Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to take stock on where we are in our achievement of the principles of consensus government. Last summer we renewed our commitment to consensus government with the approval of the guiding principles for consensus government in the NWT.
On Friday past, the Minister of Finance raised the principles as a foundational document of this government and reminded us of our agreement and dedication to them.
Mr. Speaker, we worked hard as a Caucus to develop these principles, because of serious concerns with the health and integrity of the practice of our consensus government. Some Members had serious concerns that the executive direction of government had descended into a despotic form without respect for including the views and concerns of Regular Members in the decision-making process.
I’d like to quote some of the guiding principles we committed to: “ consensus government is not defined by the absence of party politics. It is defined by the ability and willingness of all Members of the Legislative Assembly to work together with their respective roles for the collective good of the people of the Northwest Territories;” “Open and respectful communication between all Members is the most essential feature of consensus government; except under extraordinary circumstances, Members of the Legislative Assembly should be made aware of and have opportunity to discuss significant announcements, changes and consultations or initiatives before they are released to the public or introduced in the Legislative Assembly.” “Use of the element of surprise is inconsistent with consensus government. The role of the Caucus is fundamental in the effectiveness of consensus government. Caucus provides a venue for all Members to set broad, strategic direction for the Legislative Assembly;” Mr. Speaker, “to discuss matters of widespread importance to the Northwest Territories as they arise;” “the Premier and Cabinet are appointed by the Members of the Legislative Assembly to provide overall leadership and direction in accordance with a broad strategic direction set by the Caucus. Cabinet must have the ability to implement this strategic direction effectively and efficiently but in a way that reflects the concerns of Regular Members and maintains their support.”
I’ve often spoken about the track record of our Executive in consulting Members and seeking their mandate, albeit most frequently concentrating on failure to consult. I have pointed out instances of the leadership attending meetings with other governments and making deals with no mandate from this Assembly. The Premier’s comment two years ago at the northern leaders’ meeting saying a carbon tax would not be considered was an example. I have spoken in criticism of the failure of Ministers to report back on their activities at intergovernmental meetings. On this front, things have improved with the reports from the Ministers of Health and Industry, Tourism and Investment upon their returns from national meetings.
Last week I made a statement in this House on the vital importance of public transparency and the matter of this government’s reaction to the report of the Joint Review Panel on the Mackenzie Gas Project. I directed questions to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in his capacity as lead Minister for the project. I asked this Minister in two sets of oral questions whether this government intended to participate in the consult to modify process of the National Energy Board, which is a first procedural point in making responses to the recommendations of the panel. The Minister went to some length in not answering my question then said he would take the questions as notice.
On Thursday last week, I got an answer to my question when a constituent provided me with a copy of a letter filed to the public registry of the National Energy Board on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories that day under the consult to modify process. The day after, Mr. Speaker, the response was tendered, the lead Minister provided a copy of this document to the Members of the Legislative Assembly. As a Member of the Legislative Assembly, I must learn of my government’s position on critical matters like the JRP process by retrieving that information from the NEB’s public registry.
Mr. Speaker, on the 29th of January, according to
Hansard for that day, I asked the Minister of ENR: “Does the GNWT intend to file a submission with the National Energy Board on or before February 11, 2010, the response to the Joint Review Panel report and recommendations and if so, how will we involve the MLAs and the public in the preparation of this submission?” That’s February 11th . Thank
you. The response, Mr. Speaker, from the honourable Michael Miltenberger was: “Mr. Speaker, I’ll take that question as notice.”
Well, the Minister of ENR would not tell me in this House whether this government would take part in the consult to modify process and before he fulfilled this undertaking to respond to my question, this government filed the response to the consult to modify process two weeks later. On Thursday last, any of my constituents who had read the GNWT letter on the registry would have known more than me, as a Member of this House.
Mr. Speaker, I and some others are Members of both the Standing Committee on Social Programs and the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure. Both the Minister of ITI and the Minister of ENR responsible for the JRP file are aware of these committees’ desire to have input into any response this government makes on the Joint Review Panel report before the response is given. Indeed, in response to my questioning on the 29th of January, the Minister
replied, according to Hansard, “We have committed to work with committees.”
The February 11th response to the JRP report says
that “the NEB should reject recommendation 8-6 from the JRP, which related to the establishment of the greenhouse gas emissions target or a series of targets in connection with the MGP facilities.” On January 29th , in response to questions about the
process the government intended to follow in developing and submitting their responses, the Minister responded: “We know we want it to be clear, comprehensive and be able to stand scrutiny and be shown to have followed due process.”
Well, Mr. Speaker, the situation we have here today speaks to the government’s ability to fulfil its intent. The Minister of ENR is a member of the Special Committee on Climate Change. The committee was set up as a central clearing house for a coordinated government attack on the crucial issue of climate change. I spend a lot of time and effort participating in the work of the Climate Change committee. Greenhouse gas emission targets is the most important item on that committee’s agenda. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we have repeatedly highlighted the need to have input on issues in that committee relevant to their mandate. I consider the failure to do so in this instance clearly the mandate of this committee to be a major failure of this Cabinet.
Mr. Speaker, a couple of short months ago, this government spent in excess of $50,000 to attend the 15th conference of the parties in Copenhagen
because of our concern about the change in climate and the cost of potential devastation it is causing or will cause both here in the North and globally. The Premier, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources and three Regular MLAs, which I was one, returned espousing our commitment to take this on, to take the responsible lead given the ongoing absence of any federal leadership whatsoever. Indeed, we said sub-national governments like ours will save the day. Yet when I look at the government’s published response to such issues with respect to the Mackenzie Gas Project, we are recommending that we reject rather than strengthen the recommendation that attempts to ensure management of emissions. The government sweepingly rejects rather than strengthens attempts to manage future impacts resulting from the basin opening nature of this process, those aspects that ensure the project could go forward as sustainable development. This government has formally rejected a JRP recommendation on greenhouse gas targets and Regular Members have to read about it in a public registry.
Let me highlight those guiding principles for consensus government once more. “The opportunity for all Members to have meaningful input in important decisions is fundamental.” “Except under extraordinary circumstances, Members should be made aware of and have opportunity to discuss significant announcements.”
“Caucus is fundamental to the effectiveness of consensus government discuss matters of widespread importance to the Northwest Territories as they arise.”