Mr. Speaker, the legislation is clear. Under advisement of the Cabinet, the Minister can pose a question to the Supreme Court. This is not challenging aboriginal leadership in the Northwest Territories. This is going to provide final clarification on who has authority. That is not taken lightly, because when you have your own Members of the Legislative Assembly raising issue of whose authority, that definitely needs to be cleared up. So we have provided that avenue. The courts have their own process now which will seek input from all of the people that they feel is necessary across the Northwest Territories. There will be ample opportunity for them to do their work and answer the question that we have posed. Clearly, Mr. Speaker, there is risk of doing this, in a sense, from the Government of the Northwest Territories itself, because if the question comes back and it clarifies that, indeed, the GNWT was not on the same ground that we believe we were, then we will have to change our policies forward from here. So I think, Mr. Speaker, this is not a challenge to leadership. This is setting for the record in clarifying who actually has that authority so that this is not a question that has to come up in debate and further debate in the future. Thank you.
Floyd Roland on Question 296-16(4): Caribou Conservation Measures
In the Legislative Assembly on February 10th, 2010. See this statement in context.
Question 296-16(4): Caribou Conservation Measures
Oral Questions (Reversion)
February 9th, 2010
Inuvik Boot Lake
See context to find out what was said next.