This is page numbers 6651 - 6686 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 6th 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 report.

Topics

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Premier and are in regard to my Member’s statement. It’s a crying shame that in this day and age we can’t sit down with our Aboriginal partners and come to an arrangement on the devolution talks. As I mentioned, this was an issue during the federal election and I believe it will be an issue during the territorial election. The Aboriginal assembly is coming up this summer. I’d like to ask the Premier if it’s possible to look at some mechanisms we can use to try to bring the parties to the table and try to find a mediation or mitigation to resolve this issue. Either go through arbitration or mediation to resolve this issue. My question is: what is the Premier doing to advance talks on devolution with the Gwich’in and other Dene governments, and trying to find a solution to our bypass?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are working to continue to try to improve the outlook as to Aboriginal participation in the agreement-in-principle stage. Since signing the agreement, we have corresponded with all of the leaders to have them come back to the table. I have also corresponded with them in that same communication about going into their region and communities to go over the agreement-in-principle, much like we did up in the Sahtu when we met with the community representatives of Deline, Tulita and Norman Wells. We’re awaiting the next response as to another meeting. I’ve just received correspondence from the Akaitcho that they would like me to be at their Assembly this summer to discuss a number of items. I hope at that point we’ll be able to address the issue of the agreement-in-principle.

The door is open. We have communicated. It’s pretty hard to have additional communications if there’s no response to that offer of meetings. We continue to have it out there. We continue to be open to requests to come into communities to go over that. One of the things we’re doing over and above that is the letter that will be going out soon

on the work plan and inform all the groups of where we’re at, at that stage.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

One of the issues that the Dene leadership have issue with is why does the federal government still retain one-third of the Norman Wells oilfield in which the Dene-Metis claim clearly identifies the Norman Wells Proven Area as their land claim package.

The other area of contention is this 5 percent cap that’s in place. I’d like to ask the Premier what areas the government is willing to push to improve the devolution package that would satisfy the concerns of the Dene governments.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

On a couple of items that the Member has mentioned, he would be familiar since he was one of the negotiators both at the Gwich’in table and the Sahtu table that looked at that one-third ownership of the federal government in the Norman Wells oilfield. In fact, it was the Sahtu that agreed with an out-of-court settlement on that one-third ownership that has sort of set the stage for us.

We have continued, even in the initial discussions around Norman Wells, that that should be a part of the package. We continue to push that forward and would do so during the negotiations phase.

As for the 5 percent cap, let’s be really clear here, the 5 percent cap is not a piece of the agreement-in-principle. In fact, the 5 percent cap is involved in the formula financing big picture. All jurisdictions face some form of a cap.

The three territories are treated somewhat differently in trying to mirror the cap on equalization. That formula financing agreement is up for renewal every five years and we continue to address that through those discussions.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

My question is: what will the Premier do to ensure that the government meets the obligations as set out in land claim agreements and ongoing negotiations on devolution?

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Right from the earliest days of the first discussions between the Government of the Northwest Territories, the federal government and Aboriginal parties that established working relationships through the Aboriginal Summit and through the Intergovernmental Working Forum, through providing resources and dollars and people to help repair, in fact, I would say the agreement-in-principle is an example of those type of resources. That document was improved by Section 6 of the agreement that would put a government-to-government relationship and how we work together going forward in these matters. The language throughout the agreement talks about protecting the rights that are already established, that this agreement cannot take away from that.

We recognize that in a number of these areas in the claims there needs to be discussions. We’re open, we’ve offered, and we’ve asked them to be a part of the working groups and negotiations as we go forward. We cannot make them come to the table. Their choice. In fact, when you look at the signatories, it was at those tables that it was felt that the Aboriginal groups wanted a different process of signing the agreement and not to be as it came forward between the GNWT and the federal government. That was accepted and has gone forward on that basis. That’s also why we’ve included the additional process of having the parties come to the table throughout this process. It wasn’t a matter of you have to sign it to start it and you’re always out. The fact is, the door is open to come to the table.

I hope when we send out the correspondence on the work plan and they see the work being done, that will encourage them to come to the table and influence those discussions.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the last point that the Premier mentioned, the work plan, apparently you have only two Aboriginal groups developing a work plan, which you have six groups outside the table who have to follow a work plan developed by two groups that are going to have an impact on their region. I would like to ask the Premier how you explain the lack of Dene participation in the Devolution Agreement to the other parties and to other Canadians.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

The process we have used has been open. It has been inviting to ask the groups to be a part of this. The two groups that are involved in this have signed the agreement-in-principle, and by signing that agreement-in-principle have taken their spot at the table. The table and chairs are waiting for the other groups to sign up to come in and affect those discussions.

Again, the door is open, the invite is there, and resources would be made available. In fact, this Assembly discussed the resources we require within Executive to help them in preparations for negotiations. So we’ve made offers, both formal in the sense of being at the table and resources that would help them in preparations for negotiations.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the issue of dust in the communities of Tu Nedhe. I’m going to ask the Minister of MACA some questions on that. Does

the Minister of MACA have data or information on the hazards of breathing in dust?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I don’t have that data but I’ll try and gather it and have a look at it.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

I can say that there are a lot of hazards to breathing in dust. I’ll just ask the Minister another question in relation to the dust. Will the Minister of MACA direct his staff to engage the Community of Lutselk’e in developing the project to apply dust suppression on the roads within the community?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

With the community’s invitation, we’d be glad to go in there and provide them with some technical advice and assist them in seeing how they can best budget their money for applying dust suppressant.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Seeing that the Department of Transportation, I believe, has probably the greatest amount of expertise in this area, would the Minister ask for DOT, technical support in determining exactly what is needed to complete a dust suppression project in Lutselk’e?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

We’d be glad to have discussions with DOT and take advantage of the expertise that they have. Along with MACA, we’ll work with the communities and see how they can best apply it to their roads.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will MACA staff play a lead role in completing the dust suppression project in Lutselk’e?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

We’ll play a secondary role and the Community of Lutselk’e will play the lead role as they have the funding to allocate to applying dust suppressant to their road. We’ll be more than happy to work with the community and identify the best ways possible to make sure they get their roads done.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Human Resources questions on the Member’s statement I spoke about earlier in the day. The question was raised in the House last week, Mr. Speaker, and I’d just like a current update about the number of summer students hired to date as compared to last year. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Minister of Human Resources

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories has a commitment to building a strong northern workforce and also fulfilling its strategy to maximize northern employment. As such, we have summer student hiring as an important priority. On average over the past eight years we’ve hired about 315 summer students. Last year we hired 263 students. This year we’re hoping to meet our objective of 263. To date we’ve hired 82 summer students and have 42 job offers out there for a total of 124. Thank you.