N.W.T. cabinet under fire for attending Vancouver mining show en masse

N.W.T. cabinet members are coming under fire from some regular MLAs for attending a Vancouver mineral explorationen masse at a time when the government saysit's short on cash.

All seven cabinet ministers began travelling to and attendingAME Round Up 2017, hosted by the Association for Mineral Exploration, on Monday, up from three ministers in 2016. They'rescheduled to be there until Thursday, according to a release sent by the press secretary's office.

The extent of the government's presence in Vancouver has some regular MLAsaccusing the government of hypocrisy and excess.

While not responding directly to Green, Abernethytweeted Tuesday about a survey, commissioned last year by the N.W.T. and NunavutChamber of Mines, in which86 per cent of respondents said theybelieved a strong mining sector is vital to the long-term health of the NWT economy.

The March 2016 poll surveyed 510adults living in the N.W.T. about 1.2 per cent of the territory's population. (The N.W.T. Bureau of Statistics recorded the territory's population in April 2016 as 44,340.)

No minister was available for comment Tuesday, but Andrew Livingstone,a senior cabinet communications advisor, said the government sent 24 officials to the trade show, in addition to the entire cabinet and Yellowknife NorthMLA Cory Vanthuyne, who chairs the standing committee on economic development and environment.

"Cabinet'sfull attendance is to show support for an industry that makes up 20 per centof our economy," said Livingstone.

"While we work on diversifying the economy something the GNWT understands is important to ensure economic stability in the future it is also important we continue to show support for an industry that provides hundreds of jobs and economic opportunities across the NWT."

Livingstone could not give an estimate for how much it cost to fly ministers and Vanthuyneand house them in hotels.

But the combinedcost of travel fees, meals and accommodations for Abernethy, Premier Bob McLeod and ministerRobert C. McLeodto attend Roundup in 2016was at least $5,566.03, according to a ministerial travel report for the period.