Mr. Speaker, I wish to report on progress made in advancing issues of importance to the Northwest Territories at federal/provincial/territorial meetings.
A First Ministers meeting was held on January 30th in Ottawa. I provided the Members of this House with a written summary of that meeting noting that there was general agreement by Premiers and the Prime Minister that the issue of sustainability of our national health system is a priority. The Prime Minister confirmed the $2 billion one-time funding commitment of the previous government to provinces and territories for health care. This will mean an additional $2.6 million for the Northwest Territories. The Prime Minister agreed to convene another First Ministers meeting this summer to tackle the issue of health care reform. We will also be exploring a collaborative national approach to the enhancement of public health capacity, especially in light of the global outbreaks of infectious diseases.
In follow-up to the First Ministers meeting, federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Pettigrew is seeking input from the provinces and territories to shape Canada/U.S. relations. Minister Pettigrew has called for a meeting with his provincial/territorial counterparts on March 19th.
I will be absent from the House on that day to attend this important meeting. The GNWT has a number of specific issues that we want to address at this meeting, including issues surrounding continental energy, ballistic missile defence and northern foreign policy.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to progress made at the First Ministers meeting, the GNWT is participating in the newly-formed Council of the Federation. The Council of the Federation is a unique intergovernmental relations forum because it was formed out of a desire by the provinces and territories to find areas of common interest and strength to facilitate our discussions with the Government of Canada.
At the Council of the Federation meeting February 23rd and 24th in Vancouver, I was very pleased to see that the issues and agenda items of concern to the Northwest Territories were given attention and support by my fellow Premiers.
Premiers called upon the Prime Minister to include the $2 billion health supplement in base funding for 2004-2005, in the March 23rd federal budget. We reiterated the January 2003 plan to create a solid financial footing for health care in Canada and called on the federal government to provide sufficient funds to increase the federal share of provincial/territorial health and social program spending to 25 percent by 2009-2010. To that end, we agreed to launch a pre-budget campaign of television and print advertising to run March 8th to 17th, which generated over 270 media stories nationwide in the first few days.
The council also directed provincial and territorial Health and Finance Ministers to identify opportunities and challenges relating to health care reform and sustainability, including the important and unique challenges faced by rural and remote communities.
Mr. Speaker, the communiqu‚ arising from the Council of the Federation meeting contained an important quote, which I would like to repeat in full. It said:
"Premiers reiterated that concluding fair devolution and resource revenue sharing agreements with northern governments will remove significant barriers to improved federal/provincial/territorial relations. A fair deal on devolution and resource revenue sharing will give northern governments what other jurisdictions in Canada already have - the authority to generate own-source revenues and control the scope and pace of resource development."
The value of this unequivocal national support for the NWT's struggle to conclude fair devolution and resource revenue sharing agreements, to at last be "masters in our own homelands," and to achieve the status of equal partners at federal/provincial/territorial tables cannot be underestimated.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that we also succeeded in having a most important and pressing issue for the Northwest Territories specifically addressed as a priority in the Premiers' follow-up letter of February 24th to the Prime Minister with the statement:
"The federal Finance Minister has also not fully addressed Canada's commitment to the three territorial premiers to deal with the inadequacies in the per capita funding formula. We strongly recommend that meaningful action be taken."
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to express appreciation to all the Premiers on behalf of this Assembly for their continued understanding and much-needed support, which was in evidence at the Council of
the Federation meeting. I look forward to the next meeting of the Council of the Federation on July 28 to 30, 2004, as a further opportunity to advance the NWT's interests and collaboration on national issues of concern to the people of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough the importance of intergovernmental meetings in advancing territorial interests on the national stage. As a government, we are committed to building a strong voice at such national tables on behalf of the NWT and its people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause