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8TuesdayMarch32015POLITICSFEDERAL11MaddedtoNutritionNorthnotnewmoneyNWTMPFundingnotenoughtoadd50communitiestofoodsubsidyprogramByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheadditional11.3milliontabledforNu-tritionNorthishardlyenoughtocovertheexistingcommunitiesletalonethe50addi-tionalcommunitiesthatneedtobeaddedtotheNorthernfoodsubsidyprogramaccord-ingtoNWTMPDennisBevington.InfactBevingtonsaysthefundingisnotactuallyadditionalatall.TheOppositionsNorthernDevelopmentcriticcalledthemoneytabledinbudgetdocu-mentsforNutritionNorthlastweekapoliti-callymotivatedshellgamethatbringstotalspendingonparwithwhathasbeenspentontheprogramforthelastfouryears.WelookedatpastexpendituresandfoundtheHarperConservativeshaveonlybroughtthefundinglevelbackuptowhatitwasundertheoldsystemBevingtonsaid.TheCon-servativeswouldhaveNorthernersbelievetheyhaveincreasedfundingwhenthatisnotthecase.Throughtheprogramthefederalgov-ernmentprovidessubsidiesonshipmentsofhealthyfoodstoNorthernretailerswiththeexpectationthatcostsavingsarepasseddowntoconsumers.Atotalof62.3millionwasspentonNu-tritionNorthinthe2012-13scalyearwhile63.9wasspentin2013-14.Theextra11.3millionpromisedlastweekbringsthetotalfor2014-15upto65.2million.Forthelastfouryearstheyvebudgeted53millionandthentheyaddedxamountofdollarseachyeartothat53million.Sowhentheyaddedthe11milliontheywerejustdoingexactlywhattheyvedoneforthepreviousthreeyears.Theywereaddingnonewmoney.ThatishowmuchtheprogramwascostingBevingtontoldTheJournal.Thatiswhattheyvealwaysdone.Theytoptheprogramuptoaboutthesameamountgiveortakeamillionortwo.AboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelop-mentMinisterBernardValcourtrespondedtoBevingtonintheHousedefendingthefunding.IfthehonourablemembercarestolookattheestimateswhichareestimateseventhoughhewillseethatthereisincreasedfundingforNutritionNorthaswasannouncedearlierValcourtsaid.AndwearegoingtocontinueourcampaignwithNorthernerstoimprovethatprogram.Bevingtonisntbuyingit.HesaidthelackofnewfundingposesmajorproblemsfortheConservativegovernmentsstatedplanstoexpandtheNutritionNorthpro-gramannouncedinresponsetoanad-monishingreportfromtheAuditorGen-erallastOctober.Thefederalgovernmentsownsubmis-sionstotheAuditorGeneralpromisedtoadd50moreNortherncommunitiestotheprogramatanestimatedcostof7million.Bevingtonsaidthelessthan2-milliontop-upfromlastyearsbudgetmeansthose50communitiescantbebroughtonboardwithouttakingawayfromcommunitiesal-readyintheprogram.Arewegoingtoseecutbackstotheothercommunitiesinordertofundthesecommu-nitiesWedontwantthathesaid.Weallassumedtherewassomemoremoneycom-ingintotheprogram.Thereisnt.TheCon-servativesplayedagameandmisledusmis-ledthepublic.Bevingtonsaiditcastsdoubtonwhetherornotthose50communitieswillactuallybeaddedtotheprogram.Thatsreallyunfairhesaid.Itslikesay-ingto50communitiesyoudontgetthesametaxbreakassomebodyelse.Thereisalsothematterofthecommuni-tiesintheprogramthattheAuditorGeneralidentiedasbeingheldatanunfairfreightratethatshouldbegettingthefullsubsidylikeLutselKeandFortGoodHope.With-outadditionalfundingBevingtonsaiditsunlikelytheywillseetheirfreightsubsidybumpedup.ThatsanadditionalproblemBevingtonsaid.TheConservativesmustcreateequi-tableprogrameligibilitycriteriaforNorth-erncommunitiesbasedontheirrealcircum-stancesandtoprovidesufcientfundingtomeettheneedsofallNortherncommunities.Weallassumedtherewassomemoremoneycomingintotheprogram.Thereisnt.TheConservativesplayedagameandmisledusmisledthepublic.DennisBevingtonNWTMPAphotopostedonlinetotheFeedingMyFamilyFacebookgroupshowsthehighpriceoforangejuiceinCapeDorsetNunavut.Orangejuiceover250mLiscoveredunderthehigherNutritionNorthsubsidy.PhotoMargaretTeeveeFacebookMLApushesfortransparencywithNWTlobbyistregistryByDALICARMICHAELTheGNWTisonitswaytobecomingmoretransparentwhenitcomestolobbyingthankstoamotionrecentlypassedtoexaminethepossibilityofcreatingalobbyistregistry.Themotiontoinvestigatetheimplemen-tationofalobbyistregistrythatwouldbepubliclyaccessibleonlinepassedintheleg-islatureonFeb.19afterbeingintroducedbyRangeLakeMLADarylDolynny.Lobbyingthegovernmentisinitselfnotabadthing.Governmentcanlearnalotfromoutsideexpertssuchasbusinessesnon-prof-itsenvironmentalgroupsreligiousorgani-zationsDolynnytoldtheassembly.Itisle-gitimateandlegalactivity.Itstothegreatertransparencyoflobbyingandthegreateraccountabilityofpublicofcialswhereoneneedstoconsideratoolthathelpscurbin-appropriateinuencetoprovidethepublicscrutinyforitselecteddecision-makers.Manymemberstooktheopportunitytovoicetheirsupportforthemotion.IthinkforthemostpartdevolutionhaschangedthelandscapewithintheNWThowwedobusinessandthismotionsettingforthalobbyistregistryistimelyinthatweneedtoensurethatwedothingsinafairtransparentaccountablemannersaidDehChoMLAMi-chaelNadlithechairoftheGovernmentOp-erationsCommitteewhosecondedthemotion.Alotofthisstemsfromthefactthatdevolutionhasgivenusmoreprovince-likepowersnodoubtDolynnysaidinaninterviewwithTheJournal.Wehaveaministerrightnowwhoisnotonlyapro-moterofresourcesanddevelopmentwehaveaministerwhoisaregulatorofre-sourcedevelopment.ThatministeralonehasadualfunctiontowhichIthinkmostofuswouldbeinclinedtoknowwhoismeetingthatministerandpromotingvari-ousinterests.Someinsupportmadeearlysuggestionsfortheregistrysframework.TheinvestigationneedstolookbeyondjustestablishingaregistrysaidFrameLakeMLAWendyBisaro.Itsonethingtohavealistofpeoplewhoarelobbyingitsanotherthingtoknowhowoftentheyarelobbyingandwhotheyarelobbyingandbasicallytheregistrywillshowwhattheyarelobbyingfor.PremierBobMcLeodpointedoutthattheNWTcurrentlyhasadearthofpeoplewhowouldmeetthecriteriaofapaidlobbyistasdenedbytheLobbyingActafederaldocu-mentthatmanyprovincesandmunicipalitiesbasetheirownlegislationon.Assuchhede-claredthegovernmentwouldbeabstainingfromthemotion.TheresnoreasonwhythepublicshouldnotknowwithwhomministersaremeetingandwhyMcLeodsaid.Thatinformationisavailablenowuponrequest.Thereisnoth-ingtohide.Todatewehavenotreceivedanysuchrequests.Ministersmeetregularlywithrepresentativesofallsectors.IcanstatewithcertaintythatwemeetwithrepresentativesofAboriginalgovernmentsand39non-gov-ernmentorganizationsfarmorefrequentlythanwedowithpaidlobbyists.OthermemberswerententhralledwiththeideaofaregistrylikeSahtuMLANor-manYakeleyawhoabstainedfromthevote.IdontthinkthatatthistimeamotionlikethisisneededintheNorthwestTerritoriesespeciallyinoursmallcommunitiesYake-leyasaid.WeasMLAscanalmostbethelobbyistourselvesbecausewewantissuesandthingsdealtwithinourcommunities.Rightnowthisformeraisestoomanyquestions.Dolynnybelievestheregistrycanbecre-atedonarelativelysmallbudgetaneces-sityconsideringtheGNWTstightnances.Itmustbekeptinlinewiththesizeandactivityofourjurisdictionwithverymod-estresourceshesaid.ThebudgetfortheGovernmentofCanadaRegistryis825000wheremorethan5000lobbyistsareregis-tered.ByallaccountsaGNWTregistrywouldbemuchmorehumblebydesign.TheNWTisoneofvejurisdictionsinCanadawithoutexistinglobbyistlegisla-tionincludingPrinceEdwardIslandYukonNunavutandNewBrunswick.McLeodcomparedtheregistrytomakingamountainoutofamolehillbutDolynnydisagrees.Iwasabittakenabackbythecommentsthatcamefromthepremierhesaid.Ibe-lievethisistransparencyatitsnestIbe-lievethisissomethingthepublicshouldex-pectfromtheirgovernmentandiftherestoftheworldisdoingthisincludingmostofNorthAmericathenthisisacatch-upcom-ponentandIthinkweneedtogiveitseriousconsideration.RangeLakeMLADarylDolynnyPhotocourtesyofGNWTPOLITICSTERRITORIAL