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6TuesdayAugust192014ChiefsearningsinNWTstillnotpostedonlineByMEAGANWOHLBERGNotyetposted.Thatsthemessageanyonelookingtoseethenancialinformationincludingthesalariesofchiefsandcoun-cillorsofFirstNationsacrosstheNWTwillseewhenvis-itingthedepartmentofAb-originalAffairsandNorth-ernDevelopmentCanadaAANDCwebsite.AsofMondayzeroofthe22FirstNationswithintheterritoryhaveinformationpostedonlineunderthefed-eralFirstNationsFinancialTransparencyActwhichcameintoeffectJuly29andrequiresauditednan-cialstatementssalariesandexpensestobesubmittedtoOttawaandpostedonlineforatleast10years.ErikaMeekespresssec-retaryforAANDCMinis-terBernardValcourtsaidshecouldnotspeaktotheactionsofspecicFirstNa-tionsbutsaidthedelaymaybeinternal.ThedepartmentisstillworkingonpostingsomeofthenancialinformationwehavereceivedandyouwillseethoseadditionsinthecomingdaysshetoldTheJournalinanemail.Apreviousmessagefromthedepartmentnotedthatin-formationsentinthemailbymidnightonJuly29couldtaketimetoarriveandthatAANDCemployeeshaveuptovebusinessdaystopostinformationonlineoncereceived.Thatsaiditmaybethecasethatsomehavenotcom-pliedwiththenewlegislationMeekessaid.Thosewhodonotcomplywillberemindedandcouldbepunished.ThislawwasputinplacetoensurethatFirstNationbandmembershaveaccesstotheinformationtheyrequireanddeserveaboutbasicnancialmanagementpracticesoftheirchiefandcouncilandtoem-powerthemtoensurebandrevenuesarebeingusedfortheirbenet.ItappliesthesameprinciplesoftransparencyandaccountabilitytoFirstNationsgovernmentsthatalreadyexistforothergovernmentsinCan-adareadsastatementfromValcourtsofce.Bandswhichfailedtocomplysobythedeadline-whichwasJuly292014-willreceiveseveralformalre-minders.After120calendardaysifthereisnoresolutionforbandsthatarerefusingtocomplywiththelawthegov-ernmentwilltakeactionac-cordingtotheprovisionsofthelawwhichcouldincludewithholdingoffunding.DeneNationalChiefBillErasmusrepresentingchiefsofTreaties8and11intheNWTvoicedhisoppositiontothenewlegislationafteritcameintoeffect.Thoughnotopposedtotransparencyhesaidtheactdoesnotsupportgoodgovernance.IntheNWTwehavebeeninaccordancewithourownnancialstandardswherebytherearecommunityregionalandnationalmeetingsandassemblies.Itisaforumforsharingrelevantinformationsuchassalarieswagesfeeshonorariadividendsandex-pensesannually.FinancialauditorsfortheDeneNationpublishedtheorganizationsnancialin-formationforallmemberstoseeatthemostrecentan-nualgeneralassemblyinFortSmithinJune.Thechiefsarecommittedtobeingaccountabletotheirpeoplenottothefederalgov-ernmentorthepublicEras-muscontested.ThefundswereceivefromCanadaarenottaxpayersmoneytheyareIndianconsolidatedfundsthroughthetreasuryboardbasedonourtreatyrelation-shipwiththeCrown.FurtherErasmussaidtheactputsFirstNationsnan-cialentitiesatadisadvantagebypostingtheirnancialin-formationonline.SomeAlbertainformationonlineTodatemanyFirstNationsinnorthernAlbertahavein-formationpostedonline.AcrosstheborderfromFortSmithNWTtheSmithsLandingFirstNationhasdiscloseditsauditednan-cialreports.Theremunera-tionscheduleshowsanan-nualsalaryof102461forChiefAndrewWanderingSpiritalongwithanaddi-tional21000forhistravelandfuelexpenses.Council-lorshonorariaaverageabout14500pereightmonthsinofcetravelnotincluded.Intotal238523wasspentonsalariesandexpenses.InFortChipewyantheMikisewCreeFirstNa-tionsreportshowsasalaryof110601forChiefSteveCourtoreilleplus34133inexpenses.Councillorssala-riesaveragearound93000acrosstheboard.Intotal641370wasspentonsala-riesand91888onexpenses.AccordingtorecordsfortheFortMcMurrayFirstNa-tionChiefRonaldKreutzerearned156000overthelastyearwithanadditional108604inexpenses.Thethreebandcouncillorsareshowntoearnaround20000permonthnotincludingex-pensesofaround70000fortheyear.Atotalof364000wasspentonthefoursalariesplus240555inexpenses.ChiefoftheDeneThaFirstNationofnorthwesternAlbertanearHighLevelJoePastionreportedasalaryof38904forhisfour-monthtermasofMar.312014.For-merchiefJamesAhnassayearned58846intheeightmonthsprior.Councillorsputtinginthefull12monthsmade60000peryearplusexpenses.Intotal826188wasspentonsalariesandexpenses.InformationontheAtha-bascaChipewyanFirstNa-tioninFortChipewyanandFortMcKayFirstNa-tionwerenotonlineasofpresstime.InformationonotherFirstNationsnancialinforma-tionisbeingpostedathttppse5-esd5.ainc-inac.gc.caFNPMainSearchSearchFF.aspxlangengPhotocourtesyofMikisewCreeFirstNationPhotoMeaganWohlbergThesalariesofMikisewCreeFirstNationChiefSteveCourtoreilleleftandSmithsLandingFirstNationChiefAndrewWanderingSpirithavebeenpostedonlineaspartofthenancialdisclosuremandatedbynewfederallegislation.PoliticsFirstNationsCurrenthealthcaresystemnotsustainableministerContinuedfrompage1.AttheforeofthepushforchangeAbernethysaidisarenewedfocusonclient-centeredcare.Rightnowhesaidtherearetoomanybureaucraticbarri-erstoimprovinghealthcareforindividualsintheNWTduetothewayauthoritiesarearrangedinsilos.Theresulthasbeentoomanyindividualsfallingthroughthecracksscathingreportsbytheauditorgeneralhigh-lightingalackofaccount-abilityandasystemthatwontbeaffordableinthelongterm.Thisisaboutthesus-tainabilityofoursystem.Ifwekeepprovidingser-vicesthewaywerepro-vidingthemtodaywellbasicallypriceourselvesoutoftheabilitytopro-videanyservicesatsomepointtheministersaid.Weneedtocontrolgrowthweneedtounderstandthepressuresthatareforcinggrowthandweneedtoworktogetherasauthori-tiessowecanaddressis-suesastheycomeatusasalargerbodywhichgetsusmoreeconomiesofscaleandhopefullyflexibilitytodealwithissues.Ratherthanworkingto-getherinthecurrentsystemAbernethysaidauthoritiesarecompetingwitheachotherforlimitedhumanresources-somemoresuc-cessfullythanothers.Asaresultcareisnotbeingde-liveredequallyacrosstheterritory.Similarlyalackofclinicalstandardsacrosstheboardmeanspatientsarenotget-tingthesamecareineveryauthorityletaloneeverycommunitywhichhesaidisunacceptable.BycreatingasingleNWThealthauthoritythatisguidedbyleadersfromeachregionAbernethysaidcommunitieswillbeabletoshareresourcesremoveduplicationofperson-nelandcombinetheirpurchas-ingpowerforbetterdealsonsuppliesandequipmentbothimprovingcareandcontrol-lingexpenses.Furthermorehavingamorecentralizedoperationwilllimittheproblemsofmiscommunicationassoci-atedwithmedicaltravelpa-tientsmedicalrecordsandcontinuityofcareAbernethysaid.AswellregionswouldnallyhaveasayovertheStantonHealthAuthoritywhichservesallresidentsoftheNWTbutdoesnthearfromthem.Tomeandthegroupofindividualsworkingonthisthemostimportantpartofourguidingprinciplesisthateverythinghastobefo-cusedonthepatientAber-nethysaid.Itmustimproveorsupportindividualsinthefamiliestostayhealthy.Andwemusthaveequitableac-cesstoservicesacrosstheNorthwestTerritories.Adiscussionpaperontheproposedreformsisnowonlineonthedepartmentswebsiteforpublicreviewandcomment.Abernethysaidthedepartmenthopestobereadytoputforwardpro-posedlegislationinFebruaryandtohavethatlegislationpassedbyMayorJunesothenewsystemcangoliveinApril2016.PhotocourtesyofGlenAbernethyAsinglehealthauthoritywillreducechallengesforpatientsandhealthcareprovidersandsavemoneysaysHealthMinisterGlenAbernethy.HealthWellnessHealthcare