N.W.T. gov't accused of prioritizing private business over communities during MTS cargo update

Minister of Industry Tourism and Investment Wally Schumann faced accusations Wednesday that the government's Marine Transportation Service (MTS) had prioritized private contracts over community cargo while giving an update on shipping cargo to communities affected by a barge cancellation earlier this month.

KamLake MLAKieronTestartpressed Schumann and hisassistant deputy minister, JohnVandenberg, about theprivate contracts and their impact on the cancellations Wednesday morning, shortly before Schumann faced a non-confidence vote in the Legislative Assembly.

Earlier this month,MTS was unable to delivershipments into the N.W.T. community of Paulatukand the Nunavut communities of Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay, blaminghigh water levels on the Mackenzie River, ice-blockage in the Beaufort Sea, and lack of fuel for the cancellations.

Testart asked questions about adelivery toSabina Gold and Silver Corp. in Nunavut and a contract to pick up a power plant fromPrudhoeBay, Alaska, which took place shortly before the cancellations.

Testartsays those contracts caused him "grave concern," and thatthecoast guard's tracking system indicates the two ships thatwere supposed to be re-supplying Cambridge Bay,Kugluktuk,UlukhaktokandSachsHarbour were late returning from private contracts.

"The pursuit of these contracts and other private contracts above the pursuit of essential resupply goals whichMTSwas purchased for give me a lot of reason to be concerned," saidTestart.

"I'm going to suggest that the department is prioritizing private contracts over essential resupply it's not being clearly presented from the department and I find that very frustrating."

Vandenbergtold Testart there was no connection between being late for the resupply and the private contracts, and that at the beginning of the year when the sailing schedule was made, there was no reason to believe they couldn't do both.

Cargo deliveries to three communitiesnearly complete

Schumann andVandenberg said shipping cargo to Paulatuk, Kugluktuk, and Cambridge Bayis three-quarters complete.

The department started shipping fuel on Oct. 29 and Schumann expects all communities to have the supplies they need "within the next 10 days."

"I can't guarantee similar challenges won't happen again," said Schumann, who added this was a learning experience for the department.

During the briefing,Vandenberg said the department has set aside $3.4 million to fly all goods to Paulatuk, Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay. However, he is not sure what the total cost will be.

Schumann said MTS'revenues are "up by $13 million from 2017," and that they are projecting $42.5 million in revenueby the endof this fiscal year.