Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the Wildlife Act, we have been working for a number of years, as I indicated in a previous session. I did meet with the Inuvialuit Game Council in January. This was my first contact with them and this was following extensive consultation in the work we carried out as RWED. We were directed by Cabinet to take an approach in drafting new legislation and the drafting process follows how the GNWT prepares legislation. Of course, the legal counsel from Justice are directed to work only with client departments. This is the process we are into and are going by the direction of Cabinet. This is the way it is. We did meet with the Inuvialuit Game Council and heard their concerns. The first time I heard their concerns about the different approaches taken in the Yukon and Nunavut, I asked the department to check it out because I wanted to familiarize myself with what happened over there. Of course, it's two different jurisdictions. I have directed RWED to work with the Inuvialuit Game Council within the parameters that were defined for us in Cabinet. There is some flexibility there and we want to make sure we accommodate their concerns and this is the direction I have given to RWED. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Debates of March 13th, 2003
This is page numbers 747 - 780 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th 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
Return To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 753
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Return To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 753
Supplementary To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 753
Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We know that this consultation has been ongoing for a couple of years now by the Department of RWED. In the correspondence from the game council, they use the Yukon's example saying they had managed to do that within six months and bring legislation forward. So is the model being used now? As the Minister stated, he just directed his staff to work with him. Is that Yukon model being used?
Supplementary To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 753
Further Return To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
I am not familiar with the Yukon model at all. The Yukon is a different jurisdiction and we have more complicated arrangements with the different First Nations. We have land claims agreements with the Inuvialuit, which is separate and different from the Gwich'in and the Sahtu. We have the Salt River First Nation that has claims. So it's negotiating with the aboriginal governments like the Tlicho, Akaitcho, the South Slave Metis and the Deh Cho that makes it even more complicated. That's why we have an obligation in the NWT to address issues with non-beneficiaries as well. To compare Yukon to us, I understand Yukon has one umbrella agreement that encompasses all 14 First Nations. I understand there are some that haven't gone into that agreement yet, so there are differences there. To compare is different.
I think what they are driving at is, Yukon went with the concept of hiring an outside independent drafter and that process is outside the mandate I have. Cabinet directed me to take a direct approach on how they do legislation here. So that's the dilemma that I find RWED in, in this case, as well as the fact that we are pretty far down the process already to make any changes. Within the parameters that we have, I have instructed RWED to try to work with the Inuvialuit Game Council to see if we could accommodate their concern of having their own legal counsel directly involved in the actual drafting of the Government of the Northwest Territories bill. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Supplementary To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister stated on behalf of their own legal counsel develop some of the drafting. My understanding is that even our own drafters have not been at the table when discussions have been ongoing. Is that correct? If it is, is that going to change so that we won't be able to bring drafters to the table? So that, instead of meeting one time to discuss issues, going back to the Justice department to discuss them, and bringing them back to the table and taking care of it in one sitting, is that process going to be taken into consideration now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Further Return To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. RWED has Cabinet direction to share draft legislation with aboriginal governments to address requirements under the existing land claims agreements. So if it's within the Inuvialuit land claims agreements, then we have to honour that. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Supplementary To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question now is, when discussions are happening with the land claims groups, will the Department of RWED have Justice staff at the table at the same time so that they can speed the process along?
Supplementary To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Further Return To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that the meetings with the different representatives of the different aboriginal groups, the Inuvialuit, the Gwich'in and Sahtu, they have some funding for some legal advice and counsel with regard to the Wildlife Act and the Species At Risk. My understanding is there are meetings that take place with RWED and the different representative groups and give drafting instructions on the way we want to craft the legislation. So specifically which counsel is sitting at the table, I am not too familiar with that. I will have to check who is at the table, whether it's a counsellor or RWED representatives. I am not familiar with that.
Further Return To Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Question 228-14(6): Inuvialuit Concerns With The Wildlife Act
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Sandy Lee Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Mr. Speaker, I think that we have come to understand that as we approach the end of this Assembly, there is major legislation that has fallen off the agenda. One of them is the major amendments to municipalities and it is raising a concern among municipalities and the Association of Municipalities that this is not going to make it in the life of this Assembly. I would like to ask the Minister to state for the record and make a public statement about why this legislative proposal and amendment fell off of the agenda. Thank you.
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Return To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the process MACA is using is to assure that this legislation is passed by this Assembly. This is the fastest process we have in hand right now. We table it in this session, we are hoping to introduce it in the June session, the committee will do their work over the summer and we could debate it and have the final reading in the fall session.
Return To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Supplementary To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 754
Sandy Lee Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That might be contrary to what the common understanding of the people is. Mr. Speaker, I think that all of us are operating under the assumption that any major legislation that has to see the light of the day has to get a second reading in this session, so that it could have a proper public consultation process to assure a third reading by June. If the Minister was prepared to table it as a tabled document, why did he not introduce it as a bill in the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 755
Further Return To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 755
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct, we did hope to introduce it in this session. However, we are having problems with the translation aspect of it and the amount of work Justice has because it's such a thick document. The best we can do is what we are doing right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further Return To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 755
Supplementary To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 755
Sandy Lee Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Going by the Minister's answer then, is it entirely possible that this legislation will see the light of the day and the Minister is still working to have it come into effect by the end of this Assembly?
Supplementary To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 755
Further Return To Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Question 229-14(6): Amendments To Municipal Statutes
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 755
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. We are really hoping to see this legislation in place by the fall session, at the end of the fall session. As we've said, the draft legislation and initiatives have all been through the consultation process now since 1995. So there has been a lot of consultation done on it. The municipalities definitely would like to see this sped up because it not only saves them money, it saves the government money as well. We have to keep funding them any time insurance costs go up. This new legislation would put some brakes on what municipalities would be liable for. So there are definitely advantages to both municipalities and the government. The only piece of legislation that is not being introduced that would be part of the package in June would be the settlement legislation. We haven't completed that yet, so it would be ready for introduction in June and the whole package would then be taken by the committee to the public for consultation. But because so much consultation was already done, we expect that there shouldn't be any... We are not foreseeing any difficulties in putting the legislation in place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.