Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're having a theme day, as you can tell, on resource revenue sharing. We've been talking about this for a long time. On the plus side, we've got a lot of resources from which to derive revenue in the Northwest Territories. Not every jurisdiction has that, so let's lay that out first and count our blessings. We've got the resources. We have enough resources to make revenue sharing a win-win for everyone: for Canada, for our territory, for aboriginal governments and their aspirations.
My worry, Mr. Speaker, is that we are in an extremely vulnerable situation. We don't have control of our resources, so we don't have control over the development or the agenda of development. What would give the Government of Canada a good reason to want to cut a good deal for northerners? There's only 43,000 of us. Barely a good-sized town by southern standards. We have a vast geography, but we also have vast resources. But we don't have a lot of people. Is there anything about the North or the people that could possibly want to make the Government of Canada be very fair and generous to us? Region by region aboriginal governments with unsettled claims could probably make a good legal argument for a fair deal. In addition to that though I believe that it's the potential strength of a unified effort from the North that could bring about a fair deal from a legal and moral obligation. Right now we're literally and figuratively all over the map though.
Some regions are satisfied with benefits from businesses and employment opportunities from resource development. Some want access and benefits agreements and they're focused on that. Some want ownership in resource development, infrastructure like the pipeline. Some want advancement and use it as leverage on land claims and self-government. Someone needs to show the leadership to bring all of the interests together and with that unified voice stand our ground with the federal government and with industry. If it's not the territorial government's role to bring that voice together, then I respectfully ask whose job is it, and I seriously put that out there, Mr. Speaker.
I know one thing. While we're deciding who speaks for the North, no one speaks for the North, and we, by default, will concede our agenda to the federal government. It's time to show that we understand what's at stake for all of us and future generations of northerners. Time is of the essence. It's not going to get any easier as time goes on. Would someone please stand up and declare it to be their first priority and their full-time job, if necessary, to speak for the North with our best interests at heart? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause