Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to thank the mover and the seconder of the motion for bringing it forward, Mr. Bromley and Mr. Yakeleya. You’ve heard already, and we’re going to hear again, that this is a controversial motion. We’ve already had great debate at committee about it and I think it was a very healthy debate. I appreciate the comments I’ve heard from committee and I appreciate the comments I’ve heard today.

In listening to my colleagues, I get the impression that they think we are debating a federal bill. That’s not what we are doing, Mr. Speaker. We are debating the effects of Bill C-38, a federal bill which was passed in June of this year. So we are now the recipients of the effects of Bill C-38.

I am in support of this motion and I support the motion because I am greatly concerned about the changes in federal environmental legislation that have taken place as a result of Bill C-38. I speak for myself today but I also speak on behalf of my constituents and on behalf of other concerned NWT

residents and organizations. There are many of our residents, Mr. Speaker, who are concerned like me, concerned because of the ramifications of Bill C-38.

As a Member of this Assembly, it’s my duty to give voice to those constituent concerns, to hear what the public is saying and to give it some exposure. We know that Bill C-38 was a very large and all-encompassing bill. One of the concerns I have been hearing from constituents is the lack of consultation on that bill, a bill which will have a big impact on NWT residents and on our environment.

There are many parts of the bill that have been seen as positive by many people across the country and by people across the NWT. I admit there are parts of the bill which are going to be good and those parts of the bill met particularly with approval in the business and the mining and exploration sectors, and some of my colleagues have pointed to the fact that it will be a benefit and I agree.

Mr. Bouchard’s and Mrs. Groenewegen’s constituents will see a better process and hopefully will get their projects moving faster.

So some of the changes will have a positive impact and they will have a positive impact on a regulatory system which is onerous and time consuming, I totally admit that. It’s a system that should be made more simple and more streamlined. The changes in Bill C-38 may do that.

Many of the changes in Bill C-38 will have a large and negative impact on the NWT environment and that’s my concern. They will have an impact on our people, on our land, on our wildlife, on our waters. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act governs the referral of projects for environmental assessments. Through amendments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Bill C-38 puts restrictions on public participation in environmental assessments, narrows the definition of environmental effects, reduces the funding of participants in environmental assessments and increases the involvement of federal Cabinet in decision-making around environmental assessments. Those are not good things, in my mind.

There will be financial implications, as well, as a result of that bill’s passage. That’s been mentioned by Mr. Bromley as well.

We have heard from Mr. Yakeleya about the concerns of the Sahtu because of changes to the Fisheries Act, changes which are a part of Bill C-38.

Streamlining and becoming more efficient are important, Mr. Speaker, but not at any cost and not at the cost of our fisheries.

Some change was needed. The protection of habitat was too broad. Bill C-38 changed the scope of fisheries to too narrow a focus. There will be NWT waters and fish habitats which will now not be

protected and they should be. As an example, the draining of an NWT lake by use by a mining project will no longer be prohibited. Any fish in that lake will not be protected as they have been. Most of our NWT lakes have been deemed to be non-important fisheries and we know that that’s not true.

I believe it’s the responsibility of the NWT government to consider the effects of legislation on our territory and to protect the NWT and its residents from those effects, to communicate territorial concerns to the federal government. That’s what this motion asks for, Mr. Speaker, that the GNWT look after NWT interests with the federal government on behalf of NWT residents.

I know Members are not fully behind this motion. Some think we should stick to territorial issues and business. This is territorial business. The effect of Bill C-38 will be felt in the NWT and on the NWT.

I want to again thank Mr. Bromley and Mr. Yakeleya for bringing this motion to the floor, for providing this opportunity for dialogue on change which will affect us all. I hope my colleagues who are not in support will see the light before the vote comes and that they will support this motion. Thank you.