowinganRCMPinvesti-gationintoabreakandenteratthelocalwatertreatmentplantearlierthatmorning.Themanisfacingchargesofbreakingandenteringpossessionofbreak-intoolsmischiefandtheftunder5000relatedtotheincidentonJune12.Despitendingnoevidenceoftamperingwiththewatertreatmentequipmentoperationsweresus-pendedwhilethehamletperformedwaterqualitytests.Operationsresumedthenextday.ThemaninquestionisscheduledforanappearanceattheFortLiardTerri-torialCourtonAug.14.ScholarshiprecipientsannouncedbytheNWTLegislativeAssemblyTunchaiRedversandTrisaNgotwoyoungleadersintheNWTaretherecipientsofthisyearsLegislativeAssemblyscholarships.JackieJacobsonSpeakeroftheLegislativeAssemblyalongwiththeYellowknifeCommunityFoundationannouncedthewinnersonJune6.Thescholarshipisawardedannuallytosupportindividualspursuingpost-secondarystudiesinpoliti-calscienceorarelatedeld.BothrecipientsarefromYellowknifeandareheavilyinvolvedinvolunteerini-tiativesintheircommunity.ByMARIACHURCHThefederalgovernmenthasonceagaindelayeditsansweronincreasingtheStillnofederaldecisiononraiseddebtceilingNWTgrowthhingesonborrowinglimitincreaseministerterritorysborrowinglimitamovethatwhileexpectedisnolesstroublingaccord-ingtotheNWTsministerofFinance.MichaelMiltenbergermetwithnewfederalFi-nanceMinisterJoeOliverinearlyJuneforthefirsttimesincethelattertookoverthefederalportfoliofollowingtheresignationofthelateJimFlahertyinMarch.MiltenbergersmainmissionwastostresstheurgencyoftheNWTsre-questtoincreaseitsfed-eralborrowinglimitfromthecurrent800millionto1.8billion.MiltenbergerwaswellintodiscussionswithFla-hertyearlierthisyearandhadreceivedindicationsthatadecisiononthelimitin-creasewouldcomebyAprilbuttheconversationhitre-startoncethenewministertookofce.WearedenitelymakingthecaseforhowimportantthisisandMinisterOliverisawarethatthepremierandprimeministersupportthisoneandwearewaitingforhimandhispoliticalstafftodohisreviewMiltenbergertoldTheJournallastweek.ThepaperworkhasallbeenledandthefederaldepartmentofFinancehasalreadycompletedanassess-mentoftherequestbutthepoliticalsideledbyOliverhastoplaycatchupMilt-enbergersaid.ImexpectingtohearbackfromhisofceattheendofJuneorearlyJulythattheyveconcludedtheirworkandcantelluswhathispositionisonthis.Soitsawaitandseehesaid.Wehavealotofthingsridingonthisborrowinglimitgettingthrough.WhiletheGNWTiswithinitsgoalofmaintain-inganunused100millionoffederalfundsforemer-gencypurposes-currently145millionisuntouched-thelimitrestrictsmuch-neededeconomicgrowthintheterritoryMilten-bergersaid.Wehavealmostnoex-ibilitylefttomakeanykindofinvestmentineconomicinfrastructurehesaid.Asaterritorywewillbeveryhardpressedtoevolveandinvestincriticalinfrastruc-ture.Itsabigissueforus.Weareeithergoingtobemovingforwardwithcon-siderableenergyandabilitytoengageorwearegoingtobetellingpeoplethatyestheseareallniceideasbutwearenotinapositiontoengage.Onthelinearemultiplelegacyinfrastructureproj-ectsincludinga900-kmtransmissionlinetolinktheSnareandTaltsonhydrogridspotentiallywithanintertietoSaskatchewantoprovidepowertomul-tipleminesandoff-gridcommunities.TheGNWTstandstoprofitsignificantlyfromconnectingtheminestothegrid.Withthediamondin-dustryalreadyundernan-cialpressurefromfallingre-sourcepricestheGNWTisscramblingforwaystokeepthecompaniesinvestingintheterritory.Everyyearwecanextendminelifeforonemineitsabout250millionayearintooureconomyandtherearefourminesthatareallstrugglingwiththesamethingMiltenbergersaid.Wehaveasignicantvestedinteresttoworkwiththemtotrytomakesurethatwecanasagovernmenthelpprovideaccesstoanafford-abletypeofenergyintheformofhydrothatwouldhopefullymaketheirbusi-nesseconomicalformanymoreyears.FilephotoGNWTFinanceMinisterMichaelMiltenbergerisexpectingafederaldecisionontheNWTborrowinglimitbyearlyJuly.