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TUESDAY August 7, 2012
Proudly serving Williams Lake and the Cariboo-Chilcotin since 1930
VOL. 82. No. 63
New guidelines Sliding through summer for mine
Erin Hitchcock photo
Layla Ferguson, 2, enjoys a thrilling ride down the slide at Kiwanis Park on a sunny afternoon last week. For more fun-in-the-sun pics, see page A7 or check out a slide show at wltribune.com.
Due to the July 6 adjustments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, adjustments are being made to the review panel’s mandate for the New Prosperity mine environmental assessment. A public notice from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency says the federal minister of environment has set timelines for the environmental assessment as follows: • The timeline for the panel to submit its report is 235 days (7.5 months) from coming into force of CEAA 2012, as specified in the previous Terms of Reference. • The timeline for the decision statement will be 120 days (four months) from submission of the review panel’s report. The above timelines do not include the time the proponent, Taseko Mines Ltd., takes to gather information required for the environmental assessment. To view the amendments visit the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry, registry number 63928.
Inside the Tribune
$1.34 inc. HST
NEWS Cabinets get wrapped.
A2
MLAs welcome more transparency
SPORTS Loons land silver finish.
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Erin Hitchcock Tribune Staff Writer
COMMUNITY Career in music rocks.
A12
Weather outlook: Mix of sun and cloud today and Wednesday, high of 26 C for both days.
PM 0040785583
Local MLAs and two MLA candidates have weighed in on the auditor general’s report on the state of the B.C. Legislature’s finances. In his review, Auditor General John Doyle said years of neglect resulted in a $1.3-billion discrepancy in the legislature. The Legislative Assembly Management Committee (LAMC) met last Tuesday to discuss the report and agreed to implement all of the recommendations contained in it. “All actions will follow the principles of openness, public accountability and transparency and the committee will implement all recommendations made by the auditor general since 2007,” the committee said in a prepared statement. “The committee has
full confidence that all MLAs have submitted receipts for their expenses as required. Annual expenses are released in the public accounts every July. However, to provide more openness to British Columbians, beginning in October, quarterly MLA expenses will be posted online starting with the expenses for the first two quarters of this current fiscal year.” An internal audit and risk management sub-committee, comprised of the Speaker and the two caucus chairs, has been created to review all audit reports and will report back to LAMC. Cariboo North MLA Bob Simpson says the committee should have dealt with the issue after the auditor general raised the same concerns n 2007. “They were the ones that didn’t address it over the last five years,” Simpson says. “I am struggling a little bit with the fact that LAMC
seems to be acting as if some third party dropped the ball and now they have to pick it up.” However, Simpson says it is good that the committee will start publishing MLA expense reports and then look at publishing the constituency and other reports. Simpson has already been publishing some of his expense reports, including travel expenses, online. In September, he plans to have his office also publish his constituency office and legislative office accounts. “The idea that we now have to delay in order to get the constituency office accounts all set up again is just not necessary,” he says. “There is no complication. There is no issue about software or anything. It’s a matter of lack of will on the part of the legislative management committee to do it.” He notes the auditor general
has been clear that he is not saying anybody has done anything untoward, though Doyle also noted he can’t rule out that no one is abusing the system, due to there being a lack of information. “It’s just that the bookkeeping, accounting, and reporting is not standardized and not transparent,” Simpson says. Liberal Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett says she welcomes anyone to take a look at her books at any time if they have questions. “My staff looks after the constituency account and certainly obey all the rules and regulations,” Barnett says. “My books are open and anything else to be transparent is what should be done. She says 90 per cent of her expenses are related to travel. See BARNETT Page A2