Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome all the Members back and to welcome to this House, visitors in the gallery and those people at home who have joined us through television.
Before I begin I would like to join you, Mr. Speaker, in greeting two very important people in the gallery today. I am sure that all Members will join me in welcoming the Premier-Elect of Nunavut, Paul Okalik,
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and the Acting Interim Commissioner of Nunavut, Joe Adla Kunuk, to the House today.
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This session is very special. It is the last one of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, as we know it today. It marks the end of an era, and more importantly, it is a new beginning for all northerners. The work during this session will be critical as we complete the last of the legislative requirements for the smooth transition to the two new territories. Before reviewing where we are in the division agenda, I would like to take a few moments to review how far this government has come and where we plan to go.
Mr. Speaker, when this government was elected in the fall of 1995 we were facing very difficult fiscal challenges. We had a rising deficit and a mounting debt. Spiralling expenditure requirements, particularly in the social envelope, combined with significant reductions in federal transfer payments, meant that we had to take some tough decisions in the way that we ran the government. For the sake of our children, and those who will follow them, the debt, the deficit, and the rising costs could not be ignored. We had to get our House in order.
Mr. Speaker, we were faced with tough choices, to cut programs or cut the cost of delivering them. When this government was elected, we were spending almost half our program dollars on administration. This had to change. The choice we made, and I firmly believe it was the correct one, was to save programs and to find more efficient and effective ways of delivering them. The most visible example of more efficient program delivery was the creation of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development from three different departments that had overlapping mandates. This saved $10 million and made sure that we could continue the delivery of programs previously offered by the three departments. Throughout every department, we have found ways to work more effectively and for less money.
Fiscal restraint meant reducing the size of the territorial civil service, rearranging certain departments and privatizing some services. We knew that would not be easy. Under the circumstances, our staff has been very patient. They have shown true dedication to their work and I would like them to know how much that is appreciated.
The hard choices have begun to pay off. The Finance Minister, the Honourable John Todd, was faced with a huge challenge and the objective was reached. We have balanced our budget and plan to introduce a balanced budget for the next fiscal year.
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The new territories can begin their separate journeys without the burden of debt holding them back. Mr Speaker, we have been able to give our employees the security of knowing there would be no more layoffs during the life of this government.
Last fall Mr. Todd negotiated and signed a funding agreement with the federal government for the new Western Territory. This government had a pivotal role in the finalization of a similar agreement for Nunavut. These agreements give us the stability we need to plan our futures. Mr. Speaker, it is important to note the work that we have done over the past three years to ensure a smooth transition to two new territories. This session, we will naturally focus very closely on the work we must complete by March 31st. As MLAs, we will enjoy our last few days with our eastern colleagues, and we offer our congratulations to those who will be serving in the new Legislature and Government of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to briefly point out the size of what we have achieved with our other partners in this process. It is an encouraging sign for the future, Mr. Speaker, that we have been able to reach agreement on virtually all major tasks required to implement division.
As I stated earlier, two new formula financing agreements are in place for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. We have successfully negotiated an equitable division of the assets and liabilities of this government with our partners in the Office of the Interim Commissioner, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Western Coalition. Transition agreements have been reached with respect to the Workers' Compensation Board and the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. We have completed agreements on the transfer of records between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the future Government of Nunavut. The Government of the Northwest Territories has over 200 intergovernmental agreements with the Government of Canada and other governments. We are working to ensure that these agreements are in place for both Nunavut and the Northwest Territories after division and a great deal of progress has been made to make sure that this occurs.
In the short term, the Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to deliver some services in Nunavut until the government there has reached full capacity. I am pleased to note that we have been able to reach agreement on every single program requirement.
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Mr. Speaker, these agreements have not been reached without the occasional difference of opinion. However, it is important to note the spirit of goodwill and cooperation needed to make sure that it did happen. This government and the Legislative Assembly can be proud of the work that has been accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, the division measures legislation that will be introduced later today is the final step in this journey. During the first years of our mandate, our focus was on the smooth transition to two new territories. The most pressing priority was the creation of Nunavut. As we entered the final year of our mandate, our focus has included the future of the new Northwest Territories. The establishment of a new territory gives us a new opportunity to take a fresh look at where we are going. We all want a society that meets our needs and reflects our values. Northern society is made up of many different cultures. I believe that fundamentally we have common interests, although at times we express these interests in very different ways.
- I believe we all want to participate in a political system which respects aboriginal rights and the rights of all northerners;
- We all want to become independent and self-reliant;
- We want our children to live in safe homes, free of violence; We want them to get a good education, through the school system and through their elders and other role models in our communities;
- We want to be sure that we all have access to excellent health care, no matter where we live;
- We want northerners to benefit from our northern economic potential, in terms of jobs, training and business opportunities;
- We want to protect our northern environment for generations to come;
- We want to be able to continue to pursue our traditional relationships with the land and its resources;
- We want our children to grow up in healthy communities and inherit a society which respects differences and makes them feel proud to be northerners;
- We want to show that we can work together and have a strong northern voice on the national agenda.
These things just do not happen. They must be built and nurtured with hard work, trust and respect. The role of government is to provide leadership, to listen, to take action.
This government has been listening. As a result we developed the "Western Agenda" -- a plan to provide us with the means to meet the needs of the northerners. The agenda includes:
- Getting governance right
- Restructuring our fiscal relationship with Canada
- Harnessing our economic potential, and
- Taking control of our resources
The society that we want can be achieved if we all work together and move ahead together. We all have to be part of developing the new territory. We listened, we took action and developed the western agenda, and now we are taking it to the people, discussing it and listening again. I introduced the agenda on television last month and have attended meetings with northern leaders from the south of the territory to the north, including members of the Western Caucus. Other Cabinet Members have been meeting with northerners. It is our belief that this agenda will lead to a stronger territory and a better future for our children and grandchildren. But we can not do it alone. To achieve this we will work with our partners to create a form of government that is right for the new Northwest Territories, one that will meet the needs of northerners.
Mr. Speaker, this government and this Assembly have undertaken great tasks.
- We have balanced the books.
- We have paved the way for the smooth transition to two new territories.
- We have developed an agenda for the new Northwest Territories and are working with our partners to achieve a better future for our children.
While doing all this we have carried on the normal day-to-day business of the government, and, I believe, have improved the lives of northerners.
When this government was elected, Members gave themselves a special responsibility. We could have continued providing services the same way we always had. We could have just let change happen to us. Instead, we chose to take charge of our future. Under the leadership of Premier Don Morin, we agreed to make the hard choices because we knew that, in the end, we would build a stronger territory. As the current Premier, I plan to continue that work, right up to election day. There is still much to do to make a better future. We do not have the luxury of relaxing now.
In closing, Mr Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the hard work by all the Members of this Assembly during a very challenging period in our history. I am sure that all of us from the west join with me in wishing our eastern colleagues and all the people of Nunavut the greatest of success in the future. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
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