Thank you, Minister Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.
Debates of Feb. 20th, 2001
This is page numbers 1089 - 1124 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.
Topics
Further Return To Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
Supplementary To Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
Leon Lafferty North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have a final question on the tolls. The toll we are putting in place now, will it have an implication on future tolls, for example, a Mackenzie River bridge or an all-weather road to the communities or even the winter roads if we are going to put this infrastructure in place in the future? Thank you.
Supplementary To Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.
Further Return To Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Speaker, the toll we have put in place is essentially a fee we are charging heavy trucks for the use of the road that they are travelling on. So we cannot take the money from that toll and use it for something else. We could not take it and use it to build a winter road or to build an extended road someplace else. We have to spend it on the area from which we take the revenue. Will it have an effect on the bridge, for example? If there is a proposal to build a bridge, it would certainly have to be taken into consideration because I think there is a limit to how much we can afford to increase tolls by. In terms of winter roads, we could put tolls on winter roads if they are our responsibility, but that would be a different program. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Question 341-14(3): Highway User Toll
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
February 19th, 2001
Page 1100
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question was for the Premier on his recent trip from China, but since he is not in the House at the moment, I will ask Mr. Handley a few questions.
-- Laughter
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Order, please. I just want to caution Members that your rules do not permit you to comment on who is or who is not in the House.
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thanks for the little break, Mr. Speaker. The Premier is back in the House and I will ask him a question. Thank you very much. I figured I might as well ask some questions of the Premier since he has been out of the House for a while and now he is back. Might as well get him back into...
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Mr. Nitah, I would caution you about my comments about recognizing who is not in the House. These are your rules and I would ask you to observe those rules.
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Sorry, Mr. Speaker, but I was referring to the time he was gone, not just now.
-- Laughter
Mr. Speaker, the question I have for the Premier deals with his discussions with the Prime Minister. As Mr. Handley just answered a few questions to Mr. Lafferty on the road toll that he mentioned in his budget speech, he has also addressed a lot of other issues and a lot of ambitious budget items in his budget speech. Many of us on this side of the House are concerned of the rising cost to the people of the Northwest Territories deriving from the tolls, fee increases, et cetera. A lot of us base our decision on the potential for devolution and revenue sharing.
I would just like to ask the Premier if there were any discussions with the Prime Minister on revenue sharing and devolution. If there was, can the Premier share that information with us in this House today? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Premier. There were two questions there. You can answer whichever one you choose.
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1100
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure what the question is. It was not clear to me. Perhaps he could make a short, concise question? Thank you.
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you. Mr. Nitah, could you perhaps rephrase the question to the Minister?
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were a lot of proposed increases and fees and charges for services provided by this government. One of them includes tolls. The question that I asked the Premier is for us on this side of the House to accept these tolls and fees, we have to have faith in devolution and revenue sharing from resource development in the Northwest Territories. Has the Premier discussed the issue of revenue sharing with the Prime Minister on his mission trip to China with Team Canada? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Return To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I in fact raised it in a meeting I had with the Prime Minister earlier this year. The Prime Minister is aware. He had made a commitment to complete devolution during the time that he serves as the Prime Minister responsible for this country. We had indicated to him that we would prefer, seeing as he may like to stay on forever, to see it concluded during the time of my term as Premier. He seemed rather sympathetic to that, assuming that I would be here for at least three years.
We also discussed the item of revenue sharing that his Minister, Mr. Nault, had committed to us, that there would be a commitment on the federal government's part to negotiate a revenue sharing agreement between the federal government, the Government of the Northwest Territories and aboriginal governments. The Prime Minister was particularly interested to know that there was a partnership approach to revenue sharing and that the federal government would always be a part of this equation. Thank you.
Return To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Supplementary To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am glad we have a time line, at the very least, of three years. Some say that the Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, will not be there for three years. There is talk within the Liberal Party that there might be a leadership review and there might be a new leader, hence a new Prime Minister.
I am just wondering if there is any further commitment. We have heard there is commitment for devolution. We have heard there is commitment for revenue sharing. Those commitments were made to the last Assembly. In the Assembly before, there was discussion.
Is there a plan B by this government to approach Ottawa for the areas of devolution and revenue sharing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Further Return To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Intergovernmental Forum was established with the aboriginal groups, the aboriginal governments. It is the intent of the Intergovernmental Forum, with the support and agreement of the aboriginal governments, to put on the agenda for a timely discussion and conclusion of an agreement on devolution and revenue sharing through this intergovernmental process. It is a new approach. It is an approach that so far has had the support of the federal government, the aboriginal governments, and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Supplementary To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am quite familiar with the Intergovernmental Forum. Those forums have been established by past Assemblies and past aboriginal leaders. We have all seen how the Government of Canada uses the divide and conquer methods. Give a little bit of dollars over here, which groups want to fight for that? That could very well happen again.
Will the Cabinet, will the government, along with the Intergovernmental Forum with the other aboriginal governments, approach Ottawa en masse? Go down to Ottawa and have the meetings there and educate the Canadian public with why...
Supplementary To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Order, please, order. I would just remind the Member of my earlier comments about preamble. The Chair has been very lenient, Mr. Nitah. Please just go straight to the question.
Supplementary To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Intergovernmental Forum is a very slow process. Can the government speed up things a little bit so we can see some fruition through these discussions? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Question 342-14(3): Status Of Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 1101