Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This motion and the request by Members to establish a commission in this area has been one that, personally, I see as problematic. As a Cabinet we’ve looked at this, a decision was made, we went to Members, and we got agreement from a majority of Members to proceed. The agreement-in-principle has been signed. There was already some main table discussions held. More discussions will be held after the election. Every meeting we’ve had
we’ve updated all Aboriginal regions. As I said earlier today, the table is open. The door to the table is open. The seats are there.
The request to say Aboriginal participation needs to be held is there if they choose to be a part of it. Clearly, as we’ve heard throughout the decades, the wish of the people overall of taking control and moving forward, we need to be clear. The Member has raised a number of things that we need to be clear on and used this venue to speak to this because, for example, Mr. Menicoche spoke to the Aboriginal commissions doing somewhat the work of a public inquiry. That is different than let’s talk about how we work together in that process.
Earlier today Mr. Beaulieu said similar words that Dene groups feel like they’re outside looking in, and again I say the door is open to not be on the outside but be on the inside. In fact, the budget has addressed this to move it forward. The issue of the protocol and the work and the need to look at it, that work was set out to establish a working relationship but instead turned into negotiation discussions. Do not sign the AIP until we negotiate resource revenue sharing, government-to-government relationship, and look at doing work on the Constitution. Those are all part of the agreement-in-principle.
The Norman Wells oilfield? We agreed with Aboriginal groups that it should be a part of the discussions. The federal government disagrees. We say there’s an avenue to negotiate that in the process coming forward. The fact that out of the Norman Wells oilfield and any other development of the North, settled claims are benefitting from the royalties already. Even those in unsettled areas have agreements with Canada that some of the royalties are flowing to them for development. So they’re benefitting from that.
As we look at these things and the questions being brought up and the request to establish a commission to review the mandate to begin again in this process, the seats are there. We need the leadership to decide to be a part of it. Nobody is keeping them out of the room but themselves. The opportunity is to come in, be a part of it. There are funds to help you be a part of it.
Chapters 5 and 6 are there by the work in the AIP with the involvement of the Aboriginal groups at the table. That strengthens that relationship. That talk about working together between settlement lands and public lands. We’re talking about moving the decision of public lands, Crown lands that the federal government and their staff make right now to public lands in the Northwest Territories where we would have our staff, and Members of this Assembly can direct how that staff works for the benefit of those people in the Northwest Territories.
Our position is one where we’ve gone and made a decision, sought the input of Members, and had
that agreement by the majority moved forward, as I saw it, have signed that agreement and are working forward, and will include even those who have not signed continue to get the full updates of the discussion and the issues taking place at the table. As we’ve done through this process, because it’s recommending to the government, we will be abstaining from the vote.