Mr. Speaker, building strong working relationships with Aboriginal governments has been a personal priority of mine and of this Assembly. Our ability to work together in the spirit of respect, recognition and responsibility is what enables us to serve the common interest of all the people of this territory and will be the foundation for the successful implementation of devolution.
I am pleased to advise Members that our governments have taken another step forward in our continuing partnership with the signing of the Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement and the Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resource Management. These two agreements mark further milestones in our journey together to create a strong, prosperous Northwest Territories that will provide opportunities to all our residents.
I want to congratulate the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Northwest Territory Metis Nation, the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the Tlicho Government for their work on these agreements.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring all people in the Northwest Territories share in the benefits of resource development on public lands. That is why we offered to share 25 percent of the fiscal benefit from resource revenues with our Aboriginal government partners. When resource revenues are collected by the Government of the Northwest Territories, Aboriginal
government partners will receive a direct share of the benefits of resource development. We are setting a new standard for collaboration here in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. Nowhere else in Canada have revenues from public lands been offered to Aboriginal governments at this level.
Resource revenue sharing offers the promise of further fiscal capacity to Aboriginal governments. Gone are the days when resource development in the NWT offered little opportunity to Aboriginal people. Today resource development should mean jobs and investment opportunity for all residents and business in the NWT. It must be done responsibly, in a way that protects the land and water and recognizes that Aboriginal peoples have rights, including rights under land claims and treaties. Mr. Speaker, through devolution and the Revenue Sharing Agreement we also recognize that resource revenues can further benefit our Aboriginal government partners and their citizens, along with all residents of the NWT.
In addition to resource revenue sharing, our Aboriginal government partners in devolution have also helped lay the foundation for how we will cooperate and collaborate with Aboriginal governments in the area of land and resource management. Once again the GNWT is breaking new ground and setting an example for others to follow in formalizing its relationships with Aboriginal governments.
The Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources allows us to engage with Aboriginal governments through an Intergovernmental Council. We have a shared interest in exploring harmonized management regimes, building knowledge and capacity in land and resource management, attracting investment and protecting lands and resources. We believe the best way to do these things is to work collaboratively and cooperatively. The Intergovernmental Council will let us build the best possible land and resource management policies and practices together and share ideas for legislation and policy covering our respective lands and resources.
The Intergovernmental Council is not intended to be a forum for discussing constitutional development or issues. It will not restrict or diminish the legislative authority of this Assembly, or the authority of Aboriginal governments. It will,
however, give us further opportunity to work constructively together. It allows us to build upon the best practices of this government as we assume the responsibility for the management of public lands and waters.
In recent years and months, we have worked closely with Aboriginal government partners as the Wildlife Act was developed. We have entered into government-to-government agreements with four Aboriginal governments. We have worked closely with our partners in the development of an NWT Water Stewardship Strategy, recognized as one of the most progressive in the world. We have collaborated on a Land Use and Sustainability Framework that will help guide us in land and resource management. We have clearly benefited from cooperation and collaboration with Aboriginal governments. With the
Intergovernmental
Agreement we commit, along with our Aboriginal government partners, to continue this approach in areas related to land and resource management.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our Aboriginal government partners for their work with us. I want to thank them for their shared leadership as we set an example for others in Canada and around the world to follow, and I know that we all look forward to working together to build a strong, prosperous NWT.
This Assembly has a stated vision that includes, “Strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories.” With our Devolution Agreement, with our Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement and with our Intergovernmental Agreement we are helping to fulfil that promise. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.