Mr. Chairman, the area I would like to comment about and ask questions about is the area of devolution of programs from the federal government. It is a program goal to have devolution of federal programs to the GNWT and that the GNWT move toward provincial-like authority in all areas, and there are a couple of other references I'll get to later on. I, for one, support this and I support it quite strongly.
Over the past decade, as we have taken over as a government more responsibility from the federal government, I think the respect and impact that we have with the provinces and the federal government has increased a lot. I think our efforts during Meech Lake and the Ministers' efforts during the Charlottetown Accord discussions raised the profile of the NWT and, I think, raised the level of our credibility with the provinces and with the federal government. I think the Minister did an excellent job in representing us at discussions leading up to the Charlottetown Accord.
I think it was very unfortunate for the Northwest Territories that both Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accord failed because if either one of them had gone through, even though we didn't get anything we wanted, the reality is we would have been recognized as a viable political entity for all time. I see the danger of us staying in the situation we are in now, as half province, half municipality, where a lot of parts of the NWT are carrying on their own little negotiations with the federal government, whether it is on treaties or self-government agreements that flow out of land claims. Division is also going to happen and so what was already a relatively weak jurisdiction -- economically and politically vis-a-vis provinces and the federal government -- unless we're very careful, is going to be a very weak number of jurisdictions.
In fact, the way the world is changing, with the globalization of the world economy and with the increasingly competitive nature of the world, there is every danger that we will become a small backwater on the federal and international scene. I think it's very, very important that our government aggressively pursues the remainder of the provincial-like powers from Ottawa. There are, obviously, a lot of internal negotiations that are going to have to take place. We're obviously going to have to take into account whatever self-government agreements that flow out of land claims, and we have to respect and take into account whatever treaty arrangements are made.
But, I don't think any of us in the NWT should lose sight of the fact that we are a very weak, very dependant jurisdiction. If we don't aggressively try to increase our self-reliance and to pull away from our overwhelming dependence on Ottawa -- and 85 per cent of our funding comes from Ottawa -- if we don't get these powers from Ottawa and we wait until we work out our own internal politics in the NWT, by the time we work it all out, there may be nothing more to be had. There is every danger of that. With all due respect to the various regions and the groups that are negotiating their own deals, the reality is that a Nellie Cournoyea who speaks for the Northwest Territories is a much more influential politician than a Nellie Cournoyea who speaks for her region. A Steve Kakfwi who speaks for the Northwest Territories is a much more influential politician than a Steve Kakfwi who speaks for his region.
I think that regional leaders in the constitutional process that we've embarked on, will hopefully recognize that there is a very important and realistic approach that we have to take. We have to speak with one voice. I'm concerned that if we back away from the approach we've had in the past of trying to pursue devolution that it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Not only will we never become a province, we will become essentially irrelevant in the constitutional family of Canada.
My question to the Minister is, how does he see his role as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs pursuing the goal of trying to get as many powers from the federal government as we can? And how does he see his role coordinating with the Minister of Finance, who obviously has an important role to play in devolution, with the Premier, who is going to have an overall and large role to play dealing with the Prime Minister and Premiers, and with other government departments? For example, Mr. Todd is aggressively pursuing the mineral and northern accord which I, for one, support wholeheartedly. I just wonder where the Minister sees his department fitting in and what sort of positive direction can the Minister give to the whole devolution exercise?