NWT Chamber presents priorities for regulatory reform to MLAs
May 22nd, 2009
Earlier today the NWT Chamber of Commerce, through a joint initiative with the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines and the NWT Construction Association, presented 13 priorities for regulatory reform in the Northwest Territories to members of the legislative assembly.
“Much of the resource exploration sector wants certainty before investing further in the NWT and that’s the major failing of our current system,” said NWT Chamber President Ann Marie Tout. “Our hope is that the territorial government, industry and other likeminded organizations will be able to agree on how we want the system improved and present a united front in Ottawa as the federal government looks to reform our regulatory regime.”
Building on the dialogue created with the release of Neil McCrank’s report The Road to Improvement, the three organizations highlighted their 13 shared priorities during a public meeting of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure, with the permission of Chair David Ramsay, MLA – Kam Lake. All MLAs were invited to attend and the group was joined by two members of Cabinet.
“It is important to stress that we are not looking to reopen settled land claims and we are not pushing for relaxed environmental standards,” said Tout.
The 13 priorities discussed during the presentation included:
- Completing Land Use Plans: A priority should be given to completing the Land Use Plans in all areas, and obtaining their approval from the federal government.
- Consultation: The federal government should give the highest priority to developing and implementing a policy that will clarify its own role, the role of proponents and the role of the regulatory boards, in relation to responding to the requirement for Aboriginal consultation and accommodation.
- Capacity: For each new member that is appointed, the federal government should ensure that each regulatory body has a structured plan for: a) orientation, b) training and c) continuing education.
- Performance measures related to timelines: The federal government and the appropriate regulatory authorities should develop performance measures that result in effective timelines from the receipt of the application to disposition. This may involve different timelines, depending on the scope and complexity of the application.
- Water quality and effluent standards: The federal government should, as a priority, in consultation with the Boards under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, develop standards for water and effluent and the Minister should direct the boards to use those standards.
- Triggers for Environmental Assessment: The federal government should address the issue of the Environmental Review process and consider providing legislative amendments to the MVRMA that set out the criteria that triggers more extensive review levels.
- Enforcement: The federal government and the appropriate regulatory bodies should develop an understanding (MOU) concerning the issue of implementation and enforcement of recommended and accepted conditions.
- Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act: The Minister of INAC should commission a second environmental audit of the Northwest Territories in accordance with S.148(1) of the MVRMA and/or order a specific review of the MVRMA.
- Surface Rights Legislation: The federal government should consider some legislative solution to resolve the current difficulty of surface access to land.
- Appointments: The Office of the Minister of INAC should establish a process that would anticipate board appointments and ensure that the appointments are timely.
- Clarify problem policy areas for boards: The federal Minister should clarify some issues involving the regulatory boards or the regulatory process by exercising his/her authority under the MVRMA.
- Ministerial Review under S.130 of the MVRMA: The federal Minister (INAC) should develop a protocol on the review and disposition relating to S.130 (MVRMA) decisions.
- Coordination of Federal Responsibilities: The federal government should explore a made-in-the-North equivalent of the MPMO that would be a single point of entry and assist in coordinating federal departments and the GNWT, as well as liaise with the regulatory bodies for all projects, major and minor.
To download a PDF version of the presentation delivered to committee members, please visit the Members Only Documents section of www.nwtchamber.com. If you require a username and password, please contact NWT Chamber Executive Director John Curran.
In association with the network of community Chambers of Commerce in Fort Simpson, Behchoko, Norman Wells, Fort Smith, Hay River and Yellowknife as well as the Northern Aboriginal Business Association, the NWT Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of more than 865 members. For more than 35 years, it has been the only pan-territorial voice of businesses across all sectors of the Northern economy.
