This is page numbers 5191 - 5226 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was child.

Topics

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to weigh in on the devolution issue that’s been raised by a number of my colleagues here today.

Firstly I’ll say it’s a real shame that it is now posted on the CBC website. I think that’s caused real ripples out there in the community. That being said, some of the aboriginal groups aren’t necessarily pleased. I know I had people looking at it and they’re concerned. People are wondering if it’s the real true document. It’s kind of like negotiating in public here. It’s really the future of the Northwest Territories and I think it’s a real shame that this type of disruption has been put out there.

The question for the Premier really is, now that CBC has done what they have done, whether they legally had the right -- they may have, but they may not have had the moral responsibility to do it -- would the Premier consider the opportunity of maybe putting out a plain language document to help people understand what exactly is happening in this AIP agreement? The fact is, that is technical information and I think it’s caused more confusion and frustration out there, and this may help clear some of this issue up so we can go forward.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would say it is a shame that it has come about in this manner. To think what may have happened if the first land claim was being negotiated and this type of document was put out before the groups had a chance to really look at it and make their decisions on that, we may never have had an agreement. I think that is, in fact, a concern.

More importantly, now that it is out there, we do need to look at how we inform the people of the North of what’s there and clear the air. That’s the confusion that’s been caused. We are looking at

our options of trying to get that out and looking at what we can do.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Again, sort of just to narrow it down a little further to help clarify the confusion out there, I’d like to highlight again my concern, because it does seem insulting to many of the parties that are involved here in a very offensive type of way that it is now out there and the public are running around. It’s an open negotiation and it really shouldn’t be.

The reality here is, it’s there and we have to sort of deal with it. The question really comes down to is a plain language document one of the options that the Premier could conceivably be working on when he says there’s things they could look at.

Again, I’ll say it quite clearly that we’re now negotiating in public so we might as well, quite frankly, tell people what we’re negotiating. That way we can clear up any misnomers that aboriginal groups may lose rights or they won’t lose rights. That type of thing is protected, the type of money, the type of jobs. Like I say, if it’s already out there, let’s make sure it’s in plain language so everyone sees exactly what’s there.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

We will consider what can be done and if that is one of the better ways of clearing the air or if we just continue to respect the process and honour that.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

The only ones that seem to have respect for the process are the Members around this room. I’ve listened to my colleagues very cautiously and asked questions about this, and it’s a shame the agreement is out there. Does the Premier think he could maybe address the situation by the upcoming deadline when they’re looking for feedback from the aboriginal organizations that perhaps at that stage with their agreement? I stress that it is a partnership, as he’s well aware. Perhaps with the parties all in agreement they could work together with the plain language. Although technically it’s a bilateral agreement with the GNWT and Canada, we have to respect our aboriginal partners. Would he consider that option once we’ve got our feedback and some support from the aboriginal groups to go towards the plain language?

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

The issue is of trying to get that information and as we have, right through this process, had full working relationships, technical as well as through the negotiation sessions. Of course, as we’ve pointed out, we’ve had some groups or one group particularly stay away from the negotiations since it’s been picked up again. The work throughout has continued to have that door open and invite all to continue to be part of the process. As we hear back from them, we will consider how we progress forward together.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since someone opened the barn door and let the horses out, I might as well get involved in this debate too.

I’ve had a discussion with the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the vice-president and there has been an olive branch handed out to the Premier to meet with them in Inuvik, where they just happen to be in the Premier’s riding. He has never once gone into the tribal council office to try to sit down and find a resolution to this problem. The letter that was sent to you clearly identified that they wanted to meet and discuss these issues. You have not at any time gone to the tribal council office to meet with the president or the Gwich’in Tribal Council vice-president. How can you sit here...

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Mr. Krutko, could you direct your questions to the Chair, please? Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. How can the Premier sit here and say that he’s working in cooperation with the First Nations government and all the people here? The only people I see him working with is one office that he goes into and he gets them to ask his questions. I’d like to ask him, why you are not involved in the aboriginal leaders who are elected by their membership in a face-to-face meeting, one that requested it in a letter six months ago to which they haven’t gotten a response or even a phone call? Is that the way that you operate?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll have to disagree with the Member, and strongly disagree. The fact is we’ve set up the regional leaders table and the regional leaders come to the table, bring the agenda items to the table, and at their request keep it as an agenda item moving forward. The fact is, and if you want to get out and start to put this out there... And this is the danger, Mr. Speaker, that the Member knows, as I have informed him the other day that, yes, Inuvik is my constituency and that tribal office is in my constituency. I, in fact, during the summer went in there and tried to have some meetings. Now, I won’t say what happened and how come we couldn’t get together, but the fact is I was in that office and tried to get a meeting. So before you start to sling mud, let’s make sure we have all of this before we embarrass other leaders.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

I spoke to the vice-president yesterday. There was a request put in. The letter is

still out there. They’re waiting for a response. If anything, there’s a phone number on the page. All you have to do is pick up the phone and make a phone call. So will you make a phone call to the Gwich’in Tribal Council vice-president or president and start the discussions on this matter, rather than simply put in the people that have made a little bit of waves, push them aside, and only deal with those people you think you can get support from?

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

The record will show that we have tried to work with every regional government in the North. We have given dollars to be at the table, to help with the technical evaluations, to travel to our meetings, to put items on the meeting agenda. In fact, we’ll have another one. We had one at the end of August, a regional leaders meeting in Inuvik, that all the parties were invited to. Unfortunately, sometimes their busy schedules mean they’re unable to make it. On top of that, there are many calls made on the technical side to provide additional information.

We’ll continue to work with all parties to provide the necessary information and the opportunities to sit down. In fact, I was hoping we could address that letter through one of our regional leaders meetings. I’m prepared to sit down with the president at any point, to sit down with him and go over some of these areas and see what their response is, although he’s made it quite clear he’s not willing to go forward on this AIP as it is structured.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

I believe that the six points that are spelled out in the letter basically outline the areas of concern. It’s not only the concern of the Gwich’in, it’s the concern of the other regions in the Northwest Territories that do have land claims. They do have costs and administration systems in place. They do have management regimes that they want to make sure there is a working relationship between whatever government that provides government services regarding land management. I think it’s important that we work with those land claims groups that have land claims settlements, more importantly because they do have responsibilities in the Northwest Territories by way of ownership and management responsibilities. I think it’s critical if any agreement is made here, it should be done with those land claims groups that have those legal obligations spelled out in their agreement. Will the Premier commit to that?

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

As I stated earlier, we have opened the doors to a continued working relationship on this file along with other files where we have continued and shown we’re working in partnership. The Wildlife Act, the Species at Risk Act, the land use plans, the Water Strategy. We’ve had teams going out throughout the Territories and regions to get input and work with us on developing these strategies. This file is the same thing. At the regional leaders table, their technical staff, their

lawyers, their negotiators have been part of the process and are welcome to continue to be a part of the process. In fact, hoping that as we go through this next stage, more importantly that they continue on as we go forward together and iron out a final agreement. One of the things we need to do, and I’ll commit again, we’re ready to sit down and talk even where there may be disagreement.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to get some assurance from the Premier that there will be ongoing discussions with these groups, because we do have influence. We do have land claim agreements. We do have things that talk about the Norman Wells Proven Area Agreement. We do talk about the royalty regime throughout the Mackenzie Valley. In our land claims agreements, because of those things not being a part of this agreement, we have to clarify who we talk to in the future if it’s not going to be part of this agreement-in-principle. I think it’s critical that we cannot leave anything not in the legal binding agreement and leave it in the hands of someone else. I think at the end of the day if the federal government is not going to give up the Norman Wells arrangements to this government, they want to hang onto it, maybe they can also hang onto the lands in the settlement areas that would like to continue that relationship with the federal government.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Again, this AIP that’s before all the partners in the North as well as the federal government spells out an ongoing government-to-government relationship between aboriginal governments and the public government. This agreement-in-principle that’s before us as a government is one that recognizes the aboriginal rights. It does not take away from those. In fact, the language protects those rights in place of existing and future aboriginal governments.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked about getting a winter road into the community of Lutselk’e from Yellowknife. I have questions for the Minister of Transportation. I spoke about low water levels throughout the North and some uncertainty with the barging system. For whatever reason if the barge is unable to get into Lutselk’e to deliver the goods this coming summer, does the Minister have any sort of backup plan in place in case there’s anything wrong with the barges?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, the Member for Tu Nedhe raises a serious issue. We have many communities across the Northwest Territories that are served by winter roads and barging systems. Low water has become an issue for many of these communities, and also the warmer winters are becoming a challenge to service some of the communities in getting the ice bridges and winter roads in place, namely on the Mackenzie/Fort Providence and also in the Tlicho communities.

Mr. Speaker, I point out that if there was a situation, and right now it’s hypothetical, but if there was ever a situation and the barges couldn’t make it into Lutselk'e, that would make it an emergency situation and that would fall under the Department of MACA to take the lead on it and find alternate solutions to get the material or the goods into that community.

Having said that, I would point out that of all the communities that are served by a barging system, the ones on the Mackenzie are probably most at risk. Lutselk'e is probably one of the safer communities because it is on a lake and the lake is quite deep and we don’t expect there will be any challenges in that area. Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, I spoke about the approximately 125 kilometres of road that is usually in place to service the exploration at Thor Lake. I was wondering if the Minister will commit to work with the community and industry to complete the winter road from there to Lutselk'e, which has many benefits to the community: cost of living, stuff that they can’t normally get in unless they are able to fly it, and that’s the community members. Thank you.