Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s hard to speak to this motion and bring something new to the debate, but speak I will and present my views and those of my constituents on this historic Devolution Agreement and this historic motion that’s before us today.
Some months ago I was highly critical of the path taken by the government following the signing of the consensus agreement. I did not, and still do not, believe that non-Aboriginal residents had adequate opportunity to provide input into the final Devolution Agreement and the impending implementation.
I still believe, although not all my constituents do, that a plebiscite would have been the best way to inform, consult and canvas NWT residents on the Devolution Agreement and the implementation of the agreement. But as they say, it’s water under the bridge. Here we are today, discussing and ultimately voting on a motion to support, or not, the approval of the negotiated agreement that was signed off some months ago.
Some have taken my criticism of the consultation engagement process as non-support for devolution, but I have never said that I am against devolution. I think it is the right move, the right way to go. It is what this territory needs, and as a Northerner I want my government to have control over our lands and resources. I want us to be masters in our own house, as Mr. Miltenberger likes to say. For too long we’ve been at the knee of the federal government with hand held out, asking for scraps. This Devolution Agreement is not perfect, but it’s good enough. It will give the NWT greater
responsibility and home rule over our own northern affairs.
It’s been a long time coming, but I’m happy and proud that we have arrived at this point. Kudos to the Premier and Cabinet, both past and present, to the leadership of all the Aboriginal governments, and to the negotiation staff of all the organizations who’ve been involved and who’ve worked so hard for so many years to get us this deal. Some are not still on the file, as we say, but their contribution is no less important than that of the staff who worked on the agreement last week or last year. Negotiations have been a prolonged but a concerted effort by many people, and I thank them all for their outstanding contributions for bringing us to this motion today.
Earlier I said the agreement is not perfect. I guess in any negotiation neither side gets everything that they want. There are concerns with portions of the final agreement and I have to give voice to those concerns.
First, the federal government has chosen to retain control over all of the currently leased NWT lands. We will have control over the rest of the NWT lands, but it will be a patchwork quilt, with many bits of land here and there retained by the Government of Canada. I’m afraid that it will create confusion and difficulty as we move forward on managing our own land, resources and development. It’s unfortunate that the final agreement could not have solved this particular riddle. As a result, we will continue to feel the boot of the federal government on our neck for some time to come.
Second, there are many pieces of federal legislation which need to be adopted by the NWT to effect devolution. It’s proposed that this legislation mirror the federal legislation and then be amended later on. We will want to tailor some of it to meet our own agenda, our own way of operating, but I know how full the job jar is for the NWT drafters of legislation. I know how much of our current legislation needs to be amended or revised, never mind the mirrored federal legislation. I am extremely skeptical that we will see any changes to the mirrored federal legislation for many years to come, and that will be an opportunity lost for a long time.
Third, the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the regulatory scheme that falls from it stays with the federal government. One of the exciting possibilities for the NWT as we contemplated devolution, was having control over our regulatory processes. It was going to be something that we could be far better at and stimulate our development in the North, but that’s no longer possible, at least for the next five years. The negotiated arrangement will be revisited in five years’ time, but there’s no guarantee even then that we will be able to take over the regulatory authority.
Mr. Speaker, we are still going to have to put up with the federal government making appointments to our own NWT boards, something which I consider an insult. We will have control over the lands but not the regulatory process. It hardly seems like the simplification of the process that the mining and other development companies are looking for, and I would love to be proved wrong, Mr. Speaker, but only time will tell.
Fourth, we will receive $67.3 million from the federal government to take over the responsibilities currently handled by the Government of Canada. That number is not enough, Mr. Speaker. I am seriously concerned that the NWT government will end up in a financial hole once all the staff and resources are transferred and we are doing the work that is now being done by federal employees.
Fifth, many constituents have expressed concerns about the implementation of the Devolution Agreement. They asked the following questions for which they have not received answers.
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What will the GNWT do with its new authority
and roles in resource management?
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In a post-devolution NWT, after employees and
jobs have been transferred to the GNWT, what guarantee do we have that things will remain as they are today?
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What have we heard from the NWT
government, to date, to reassure residents that a post-devolution GNWT will carry on with all the activities currently done on our behalf by the federal government?
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What have we heard to give us comfort that the
standards of service and programs that we take over will be maintained at the same level as they are now as delivered by Canada when they are delivered by the GNWT?
Constituents have expressed their concerns to me about the lack of information and the lack of opportunity to discuss how the Devolution Agreement will be implemented. The most definitive answer that I’ve heard is, “Trust us. We will make sure we do everything after devolution that the feds are doing now.” That doesn’t give me or my constituents much comfort or confidence. To quote a constituent, “Most of my biggest worries around the Devolution Agreement are with implementation, evaluation and monitoring. To date, the answers received, simply, are politically correct, which show no leadership or vision for the future of our territory after devolution.” I seriously hope we can continue to have a conversation to answer those questions that are out there.
Sixth, there must be a public discourse on how the new revenues will be used, all that pile of money that’s coming to us as a result of this agreement. The Finance Minister has said several times that our new money should be used for infrastructure.
Certainly, some of my constituents disagree with that allocation of funds, as do I. There are many other possibilities for our newfound riches, Mr. Speaker, and the public should have an opportunity to provide their opinions and ideas on how resource revenues should be allocated.
My personal view is that a large view of the resource revenues should be placed into the Heritage Fund on an annual basis.
Last, but not least, Mr. Speaker, we will not get royalties, resource revenues from the Government of Canada’s share of the Norman Wells oilfield. This was something our negotiators fought very hard for, but it was not something they could call a win. You win some, you lose some.
Mr. Speaker, this motion asks the Assembly to express its support for the approval of the Devolution Agreement. It seems to me to be a rather tentative way of asking Members to vote yes or no on whether or not to accept the final negotiated agreement. Some may find it hard to believe, Mr. Speaker, but I am prepared to vote yes. I am prepared to support approval for the NWT Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement.
As I said at the outset, this is a good thing for the NWT. It’s a huge step in our evolution as a government entity in the Dominion of Canada. And as the Rolling Stones so famously said, “You can’t always get what you want.” We don’t have everything we wanted in this agreement, but it is good enough and I will be supporting the motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.