Transcript of meeting #2 for Territorial Leadership Committee in the 19th Assembly. (The original version is on the Legislative Assembly's site.)

The winning word was need.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 58

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Sorry, I mispronounced it.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 58

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you very much. Congratulations, Sonny. This kind of builds on Rocky's question there, Mr. Simpson's question, sorry. If we want to advance all of these great big infrastructure projects that we have been discussing for several years now, if not decades, one of the key issues for that or the most important thing we're going to have to do is go to Ottawa and ask for a significant portion of the funding, and I'm aiming to look for more than the 75 percent, actually, that they usually pony up.

My question to the Premier-candidates is: what experience and skillset do you bring to the table that will enable us to get that money from Ottawa and convince them that they do need to invest in the North, and do better in taking care of all of us, and see that the northern infrastructure projects are not just for the territory, that they're for the entire nation, a part of our Arctic sovereignty and our access to our northern ports? Thank you.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 58

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Nokleby. First, we have Mr. Simpson.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 58

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you for the question. To continue on with what I was saying, we need to be on the federal government's radar. Politics, a lot of politics, is sales, and it's relationship-building. I have been able to do that over the last four years, I believe, anyways. I had relatively good relationships across the board in the last Assembly. There were always strained relationships between Cabinet and the Regular Members, but I prided myself on being able to work with people and to reach out. I think that's what I would bring. It's not just reaching out to the federal government. It's reaching out to the Indigenous governments, and it is understanding that, if we want more from Ottawa, we can't keep everything for the GNWT. We have to understand that our Indigenous governments are our partners, and, moving forward, we have to include them with equity shares in these projects. We have to make sure that we all benefit. I think that's the kind of attitude that we need going forward because we are stronger together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 58

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. I'd like to ask all Members to please speak slowly to allow the interpreters to keep up. Thank you.

Next, we have Ms. Martselos.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 58

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Well, I have the experience of going to Ottawa. I have built those relationships. I have dealt with the federal government, and I am very thankful that MP McLeod got in again. We have a very narrow window, like one of my colleagues said, of two years. I think it's extremely important that we are well organized to ensure that our issues are on the table with this new government. It is going to be a narrow window because we have a minority government. We have to make sure that the Indigenous partners are also involved, and all the partners, whether it be private industry, but I think that, when we go, we go as a group, we go as partners, and we collaborate with all the people -- that is necessary -- and we be persistent. I think that persistence is what gets you what you need in the end. We won't get everything, but you will mediate through to make sure that we get as much as we can. There are new ways of doing business with this whole file, with the infrastructure, and I think that's what the people of the Northwest Territories want. Thank you.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 58

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Martselos. Next, we have Mr. Lafferty.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 59

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Speaker-elect. We now have the Liberal party as a government, so we depend on them for operating the North. They asked what I was going to do, what kind of skills that I have. I have a lot of experience. I was a Minister for many years. I also had a good relationship with the federal Minister for about eight years, so they also know what I can do. If we get the support of the Indigenous leadership, it is better to bring the issues to the government if we have the Dene leadership behind us as well. We cannot go to Ottawa as one individual person. We need the support of all of the other leadership and have one voice, and it will go a long way. We all know that the federal Ministers will be selected soon. Also, we have to think about the capital infrastructure in the Northwest Territories. We have to have that in place. We have settled claims in the Northwest Territories, but we also still have two outstanding claims that need to be settled. We need to support them as well.

With all of this leadership in the Northwest Territories, we will be able to bring our issues to the federal government. I think it would make a big difference. I think that is very important. Let's have a good relationship, a respectful relationship with them, and things can be accomplished. I have been a Minister for eight years, so I have had experience working with the federal Ministers, as well. I feel like I do have the experience to do this job. Thank you [translation ends].

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 59

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Next, we have Ms. Cochrane.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 59

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. What experience am I bringing to the table? I have 20 years that I have been a social worker; I have over 20 years that I have actually spent counselling people, so listening is one of the biggest skills that I have. Being able to work with people and not cutting them off, I think, is very important.

I also spent the last four years building the relationships with the Liberal government and with all governments, not only the Liberal government. I have said it before and I am adamant that it is important that we maintain relationships with all parties in all jurisdictions. Things can change in a moment.

I am honest. Honesty is one of the most important traits. I see it as a strength and a weakness. Sometimes people say that honesty is not good, but I believe that, if I am honest at all times, I don't have to lie to cover my lies, and that is important to me.

The other thing that I bring that is really important is I have always been a strong woman. When I was younger and I first got into social work, I was a strong advocate, yelling and screaming and holding up the picket signs. I have learned as I have aged that that is the wrong approach. That should be the last resort.

We do need to go into Ottawa with all of the Indigenous governments, if they are willing to come with us, community governments. We need to come as a unit, but we also need to build the relationships one-on-one. The last thing that I would want to see as a Minister is a group of 20 people at my door. Automatically, my guards would go up. It is important that the Premier go first and build the relationship, Premier to the Prime Minister, and build that first, to make sure that they feel comfortable, give them notice that we are coming, and make it a win-win situation, not that "we are pushing our needs down your throat" but "this is how our needs will benefit Canada as a whole."

Those are things that I bring to the table, and those are the things that I have learned from my experience, my professional experience, and also my age. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 59

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Cochrane. Any further questions? Mr. O'Reilly.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 59

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. Congratulations, Mr. Speaker-elect. I would like to know from each of the candidates what they believe the environmental priorities should be for the 19th Assembly and how those priorities would stack up against other priorities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 59

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Now, we have Ms. Cochrane.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 59

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. The environmental priorities that we have for the Government of the Northwest Territories should not only be our priorities; they need to be international priorities. Climate change is real, and it is impacting our communities, impacting the Northwest Territories, more than many other jurisdictions in the world. We see that. We have had Members talk about it already in the short time that we have been in the House. We have seen it in the last session.

During my speech to be Premier, I had stated that anything that we do for moving forward has to have climate change, always be looking at that, realizing that we do need infrastructure and we need a strong economy, but we also need to be as environmentally conscious as possible within that. We need to be part of the solution in battling climate change. Our youth are screaming at us. Our youth are begging us, crying in the media, to save their future. We have an obligation to do that. Climate change, the reality is the environment has to always be hand-in-hand with any decision that we make moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 59

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Cochrane. Next, we have Mr. Simpson.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 60

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. Obviously, climate change is a global crisis, and everyone is concerned about it. We feel the effects more than others. This is one area where, because we feel the effects and because of the high cost, the GNWT has actually done quite a bit over the last number of years to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but of course, we always have to do more. Going forward, we have to consider climate impacts in all of our decisions, in all of our infrastructure and our policy decisions, as well. Even service delivery could have implications.

We have to address the declining caribou herds. That's an environmental issue, but that goes far beyond environmental concerns. That goes to food security; that goes to culture. I know that some work has been done, but that is not something that we can ignore or make half-hearted attempts to consider.

Another issue which I hear a lot about in the South Slave is water. There are a lot of concerns about water. The water that comes into the territory comes from other jurisdictions in Alberta. We are near the oil sands. There are major dams being constructed that could affect the level of water, and that has practical effects on things such as shipping, as well as on traditional harvesting and fishing.

Those are some of the concerns that I have heard the most about and I think that we need to focus on going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 60

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Next, we have Ms. Martselos.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 60

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Well, we did a group of priorities. I think the priorities have to be addressed, and balanced development is important. Making sure that the climate change issue is a priority in all of our decisions that we make in the future with regards to infrastructure or any other decisions that are made is important.

I also feel that I want to put on my Indigenous hat and explain to the Assembly that Indigenous people are environmentalists in their own way. We have always looked after the water, the land, and everything around us, and the animals. I think that it is extremely important that Indigenous people are part of the whole issue of climate change. I think, also, that, climate change, a piece of the whole development of the polytech in Inuvik will be an incredible solution for studying climate change, not only for the Northwest Territories but for Canada and for the world. Thank you.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 60

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Martselos. Next, we have Mr. Lafferty.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

October 23rd, 2019

Page 60

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker-elect. [Translation] When you are speaking about climate change, it is a big issue in the North. When you look at it, there are a lot of changes in the environment, not only the water but the land, the animals, all of the things that are on the land. Even to make winter roads, it is getting difficult.

When you are talking about climate change, it has to be one of the priorities for the next four years, and I think that we can work on that all together. We have talked about it for the last four years, so I know a lot of people here want to work on it for the next four years. We have to also listen to the people in order to work on the climate change. We have to also include the young people and also the elders, who are almost like our doctors. We have to take all of the information from the elders, and the elders also have to work with the young people on this climate change. They are almost like our scientists. There are scientists all within Canada, but they are our scientists in the North, and we have to put them ahead with the climate change issue. Even in 50 to 100 years from now, we will see the results of their work. There are a lot of people who are southern people, who want to say we can do this and do it this way, but we have to learn to work together because we have different knowledge of this issue, the young people and the elders. When you are talking about climate change, it is extremely important because it affects our water, our land, and our animals. Thank you [translation ends].

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 60

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Next on our list, we have Ms. Semmler.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 60

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

As we have heard loud and clear this past couple of weeks that the Indigenous governments do not have any trust in our government, can you tell me why you would be the best person who should represent us in building this relationship? Thank you.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 60

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Semmler. First on our list, we have Mr. Lafferty.

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 61

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker-elect. [English translation not provided.] [Translation] Sometimes it is difficult to work together. Sometimes we have issues that we cannot resolve, and now we have a lot of new MLAs. We also talk about having one voice. In order to go forward. We need to build trust among each other. We need to talk to each other about what is important to us in our region. Once we settle that and have a good relationship, we will be able to go forward. We need to keep an open communication with each other so that everyone knows what everyone else is doing. Also, in the Northwest Territories, we need to communicate with the Dene leadership and the mayors of the Northwest Territories because they have the grassroots information in their region. Sometimes, if we do not know this information, we are not able to resolve the issues at our table. I believe that working together and having trust among each other is very important. When I look at the past leadership, we did not have that in place, and everyone knows here, I have said this to the 18 Members here, we talked about our priorities and how we can work together. In order to do that, we all need to work together. I would like to thank every one of the MLAs. Also, the leadership that's here, as well, I would like to thank them [translation ends].

Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier

Page 61

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Next on our list, we have Ms. Cochrane.