Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are well into 2004 and already busy on a number of fronts. As this is our first time back in this House since the Christmas holidays, I would like to take the opportunity to wish the Members of the Assembly and all people of the NWT a happy New Year and best wishes for 2004.
Working Together
I look forward to the coming year with enthusiasm and optimism. We will have significant challenges to face, but I sense a strong will amongst all Members of this Legislative Assembly to roll up our sleeves and get to work as a team on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories.
Trust is the foundation upon which good relationships are built, both at home and in the workplace. It takes time to build trust. It has to be earned with consistent actions, respect for input received, and a demonstrated commitment to live up to promises made.
There is agreement among Members that we must find ways to better work together. The challenge is to translate our good intentions into concrete actions.
We have started off with informal meetings to explore ideas about the setting of priorities. Discussion focused on how the Members of this Assembly might reach out to the public more effectively and build partnerships with other northern governments and stakeholder groups. As a Caucus, we are determined to find ways to open up the lines of communication with all northern residents.
As a beginning, it is important that we find new ways to talk with other northern leaders; discussion that allows for a frank exchange of views and creates a foundation for understanding and working together.
All 19 Members of Caucus are committed to establishing productive partnerships with other northern leaders. It will be my pleasure, later today, to join Caucus Chair Mr. Kevin Menicoche, as he announces an initiative to bring northern leaders together in the spring to discuss common issues.
Aboriginal Rights Negotiations
Mr. Speaker, as all residents of the Northwest Territories know, the face of governance in the Northwest Territories is changing as aboriginal rights negotiations are concluded and agreements are implemented. This environment is a complex one. A variety of agreements deal, in varying degrees, with aboriginal rights over land, resources and self-government, and these agreements are in different stages of negotiation or implementation.
The Inuvialuit, Gwich'in and Sahtu have concluded land claims agreements. The Inuvialuit and Gwich'in are pursuing a joint self-government agreement and signed an agreement-in-principle last year. In the Sahtu, Deline signed a self-government agreement-in-principle last summer and Tulita has just recently begun the process of negotiating a self-government agreement. The Tlicho Comprehensive Land Claim and Self-Government Final Agreement is the first combined land claim and self-government agreement in the Northwest Territories. Framework and interim measures agreements have been reached with the Deh Cho First Nations, Akaitcho Territory Dene First Nations and Northwest Territory Metis Nation.
The jurisdiction and responsibilities of aboriginal and public governments are in a process of transition that will establish new relationships between the peoples and governments of the NWT. As we move forward with aboriginal rights negotiations, the shape and structure of government in the Northwest Territories will change, including the territorial government.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is fully committed to the negotiation and implementation of aboriginal rights agreements in the NWT; agreements that will bring further clarity and certainty to governance in our territory.
Achieving Self-Reliance
Mr. Speaker, we have much work remaining to reach our full potential as a fully self-reliant and prosperous territory; one where our people are healthy, educated, employed and living life to the fullest.
For the territorial and other northern governments, this means a better fiscal deal with the federal government. We need to conclude an improved formula financing agreement with Canada. We need a fair deal on devolution and resource revenue sharing that will give us what most other jurisdictions in Canada already have: a reasonable opportunity to generate own-source revenues, that can be used to pay for the social and infrastructure costs associated with the unprecedented boom in development that we are now experiencing.
We need additional resources to invest in our people and infrastructure now so we mitigate the impacts of development on our communities. We need to continue to work together to ensure these messages reach Ottawa.
It is a simple fact that what separates the "have" from the "have not" provinces and territories in this country is the ability of any given province or territory to generate its own revenues and pay its own way. We have the great good fortune of being a resource-rich part of Canada, so we have the ability to generate our own resources and become a net contributor to the nation.
There is a strong relationship between the economic self-sufficiency we seek and having the ability to determine our own future. Having one means gaining the other.
For individual residents of the Northwest Territories, self-reliance is just as important on a personal level. Personal independence means making healthy choices, taking responsibility for oneself and one's family, and contributing to the community in which we live.
Fiscal Update
As Members are well aware, we face significant fiscal challenges. While we pursue a new fiscal balance with the federal government, we must also explore other avenues that maximize the resources at hand. We must take a hard look at how we are managing spending in order to ensure operational efficiency wherever possible.
Even at the best of times, governments are in a constant state of change. This is because we are challenged every day, with examining our current circumstances and making the necessary adjustments required to stay on target. Our spending should reflect the priorities that we hold most dear. We face some very tough choices and it is important that we work together to make those choices over the next four years.
Tomorrow, the Honourable Floyd Roland will provide the Members of this House with an update on the budgetary process that we have laid out.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, we are deeply committed to running the business of government in a more open and cooperative manner. I believe the Members of this House share the desire to demonstrate to the rest of Canada consensus government at its best, in spirit and in its actions.
While we intend to run a tight ship, we will also look to make strategic investments that make sense in light of the priorities we collectively establish - as a government, as a Caucus, and as northern leaders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause