This is page numbers 5493 - 5530 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 territories.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government has worked alongside of aboriginal groups when it comes to the Protected Areas Strategy, the interim measures agreements that are put in place and working towards bringing those to successful conclusion. It came as quite a surprise, a shock, that it was announced that the measures were being withdrawn and, in fact, it was shortly after that that the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger, was directed to write a letter to the Minister of INAC in the response and concern to extend that agreement so that it would remain in place. Thank you.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, the Dehcho First Nations felt that our government did not speak on behalf of the residents of our constituency and

demanded that kind of action. Can the Minister provide me a copy of that letter? I would like to see the content, because that is something that is of benefit of all the people of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Mr. Speaker, as soon as this news came out, we were on the situation and a letter was drafted and then sent in. We will be able to share that with Members. Thank you.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, the Dehcho First Nations are looking for that kind of action by our government to stand behind them on this one particular issue. It is a win-win situation, because all the stakeholders are looking for this type of action by our government. What can the Premier do? What other actions can he take in order to get the federal government to change their Order-in-Council? Thank you.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Mr. Speaker, I think this is a prime example of what happens when the authorities for decisions of land and environment and resources are made in other capitals across this country and being the capital of Canada. This is a prime example of what happens when you don’t have authority to make decisions. In fact, through this process for 12 years, the GNWT has been working alongside our aboriginal partners. In fact, it put resources on the table to help with these areas. Again, it came as quite a surprise to us that the announcement was made that they are withdrawing from them. The letter has gone in to ask them to extend it.

For going forward with this letter, like in many files, we write these letters. We make phone calls and we ask for meetings to urge a resolution in favour of people of the Northwest Territories, but then we are ultimately waiting for a decision to be made by the so-called other authority in this land. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Dehcho First Nations’ position is that they are looking for more leadership by our government. Is there more that they can do? I know that the Minister of ENR did send a letter, but can our government speak out loud, take a Cabinet position and advise Ottawa that the Edhezhie issue is important on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the people and the Dehcho people? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Mr. Speaker, as we heard the information, the letter went in is a Cabinet position, that in fact this agreement should have been extended as it was originally laid out as there was much work that was done and a number of these files are close to bringing to conclusion. We have taken a position on this. In fact, the opportunity is there. I don’t know if the grand chief

of the Dehcho will be one of the partners at the table. I will happily talk to him about the process and the letter that has gone and carry that message forward as well. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Time for question period has expired. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Tim Mercer Clerk Of The House

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Tom Beaulieu on October 15, 2010, regarding core need breakdown for housing.

Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table:

Senior Households in Core Need by

Community, 2009

Core Need for Single Member Households

(Less than 60 Years of Age), 2009

Core Need by Size of Household, 2009

With respect to the request for information on core need among couples, it should be noted that the questionnaire format used in the survey combined two and three-person households, therefore, it is not possible to distinguish couples and families.

The methodology used in the 2009 NWT Community Survey has been reviewed by CMHC and is viewed to be highly valid. However, as the survey utilized random sampling in larger communities, and given the small sample sizes in the smallest communities, data provided on seniors for certain communities should be used and interpreted with some caution given the sample variance. These communities are denoted with an asterisk in the document Senior Households in Core Need by Community, 2009.

The NWTHC continues to work with the Bureau of Statics and the Department of Executive to further refine our methodology for future collection of housing data in the Northwest Territories

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tim Mercer Clerk Of The House

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Krutko on October 25, 2010, regarding cost of devolution negotiations.

The Member had three parts to his written question and I shall answer each part individually.

1. What is the total cost of the negotiations?

The total cost of the work of the Office of Devolution over the last nine years has been approximately

$8.2 million. It is important to note that this total includes the funds paid to regional aboriginal governments and the Aboriginal Summit. It is also important to note that the Office of Devolution has had a broader scope of work, most recently being involved in regulatory improvement initiatives including the release of the GNWT’s Approach to Regulatory Improvement.

2. What is the cost for the work of the chief

negotiator?

Over the past nine years, the total cost of the GNWT chief negotiator’s contract with regard to negotiations at all tables (Main Table and bilateral negotiations with Finance Canada) has totalled $655,000.

3. What is the cost of third parties involved in

negotiations?

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time later today I will be tabling a spreadsheet which shows that the GNWT has provided approximately $3.9 million to both the Aboriginal Summit, initially through the Intergovernmental Forum, and then directly to participating regional aboriginal governments to help support and offset their costs of preparation for and participation in devolution-related activities.

It should be noted that the federal government provided an equivalent amount of funding to participating regional aboriginal governments during this same period.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 11, replies to opening address. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 8 on the Order Paper.

---Unanimous consent granted

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources. Yesterday the Minister came out with a Minister’s statement indicating, or outlining the caribou numbers in the Northwest Territories, and in those numbers there was an indication that the Bluenose caribou herd seems to be rebuilding a little bit, to the point where our number is at about 98,000 caribou. I’m sure the Minister won’t be surprised to hear that when I got

to work this morning I had a number of e-mails from outfitters who indicated that there are at least three outfitting organizations located out of Yellowknife who primarily hunt the Bluenose caribou herd. So they’re wondering what processes are in place to talk about giving those outfitters some tags so that they can have a season for 2011. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Wek’eezhii Renewable Resources Board came out with their report and recommendations, which we’re responding to, and they were very clear in terms of what they’re recommending in terms of harvesting and who should harvest and how much should be harvested out of the Bathurst. They made a reference as well to the Bluenose-East. So the new numbers, I’m sure, will be considered by the Wek’eezhii Renewable Resources Board, but at this point, those recommendations are being reviewed and will be responded to by the territorial government, as well as the Tlicho Government, and we’ll have that done by December. So at this juncture, given the processes that we’re involved in and the authorities that are there with the Tlicho Government and their regulatory process, I anticipate this will take some time over the course of this winter.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I thank the Minister for that response. In light of these numbers that have now come out, I think some of these outfitters who can demonstrate that they primarily hunt the Bluenose... I mean, there’s certainly an opportunity here for discussion, and my question was more specific to what is the process that these outfitters who primarily hunt the Bluenose caribou, what’s the process that they can use to go back to the review board, the Wek’eezhii, to see if there are any opportunities for these particular outfitters to get some tags so that we can start to rebuild this industry, which, for all intents and purposes, is now currently dead. Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

We have a process that has just barely run its course and we’re still in the process of reviewing the recommendations from the Wek’eezhii Renewable Resources Board. The new numbers will be revisited by the board as it’s being revisited by Environment and Natural Resources as well as the Tlicho Government. Whether it will have any impact on any recommendation changes, it’s too early to say. Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Given the numbers, there certainly appears to be an opportunity here to help this industry and I suppose I could ask the Minister for ITI, but since I’m asking the Minister for ENR I’m

wondering if he could tell us if they’d be willing to provide some sort of support to the outfitters who are primarily hunting the Bluenose. This is a lot of money in the Northwest Territories that has disappeared and if these numbers are solid again, why would we not stand behind this industry or help them out?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

I think it’s too early to say the worst is over. We have one herd that has shown something of a rebound. The other herds have plummeted and have bottomed out. Some big ones we’re still not sure what happened to them and we’re waiting to see what’s happened with the Porcupine. There has been some stabilization we think because of the measures that have been wisely taken by the co-management boards and the territorial government.

The issue of compensation has been, I believe, asked and answered a number of times by the Minister of ITI. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good response. I’m not sure it was a response to the question that I was asking. The outfitters primarily take very small numbers and they primarily take adult males, which has a smaller impact on the decline. So my question is: Given what the outfitters take, given the money that comes in, can we count on this Cabinet and this Minister to find a way to support this industry and if the Bluenose numbers are solid, as indicated yesterday, why would we not stand behind this industry? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

What we’re standing behind first and foremost, of course, is the protection of the caribou herds across the Northwest Territories and we’ve had to make very many difficult decisions as we’ve dealt with a significant, often precipitous decline of the herds. So there’s a process. It takes time, as the Member is well aware.

In this part of the country, the Wek’eezhii Board has a very clear, mandated role to play. There’s overlap into the Sahtu with the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board and the co-management boards as well as up into the Inuvialuit, there’s involvement by the Dehcho. Also the herd is used sometimes from the Northwest Territories Metis. So we have a very complex area and there’s been some very clear direction given through a process that has taken a significant amount of time to complete and we have to respond to that. Our current system is clear; the decisions have been made and if they’re going to be revisited, that’s a process that’s going to take some time, keeping in mind that the numbers are, for all intents and purposes, hot off the presses. Is it going to be an ongoing trend or is it just a blip up? I mean, we have to assess all those things before we make any changes and that

would have to be done through the full process that we’re all a part of. Thank you.