GNWT trip to Vancouver grows to almost $200,000
Last week's price tag for mining conference didn't include expenses for MLA
Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The cost of sending the government and its guests to a Vancouver mining conference in January is even higher than the approximately $193,000 figure tabled in the legislative assembly last week.
Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Wally Schumann (facing camera) is seen at the AME Roundup 2017 in Vancouver. All seven cabinet ministers attended this year. - photo courtesy of GNWT |
Premier Bob McLeod provided a written response to questions about the expenses last Tuesday that showed the GNWT spent $193,362.81 to send all seven cabinet ministers, 24 government staff and other representatives from aboriginal governments and the NWT Chamber of Mines to AME Roundup 2017.
That total did not include the cost of sending Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne, who also attended the conference as chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment.
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment footed the $2,321.75 bill for sending Vanthuyne to Vancouver, according to cabinet spokesperson Andrew Livingstone.
Livingstone said that cost is final and includes airfare, hotels, meals and incidentals.
That brings the total cost of the Vancouver trip to $195,684.56, when Vanthuyne's expenses are added to the numbers provided by the premier.
The trip was originally estimated to have cost $75,000 when Yellowknifer inquired in January.
Last year, the government spent about $137,000 to participate in Roundup, according to McLeod's statement.
On Jan. 31, Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly asked the premier to provide a list of GNWT ministers and staff who attended the conference. He also wanted a breakdown of costs for airfare, accommodations, allowances, registration fees and hospitality events.
When asked why Vanthuyne was not included on the list of attendees that McLeod tabled, Livingstone said O'Reilly only asked for the expenses of ministers and staff, so that was the question that was answered.
The GNWT also paid for 14 representatives from aboriginal governments and the NWT Chamber of Mines to attend the event, according to the premier's written response.
That cost the government $70,636.89. Air travel for the 31-person contingent of cabinet ministers and GNWT staff came at a price of $35,350.47.
"All travel was economy class, except for seven legs of southern travel which had to be accommodated through business class travel when economy class travel was not available," McLeod's response stated.
Accommodations, meals, incidentals and taxis cost the government $53,422.41.
Registration and exhibition fees for the conference came out to $30,235.29. The government spent another $3,717.75 to host "a private cabinet luncheon with industry and aboriginal organizations, and a public coffee with cabinet."
O'Reilly said the government is not living up to its talk of fiscal restraint and its mandate of economic diversification, and called the conference expenses "a bit much."
He said the proposed territorial budget contains cuts to programs that would support diversification and that it doesn't contain new investments to help the economy branch out.
"But we seem to be able to find almost $200,000 to support sending people to a mining conference," O'Reilly said. "I think it also says something about the power and influence of the mining industry over our government."
In four letters tabled by the premier last week, Dehcho First Nations Grand Chief Herb Norwegian, Sahtu Secretariat chairperson Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Tlicho Grand Chief Eddie Erasmus and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair and CEO Duane Ningaqsiq Smith offered the government thanks for sponsoring their participation in the conference.
"The trade show booth alone received over 75 new contacts and potential partners," Norwegian wrote.
"I feel our participation in this event was well worth the cost and future benefit for Dehcho First Nations and the territory as a whole."
In his response to O'Reilly's questions, McLeod offered a reminder that it takes time to add up expense reports for these kinds of trips.
He said the costs he tabled are "predicted costs," as only 21 days are allocated to respond to written questions in the legislative assembly.
"The final costs for ministerial travel will be calculated, confirmed and made public through the Ministerial Travel Report," his response stated.
