Thank you for the opportunity to speak to Bill 16, Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management Act. The introduction of this bill is an important step towards implementing the Northwest Territories Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement, and fulfilling the commitment made to reflect our Intergovernmental
Agreement on Lands and Resources Management in legislation.
The Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management is described in Chapter 4 of the Devolution Agreement, as an agreement that “sets out a government-to-government relationship and provides for mechanisms for coordination and cooperation with respect to the management of public lands and settlement lands and rights in respect of waters.” The Government of the Northwest Territories and our Aboriginal government partners in devolution worked hard to reach an agreement that reflects our shared commitment to work together. This legislation will again solemnize that commitment.
The goal of the NWT Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management is to provide opportunity for the GNWT and Aboriginal governments to work collaboratively and cooperatively in areas related to land and resource management. The agreement commits all parties to work to an intergovernmental council to explore means of improving our respective land and resource management regimes. It will provide opportunity to harmonize practices, policies, laws and regulations that without cooperation and collaboration might create inefficiencies and frustrate our efforts to maximize the benefits of resource development for the people of the NWT.
Bill 16 fulfills a commitment made by the GNWT in the NWT Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management to recommend legislation for enactment by the Legislative Assembly providing for the implementation of that agreement and, in effect, will fulfill the pledge made by the GNWT to implement the NWT Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management. This is something that this government supports, and reflects our Assembly’s goal of a strong and independent North built on partnerships.
This legislation is not mirrored legislation. It reflects a “made-in-the-NWT” approach, and there is nothing similar in existing federal legislation. We have shared the draft of this legislation with the Aboriginal government parties to the Intergovernmental Agreement.
I’m also happy to report that the Tlicho Government, one of our partners in this undertaking, passed its own law on February 20th that will implement the agreement on behalf of the Tlicho Government.
I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have. Thank you.