Mr. Speaker, as Members may be aware, social union negotiations became a very high profile issue in the Quebec election campaign. Now, with the Quebec election behind us, all participating governments are eager to successfully conclude these negotiations.
The primary objective of a new social union arrangement is to provide for more effective and efficient delivery of social programs to all Canadians. These negotiations will shape how governments in this country relate to one another and to all Canadians.
In recent years, Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has come to be recognized as a legitimate participant in a variety of intergovernmental forums where issues of national significance are considered by federal and provincial governments.
Discussions about social policy reform began at the 1995 Annual Premiers Conference in St. John's, Newfoundland. Since that time, this government has been working toward a strong national partnership which would oversee the more effective and sustained delivery of social programs and services to all Canadians.
With the establishment of Nunavut and with Aboriginal self-government agreements, the makeup of the Northwest Territories will change forever. However, all northern governments will continue to be faced with the realities of the north.
Our government's goal in these negotiations, Mr. Speaker, is to ensure that these realities are reflected in the social union framework for the nation.
Discussions around the social union framework cannot separate responsibility for the provision of social programs and services and the fiscal arrangements that provide the necessary capacity for governments to provide comparable services to all Canadians.
We all know, Mr. Speaker, that delivering social programs and services in the Northwest Territories is more expensive than in southern Canada. We know that we must face the challenge of delivering these programs and services in a high cost part of Canada where access is a major factor in providing comparable and affordable services.
For this government to be successful in delivering social programs and services to territorial residents, the outcome of social union discussions must recognize that we have responsibilities equal to those of the provinces. The ongoing challenge for us is to maintain access to social programs and services that are taken for granted in most provinces.
The GNWT is committed to these objectives. We will continue to be active participants in the negotiation process that will hopefully reach a successful conclusion in the coming months.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause