This whole process is a classic example of why Northerners have to have control over their own decision-making in this area; regulatory reform and resource development, land and water.
Here we are in this Assembly trying to find out what the federal government’s up to. They haven’t told us clearly. They’ve made some comments about something dramatic that they want to do. We are concerned that they’re going to do things that are not going to be in our best interest as a territory. There’s been some improvement in relationships since the signing of the AIP where now the federal government has acknowledged that we’re in the
process of transferring that responsibility finally to Northerners.
If the Member is content to sit here as a second-class Canadian waiting for the federal government to decide our future, then we will be here for a long time. I don’t think that is what most people want, not listening to the results of Mr. Abernethy’s poll that he took. We are moving on this. This is a classic reason why we want devolution. Members will be kept involved, but at this point we do not control this process. The federal government still has the authority to do something dramatic and we don’t know what that is.