Agreed.
Debates of March 1st, 2001
This is page numbers 1397 - 1458 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
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1450
Some Hon. Members
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1450
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Page 2-49, audit bureau, operations expense, total operations expense, $1,242,000.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1450
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Information item, active positions. Page 2-51, detail of work performed on behalf of others. Total department, $1,694,000.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1450
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1450
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Page 2-52, revenues, recoveries, and transfer payments.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Page 2-35, program summary, operations expense, total operations expense, $26,961,000.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1450
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
We are going to capital, Financial Management Board Secretariat. Page 3, capital, capital acquisition plan, government accounting, total government accounting, $120,000. Total department, $120,000.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1450
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
That concludes the department. Thank you to the Minister and his staff. We will now continue on to Aboriginal Affairs. The honourable Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, do you have any opening comments?
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Yes, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs' 2001-2002 main estimates for the committee's consideration.
The proposed budget will support the vision of this government in promoting strong partnerships with aboriginal, federal, provincial and territorial governments, and supporting aboriginal people to have greater self-determination over their social, cultural and political destiny. The intent of negotiations is to settle agreements that recognize and respect both the collective rights of aboriginal people and individual rights of all NWT residents.
The ministry's 2001-2002 proposed budget is $4,893,000 broken down as follows: $3,325,000 for compensation and benefits, $360,000 for grants and contributions, $1,178,000 for other expenses and $30,000 for amortization.
The Ministry does not collect any revenue and does not require capital funding. The Ministry has 34 positions. Additionally, the Ministry received $363,000 from Canada to fund three positions to coordinate and manage the implementation of settled land claims.
Mr. Chairman, these are exciting times in the Northwest Territories. After years of complex and difficult work by our negotiators, I have every hope that over the next several months we will reach significant benchmarks in several of our aboriginal rights negotiations.
This spring we expect to conclude negotiations on an agreement-in-principle with the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in on self-government in the Beaufort Delta region.
Also by spring, I expect Canada will conclude a memorandum of intent with the Salt River First Nation, setting out their intent to fulfill Canada's outstanding Treaty 8 obligations.
By this summer, we hope to have concluded negotiations and approved a final agreement with the Dogrib Treaty 11 Tribal Council on lands, resources and self-government. This will be the first such agreement negotiated in the NWT.
In my own constituency, I have already announced in this House that the Deh Cho leadership has approved a negotiation framework agreement and an interim measures agreement. These agreements are being reviewed by the federal and territorial governments. Once signed, they will open the way to formal negotiation with the Deh Cho First Nations on their land, resources and governance rights.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my opening remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions the committee may have. Mahsi, Mr. Chairman.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Does the committee responsible for reviewing the department's estimates have any comments? Ms. Lee.
Ministry Of Aboriginal Affairs
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Sandy Lee Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs is one of the three separate and distinct programs operated within the Department of Executive. The ministry, in order to fulfill its responsibilities is comprised of the following activities: the directorate, policy, implementation, and negotiations.
The Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development met to review the main estimates for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, Department of Executive on January 18, 2001. The committee noted a $206,000 increase in operations expense from the Ministry's 2001-2004 business plan projections, of which $176,000 is attributed to the UNW collective agreement and $30,000 as an increase in the amortization figures.
Business Plan And Main Estimates Review
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Sandy Lee Range Lake
Business planning is a means to arrive at the budget figures presented in the main estimates. Changes in budgeting for the 2001-2002 fiscal year since the business plan review in October 2000, include an increase of $176,000 to meet the requirements of the collective bargaining agreement and a $30,000 change in the amortization figure.
During the 2001-2004 business plan review, the committee made a number of requests for information to the Ministry. The committee would like to compliment the Ministry on its prompt response to all but one of the requests. The Minister committed to sending regular updates on negotiations at the seven tables. The committee has just recently received the first of these updates.
Sectors Of Government Involved In Self-government Negotiations
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Sandy Lee Range Lake
In its Report on the Review of the 2000-2003 Business Plans and 2000-2001 Main Estimates, the committee expressed serious concerns over the numerous sectors in government that are involved in self-government, land claims, devolution and resource revenue sharing negotiations.
In the spring of 2000, the Executive offices added the Intergovernmental Forum Secretariat, a Regional Relations section and an Intergovernmental Affairs section, all of which are involved in self-government issues. Along with the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, there are staff in the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs; Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development; FMBS; Justice; and Health and Social Services involved in intergovernmental negotiations. Information supplied to the committee in October by the ministry indicated that the GNWT devotes 44 positions and $6,195,000 to negotiations. During the recent review of the 2001-2002 main estimates, the committee was informed of the newest addition to the self-government milieu - a committee of Ministers.
The Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development recommends that the coordination of the new ministerial committee and impact of government-wide negotiations be clarified and that the government establishes clear lines of authority for all sectors of government involved in self-government negotiations.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 1st, 2001
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Sandy Lee Range Lake
The Government of the Northwest Territories has assumed the position that all incremental costs for self-governments are the responsibility of the federal government. However, to identify what the additional costs will be, the Government of the Northwest Territories has to determine what the present costs of programs and services are. It is time that the GNWT recognizes this responsibility and acts upon it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you, Ms. Lee. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister if he will be bringing in any witnesses.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Does the committee agree? Sergeant-at-Arms, could you escort the witnesses in?
Mr. Minister, for the record, would you please introduce your witnesses, please?
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on my right I have Mr. Charles Overvold. He is the deputy minister of the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. To my left is Veronica Puskas. She's the manager of planning and analysis. Thank you.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Welcome, witnesses. General comments? Mr. Miltenberger.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
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Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have two general questions I would like to ask the Minister. One of them is to do with the legal opinion that was tied into the Dogrib claim at the community level where you are bringing together the public government and the band for all the citizens and that only Dogribs could run for chief and that only Dogribs could vote for a chief. There was a legal opinion being waited for. I would just like to know where that is because it was an issue of concern. Thank you.
Incremental Costs Of Self-government
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Leon Lafferty
Mr. Minister.