This is page numbers 2827 – 2862 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 4th 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 devolution.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. To the motion. Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to start off by thanking the Premier for bringing this motion forward and Mrs. Groenewegen for seconding the motion, bringing her five terms and tons of corporate history and knowledge to the table. I’d also like to thank the devolution team and all of our Aboriginal government partners – the Inuvialuit, the Gwich’in, the Sahtu, the Tlicho and the Metis – for all the good work and important work that they’ve done in bringing this agreement to our table and to our forum here today. I also look forward to working with all of our Aboriginal partners as we move forward, including the Akaitcho and the Dehcho.

The days when territorial matters are decided by federal politicians and federal public servants should be long over. Northern residents now have what matters to them and Northerners should be making the decisions about what happens in our own territory.

Like many of my colleagues, I was born and raised in the Northwest Territories. As a lifelong Northerner and Minister of Human Resources, I know firsthand that we have the talented and educated people we need to manage our new responsibilities and deliver the programs and services that we are taking on. We don’t need somebody else making our decisions for us. Northerners can do this for ourselves, and I do mean ourselves. I’m not referring to some anonymous or faceless “us” outside of the Northwest Territories.

It is this Legislative Assembly that will be passing legislation, establishing the direction that will guide

decisions about land and resources after devolution. It is you and I and all the Members here. We and future Members of this Legislature are the face of devolution, and we are the ones that will be held to account for those decisions by the people who put us here.

Devolution will help us fulfill the vision that we set for ourselves at the start of this Assembly. By voting to sign this agreement, we are giving future Legislative Assemblies access to resource revenues that can be used for northern priorities instead of sending the money straight to Ottawa, or we could be investing in our people, our environment and our economy. The departments I’m responsible for are already at work planning for a smooth and orderly transition from federal to territorial responsibility, should the House support this motion.

The Department of Human Resources is engaged in organizational design and other work to welcome federal employees into our nationally recognized public service. These incredibly talented and dedicated federal employees who are passionate about the Northwest Territories, those of them that live here in the Northwest Territories, will now be able to go down the hall and talk to other Northerners who are as passionate about this territory and who are the decision-makers, as opposed to having to communicate with Ottawa, with individuals who have never been here and certainly don’t have the same type of intimate knowledge or passion for the territory that the federal employees who live here now do.

We value the knowledge and experience of these federal employees and look forward to having as many of them as possible joining us. We will make job offers to the impacted federal employees in the NWT who work in transferring programs. There will also be new positions created to replace work being done in Ottawa. This will create new job opportunities not only in Yellowknife but also in the communities, and decentralization is one of our major planning considerations. The GNWT will adopt about 27 acts of regulations on the transfer date, should this motion be supported and passed.

The Department of Justice will prepare the many pieces of the legislation we will need to ensure a smooth transition of legal authority, existing rights and program delivery. After the transfer date, the GNWT will be able to change the legislation, if needed, to make sure it reflects northern values and priorities.

I have hosted a number of meetings to talk about devolution. My constituents have been heard. Overwhelmingly, the people of the Northwest Territories express their support for moving decision-making about public lands and resources closer to home. But devolution will come with its own challenges and there may be some growing

pains, but we and our residents are ready, willing and able.

I look forward to voting yes on this motion. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. To the motion, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, today I’m happy for the people here. Since I have been a kid, I’ve been brought up on the land. The federal government has been our boss, the way we trap, the way we hunt, the way we survive on the land, the animals we kill. If we should shoot a moose or something, we were on the tagging system before. It’s a long way we’ve gone from those days.

We people sitting here, with the agreement that we are signing today, the people who are going to be sitting here after we are here, are going to be the boss of themselves. Right now the federal government is running business for us. There are people in Toronto, there are about 10,000 of them who all come together and they are the ones who talk for us. They are the boss of us from over there. Who’s drilling, mineral exploration, looking for oil, these are the people who are our bosses.

Today, with the agreement we’ve made, we people from the cold here, from the North, we live together and we should be the boss of our own resources and the water. It wasn’t like that before. Should a job come up, it’s usually the people who come from the South to take over our jobs. The way the people are living here and the money that is here, the opportunities that we offer here, exploration for minerals, oil and gas exploration, it’s the people from the South who are running it. But today, by signing this agreement, some of the revenues will be coming to us here. With that money, we will work for the people. It’s not much money right now. The smaller communities, it’s not enough for everybody in the smaller communities, but there’s not that much work in the small communities. So we should be working. It’s hard to buy stuff. The federal government is taking care of everything for us and it’s not that much money that we are operating with.

Now, the federal government, with the money that is going to be handed to us upon the final agreement, working with the small communities, would probably benefit from it through jobs. Right now, it’s the people from down south who are running our business for us, the land, the water. We can’t have that anymore. Once we sign the agreement, by the way we are…for the numbers here, we will be talking for the people from inside here. We will be making our own decisions and people from the South will not be making those decisions for us. [Translation ends]

…I am contemplating here today because I believe control for resources and the regulatory regime that surrounds the resources, the extraction of non-renewable resources, should be in the hands of the people of the Northwest Territories. I think the water is a real major issue. The control of the water is something that will come to the Territories under this deal and that is essential. The control of the land, the decision-making on the renewable resources, the resource development that will come over. There will be a regulatory review that the government is going to retain control of in five years, and at that time, there’s a possibility that some or all of the regulatory process will move into the hands of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

I think this agreement is positive for employment across the territory. I think decentralization is a big part of devolution, and I think that all of the wages and individuals coming to work here in the Northwest Territories, whether they be in Yellowknife, the regional centres or the small communities, will be better than having those people working in Ottawa making those decisions. Just the multiplier effect of having the money spent in the Northwest Territories and the wages paid, that alone will benefit the people of the Northwest Territories. Infrastructure spending is going to benefit people of the Northwest Territories. We haven’t made a final decision on how we will spend our resource revenues from this agreement, should this agreement be finalized, but either way, it will benefit people immediately or it will benefit people of the Northwest Territories in the future. I support this motion.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. I’d like to now cease debate on the motion and allow the mover to make his closing remarks. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Members, for your comments here today. It is clear that each of us cares deeply about the future of this territory.

We have a chance to make history here. For all my life, critical decisions about what happens in this territory have been made by the federal government. When I was born in Fort Providence, the Territorial Council, the forerunner to this Legislative Assembly, was still based in Ottawa, and included five appointed Members and only three elected representatives.

Times have changed. There are 19 of us now, responsible for our own budget of approximately $1.5 billion. We direct a territorial civil service that administers a broad range of programs and services for our residents in communities across the Northwest Territories. We have a permanent home of our own here in this building where any Northwest Territories resident can come and see

their government in action. The Commissioner is no longer directly involved in our decisions. We now answer, instead, to the people of the Northwest Territories who elected us to represent their best interests and make decisions on their behalf.

Change and evolution have been a hallmark of this government ever since it came north in 1967. We have steadily taken on responsibility for the programs and services that Canada delivered here, programs and services that provinces were already managing for themselves and their people. Responsibility for public lands and resources is one of the last remaining provincial responsibilities that we do not have in the Northwest Territories. It is time for that to change. Decisions about our land, water and resources need to be made here, in the Northwest Territories, by Northwest Territories residents. We can make that happen with a yes vote on today’s motion.

This Assembly has a vision of a strong, prosperous and sustainable territory. Devolution is the path to that future. Responsibility for our lands and resources is the key to unlocking the economic potential that will provide opportunities to all our residents. It will give Northerners, the people who live here and know the land the best, the authority and tools to manage development and protect our environment. It will create a new era of prosperity that will ensure the social needs of our people are met.

Why is this agreement important? It is important because it gives us control over our own natural resources. It gives us control over resource royalties. It allows us to expand our taxation base which, in turn, makes us more able to be responsible and accountable to the needs and desires of our people. It makes us less dependent on bureaucrats in Ottawa, and it empowers our elected government to govern this territory.

What will devolution give the people of the Northwest Territories and their government? Devolution will bring greater decision-making power. Northwest Territories residents will have a greater voice in decisions about how public land, water and resources are managed, how the economy is developed, and how the environment is protected. It will bring new government revenues. The Northwest Territories, just like the provinces and Yukon, will keep a share of the revenues collected from resource development on public land. This money can be used to support public services, grow the economy, and invest in infrastructure projects that improve life in all our communities. A portion of these revenues will also go to Aboriginal governments to help them grow, build capacity, and meet community needs.

Devolution will provide for coordinated land stewardship. As part of this devolution, our government and participating Aboriginal

governments have agreed to work together on land management and natural resource stewardship. We will also continue to work with the Akaitcho First Nations and Dehcho First Nations with or without devolution.

This means decisions about development and environmental protection will better reflect northern needs and priorities across the territory. It will mean more responsive resource management. We will adopt about 27 federal acts and regulations on the transfer date. There will be a smooth transition of legal authority, existing rights and program delivery. Public services will continue. After the transfer date, our government will be able to change the legislation, if needed, to make sure it reflects northern values and priorities. We will work with Aboriginal governments, regulatory boards, industry and other stakeholders to help ensure government processes provide the efficiency, transparency and certainty to support renewed investment.

Devolution will mean jobs for our people and new opportunities for Northwest Territories businesses. New jobs will be created across the territory as a direct result of devolution. Economic spinoffs from these jobs and related responsibilities could be as much as $28 million per year, creating new opportunities for local business. Aboriginal governments will also have new revenues to provide opportunities based on their specific needs.

We could not have reached this point without the participation of the territory’s regional Aboriginal governments. I would like to thank them for their support. Aboriginal governments helped us negotiate this agreement, and their involvement goes back many years. I am pleased to see that some of their leaders are here today to witness this vote. They are as much a part of devolution as the Members of this House are.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has long recognized the legitimate role that Aboriginal governments play in the lives of their people. We support them in the negotiation and implementation of their land claims and self-government agreements. We have worked very hard to foster government-to-government relations with them. We know that the people of the Northwest Territories are best served when the governments that represent them have the capacity they need to manage their responsibilities.

A key feature of the proposed Devolution Agreement is the separate Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resource Management among our government and participating Aboriginal governments. This separate agreement offers the promise of improved harmonization and potential for shared capacity. The relationship respects the jurisdictions of the Government of the Northwest Territories and Aboriginal governments, while offering opportunity for meaningful input and advice

on land and resource matters. In that spirit of respect, recognition and responsibility, we have committed to sharing a portion of the resource revenues from development on public lands with participating Aboriginal governments. This is in addition to any benefits Aboriginal governments receive from resource revenues to their land claims. We are the first and only jurisdiction in Canada that has offered to share resource revenues with Aboriginal governments with no strings attached.

I have said many times before that our natural resources are the source of all wealth. We need to develop them to benefit from them, but I have also said many times that we do not support development at any cost. Development has to be responsible, it has to be sustainable, and it has to provide real benefit to the people of the Northwest Territories.

Devolution will give us a sweep of legislative authorities and tools that will help us ensure that development in our territory is responsible and sustainable. This agreement will finally put Northerners in a position to ensure their priorities are being reflected in resource development and environmental management decisions. That is as it should be. We are the ones who live here. We know this land and we know what matters to us. We have a vested interest in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the land.

Our government’s commitment to conservation and sustainability won’t change just because we have devolution. We all know the Northwest Territories has great potential. We have what the world needs. We have the energy and mineral resources that the world wants. Devolution will allow us to use that natural wealth for the direct benefit of our people, for our children and our grandchildren. It will secure the financial stability of the Government of the Northwest Territories and our Aboriginal government partners, and enable us to work together for the good of all the residents of the Northwest Territories.

Our time has come, the North’s time has come. We have been working on this deal for many years and it is time for us to finally enjoy the results of that work.

We have been to the people, we held more than 45 public and stakeholder meetings and formally consulted Aboriginal governments. The message to us was clear: the people want devolution. Not supporting this motion is a vote for the status quo, for more of the same. I think we are passed that. I don’t believe any of us are really satisfied with more of the same. We are here to improve the lives of our people in this territory.

Today’s vote is a chance for us to stand up for the Northwest Territories and the people we represent. It is a chance for us to stand individually and collectively as the elected representatives of this

territory and say yes. Yes, I believe in my territory and I believe in our people. Yes, I believe that we have the potential to be a truly great part of a great country.

I do believe in this territory and its people. It is high time for Northerners to take control of their future and make their own decisions about our economy, our environment and our society. I have every confidence that we will, as a territory, and as the elected representatives of our people, rise to the challenge and together create the future that we have long envisioned for ourselves.

I will be standing up for the people of the Northwest Territories today, Mr. Speaker, and I invite all my colleagues to stand and join me. Thank you. I would like to ask for a recorded vote.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Recorded vote has been requested. All those in favour, please stand.

Recorded Vote
Motions

June 4th, 2013

Tim Mercer Clerk Of The House

Mr. McLeod – Yellowknife South, Mr. Lafferty, Mr. Ramsay, Mr. McLeod – Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Dolynny, Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Hawkins, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Moses, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Blake, Mr. Beaulieu, Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Miltenberger.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

All those opposed, please stand.

Tim Mercer Clerk Of The House

Mr. Nadli.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

All those abstaining, please stand. All those in favour, 17; all those opposed, one; abstentions, zero.

---Carried

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Item 18, first reading of bills. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Bill 24 has had first reading.

---Carried

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 22, Territorial Emblems and Honours Act; and Tabled Document 70-17(4), Electoral Boundaries Commission, Final

Report, May 2013, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. We have two items before us today: Bill 11 and Bill 20. What is the wish of the committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

I will now rise and report progress.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Can I have the report of Committee of the Whole, Madam Chair.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Motion is in order. Do we have a seconder to the motion? R.C. McLeod. It’s Inuvialuit Day.

---Laughter

---Carried

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Item 22, third reading of bills. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 11, Financial Administration and Public Agency Statutes (Borrowing Provisions) Amendment Act, be read for the third time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Bill 11, Financial Administration and Public Agency Statutes (Borrowing Provisions) Amendment Act, has had third reading.

---Carried

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Mr. R.C. McLeod.