Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank Member Bromley for raising this motion and bringing it to the floor, and colleagues for allowing us to again speak on this motion.

I have 10 things that Aboriginal people should know about the federal omnibus budget implementation legislation. As I read the legislation, looked over the two bills, I see that there is a tsunami wave of changes coming to the North and there’s some big question marks for the Northwest Territories, because we have not yet seen Canada’s changes to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the Northwest Territories Waters Act, but we keep hearing they’re coming. Changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, which is an act that applies to the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and to the national parks and to other federal laws, such as the National Energy Board Act, gives us an idea where Canada may be going and where our path may be carved out for us to follow.

Environmental assessments, point two. Public participation in the pipeline hearings and some environmental processes will be restricted to “interested parties.” “Interested parties” is defined as a person “directly affected by the project or having relevant information or expertise in the opinion of responsible authority or review panels.” As people from this land, our belief has always been that we are connected just as the Mackenzie River, which flows throughout the Northwest Territories.

Point three. There are new timelines for the project review. The National Energy Board pipeline reviews must be completed within 15 months. The environmental assessment conducted by independent panels must be completed within two years. These timelines will apply whether or not all concerns average people have in their say. Again, this process runs contrary to the beliefs of the Aboriginal people. When the time is right, the people are ready and we are set to go.

Point four, Fisheries Act. The Fisheries Act used to prohibit any work or undertaking that resulted in harmful alteration or disruption of fish habitat. With the Bill C-38 changes, the act now only applies as to where there is serious harm and where the fish harmed contributes to commercial, recreation or Aboriginal fisheries. Serious harm is defined as the death of a fish or any permanent alteration to or destruction of a fish habitat. This is a very high standard to meet. It essentially says most harm to fish and fish habitat is okay now, even if we’re not sure of the consequences. Are we prepared to lead our people knowing this?

Point five, the changes to the Fisheries Act also meet gaps in the system in the Northwest Territories. Unlike the provinces, we do not have our own fisheries regulations. We also do not have the financial resources to start up our own monitoring program. How will we fill these gaps?

Point six, there are new definitions of Aboriginal fisheries that are not very clear. Although our rights

are protected under the Constitution Act, the act creates a lot of confusion for fisheries, for fishery officers and Aboriginal people.

Point seven, Species at Risk Act. Canada’s Species at Risk Act says the federal regulatory authorities have to consider to try to minimize impacts on species at risk critical habitat before granting permits and licences for activities. With Bill C-38, the National Energy Board is now exempted from considering species at risk critical habitat when it reviews pipeline applications. Yet we know the pipeline can certainly affect the critical habitat or species like the caribou.

Point eight, the Species at Risk Act used to have time limits on permits for projects that affect species at risk and their habitat. This was a way of making sure that there was a check every few years at least. With the new legislation, those permits can now be open-ended.

Point nine, Navigable Waters Act. The Navigable Waters Act used to protect all of our lakes and rivers. With Bill C-45 there is now only federal protection for navigation on the Mackenzie River, Great Slave Lake and Great Bear Lake.

Point 10, the most important thing that people should know is that the federal government made these changes without consulting with the Aboriginal people. Did they get our consent?

In conclusion for this very important motion, I think it’s to gather people from each region, come together and strategically talk about the changes that happened in the past and the changes that are happening now, and come back and come to a full-blown conference for the people of the Northwest Territories, and look at some of the changes that are going to impact the people of the Northwest Territories.

I thank Mr. Bromley again for bringing this motion forward and our colleagues for allowing us to speak on it today. Thank you.