Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is with great pleasure as one of the co-chairs, that I present to you the interim progress report of the Special Committee on the Implementation of Self-Government and the Sunset Clause.
This is a story about the search for the "self" in "self-government". "Self" government has meaning for all of us. We all want to be self-governing. We all want to keep our identities as individuals and groups, but we live closely together. Together we make up the communities of the NWT and the governments that serve them.
In our committee's view, this is the starting point for understanding the systems of governance that have evolved in the NWT in the past, and for examining what potentially lies ahead as a result of negotiations to establish new systems of governance in the Northwest Territories in the future.
When the resident territorial government was established in 1967, it came with a federal government promise of greater self-government. However, as the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples has documented, while the system of territorial government in the NWT has been better than most in Canada in responding to aboriginal peoples' cultures and values, it has not gone far enough. A central purpose of self-government agreements is to ensure that aboriginal peoples gain more control over decision-making on matters that affect them.
We have been working to understand the new systems of government that are emerging from self-government negotiations. We want to understand these agreements so that we have a sense of how things will change for the Legislative Assembly and GNWT, but more importantly so we can have a territory-wide conversation about what all NWT residents can expect in the future.
Mr. Speaker, the provisions of a single self-government agreement are sufficiently complex that good forecasts about its implementation are not entirely credible. When two, three, six, seven or more self-government agreements are factored into the equation, the process of mapping out implications is even more difficult.
Even though self-government agreements are generally quite detailed, these documents, and the other legal and political side agreements required for their implementation, will in all likelihood only provide a framework, rather than a script, for governance in the NWT. The literal wording of every provision of self-government agreements will probably not be strictly implemented. This does not mean these agreements will lose their legal or political force. Simply put, over time practical approaches will need to be taken by all governments in the NWT if governance is to be effective, as has been the case with the Constitution of Canada itself.
So while the situation is not entirely predictable at this point, a clearer picture is emerging as each new agreement is concluded. These agreements will result in fundamental changes to many aspects of the way the Assembly and GNWT now do things, including:
- • law-making
- • policy-making
- • government decision-making
- • government operations, including program and service delivery
- • human resources management
- • land and resources matters
- • financial management including taxation and other revenues
- • capital assets and other facilities
- • intergovernmental relations.
There will be fundamental changes in the relationships among the community, regional and territorial levels of government. Responsibilities for law-making and for the delivery of several programs and services will change. Self-government agreements often involve systems for delivery of programs and services to all residents. The people we will hold accountable will consequently change. Governments will be required to consult more with each other and to coordinate and cooperate in their activities.
We have also been struggling to understand the practical issues surrounding implementation of self-government agreements. Again, the expression "implementation of self-government" can be misleading. Describing the evolution of a system of governance in this way can make it sound like a process that is done once or that can be completed in a specific time. By contrast we are unlikely to describe the political, economic and social processes that go on continuously in Canada as "implementing public government".
Government is simply the way we organize ourselves to achieve our common goals. Everyone is now talking about "partnerships", "stakeholder cooperation", "co-management", and "shared jurisdiction". We are all involved. We share responsibilities for finding common objectives and addressing competing interests.
We know that many people in many organizations and levels of government are thinking about these potential changes and are trying to find practical ways to manage a smooth transition. It is important to remember that change will occur over many years rather than completely and suddenly on a given date.
There was a time in the NWT and across Canada when communities were relatively self-sufficient and self-governing. One of the strongest trends of the 20th century has been the increasing involvement of many levels of government in virtually every aspect of our daily lives. How did this happen? One reason is that collectively we have chosen to organize ourselves in ways to improve the standards and conditions in which we live. Most of us now expect governments to deliver a broad range of important programs and services such as health, social services, education, transportation, housing and so on. If these roles and responsibilities are not carried out, we blame "government".
But again, who is the government? We are. In the NWT, with its small population and close-knit communities, the government is potentially every one of us, our friends and our neighbours. We, the residents of the NWT, make up all northern governments, whether it is the territorial government, bands, aboriginal councils, community governments, regional boards and agencies, and so on.
How can you help? In delivering this interim report, we want to encourage a full dialogue or conversation about how we can work together to make the NWT a better home for all residents. Most of us think we would do things differently if we were in charge, if we were the government. What would you change and what would you want to stay the same?
Imagine you have the opportunity and responsibility to make such choices...because in fact you do. This is what self-government involves, for all of us. Self-government agreements will place the emphasis back on the communities and the people. The futures of all NWT communities will be linked together even more closely than they are today. The new relationships that will develop among our northern governments will depend on our attitudes, and our relationships with each other.
Mr. Speaker, our committee welcomes your views on these important matters. That concludes the introduction to our interim report.
