Mr. Speaker, the federal government is a critical partner in assisting us to achieve our goals. We receive approximately 75 percent of our funding from the federal government. Until devolution is finalized, the federal government remains responsible for land and resource ownership and management in the Northwest Territories.
In particular, the Honourable Robert Nault, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, has a unique relationship with and responsibility to the NWT. Because of the extent of his jurisdiction over and responsibility for land and resource management in the NWT, the relationship that Minister Nault shares with us is unique and different from his relationship with provincial jurisdictions.
For this reason, we are building momentum with the federal government and setting the stage for the changes we want to see in the future.
On March 22nd, the Honourable Joe Handley, Minister of Finance and I traveled to Ottawa and met with federal Finance Minister Paul Martin, with Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Robert Nault, and Minister of State for Youth -- and our MP -- Ethel Blondin-Andrew.
We discussed the very real possibility that the NWT could, within a decade, become a "have" territory -- one that can live on the revenue it generates, rather than a "have not" territory, dependant upon federal transfer payments to make ends meet. We stressed that to become self-sufficient, we will require a share of the revenues generated by non-renewable resource development -- revenues that all currently flow to the federal government.
Minister Nault indicated his support for a results-oriented Intergovernmental Forum for leaders to discuss northern economic development issues including devolution, resource revenue sharing and the construction of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline.
Minister Martin indicated his willingness to consider increased federal investment in the future of the NWT based on a resource development strategy paper outlining our needs in greater detail, including the costs and benefits of increased non-renewable resource development. When we met a second time in April, he confirmed that interest and urged us to get all documentation to him as soon as possible.
In April, I met with our Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien and conveyed to him the importance that people of the Northwest Territories place on moving forward on our agenda. His support was requested, and that of his Cabinet, for investing in and with the Northwest Territories to meet our shared objectives.
We discussed the critical role of infrastructure development in accessing our non-renewable resources, in linking our communities and in opening the NWT to southern visitors. We explored the possibility of federal government support for the development of a Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline and the completion of the Mackenzie Valley highway in conjunction with the pipeline.
The Prime Minister understands the goals we are trying to achieve and recognizes the NWT as a place where a necessary federal investment, made today, could yield significant future benefits to the NWT and Canada as a whole.
Recently, my colleague, the Honourable Vince Steen, Minister of Transportation, had a chance to reinforce the importance that we place on opening up access to our resource-rich areas when he attended the Transport Canada Millennium Conference. There, Mr. Steen made arrangements with his federal counterpart, Transport Canada Minister David Collenette, to meet later this week. They will be discussing the critical role that infrastructure development plays in the economic development of the NWT, and Mr. Steen will be working to ensure that our voice is heard in any discussions taking place on the Canada National Highway Infrastructure Program.
Mr. Speaker, in a short period of time, and with the assistance of our Member of Parliament, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, we have captured the attention of Ottawa. Canada is interested in us in a way we have not seen in years. The federal government is paying attention to the tremendous interest in NWT non-renewable resource development and the work we have done on the draft Non-Renewable Resource Strategy and is participating in the Intergovernmental Forum. Both of these initiatives are intended to produce prosperity and security over time for all peoples of the NWT.