This is page numbers 275 - 296 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd 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 work.

Topics

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

UNDRIP is an important document that recognizes, among other things, the right of Indigenous people to maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures, and traditions. In 2008, UNDRIP was endorsed through a motion of our Legislative Assembly. The Government of Canada's recent adoption of UNDRIP in accordance with Canada's laws and Constitution is an encouraging and tangible demonstration of the federal government's renewed commitment to Canada's Aboriginal people. Currently Canada, through Section 35 of the Constitution, has a very robust framework for the protection of Aboriginal rights. Fully adopting and implementing UNDRIP requires careful consideration of its application within Canada's constitutional framework.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

My final question is: what is the GNWT doing to ensure that the interests of its northern Aboriginal residents are being represented as the federal government moves to adopt and implement the UN declaration?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to work with the federal government and Aboriginal governments to further their promotion and protection of Aboriginal and treaty rights. This includes collaborating and fostering government-to-government relationships with Aboriginal governments as well as negotiating and implementing Aboriginal resource and self-governments that respect, promote, and protect the rights and freedoms of Aboriginal peoples as highlighted in the priorities and ministerial mandates of the 18th Legislative Assembly. The successful conclusion of modern treaties and self-government agreements can be seen as the ultimate expression of free, prior, and informed consent among partners.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about the very bad condition of the road, the access road, from the junction of the Pine Point/Fort Smith highway to the Hay River Reserve. We all understand that jurisdiction is about sorting out who's responsible for what in terms of the context of this road. In that exercise there's negotiation that goes on. Within that party there's usually the GNWT, the federal government, and in this instance is the K'atlodeeche First Nation. The other element to this is that sometimes we get bogged down by red tape and it stops us from doing meaningful things for people at the end of the day. The biggest people that are affected by the bad condition of the road are the motorists and at the same time, the residents of the K'atlodeeche First Nation. My question to the Minister is: am I correct in my understanding that jurisdictional issues need to be resolved before repairs to the Hay River Reserve access road can get under way? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Transportation.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. To answer the Member's question, the Department of Transportation is indeed responsible for the maintenance and reconstruction of the Hay River road. This section of road was part of the highway devolution agreement that came forward in the late 1980s and the department has funded to operate and maintain this road. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

If the department is responsible for the work, what are the major barriers to getting this road repaired?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As many Members in the Assembly know, this year the roads across the Northwest Territories have some issues just because of the way of thawing. We've had an early spring this year and it's created some challenges on the complete road system in the Northwest Territories, but on this road in particular with the poor drainage that's on the right of ways and the department is currently making efforts to improve the drainage on this road, and we continue to look at how we're going to upgrade the subgrade of this road. Work will commence soon as time allows.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

You know the people that are most affected by this as I indicated or stated, Mr. Speaker, are the motorists and the residents of the reserve. If I can't have reassurances, can the Minister give to the travelling public that go from Hay River and onto the reserve or from the reserve onto town? What are the immediate actions to ensure that the repairs are done to the road? At what point would the Minister commit his resources of the department to ensure the road is repaired?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

The department will do temporary repairs as soon as time allows. As I said, the early spring melt and the conditions that are out on our roadways is challenging. We will do everything that we have to do to ensure a safe operation of this road in the meantime but we have to wait for the frost to come out of the ground before we commence working on this, so temporary signage and stuff will be up to ensure safe travel for all.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the meantime as we wait for the dryness of the summer to set in to help adhere to the conditions for repairs to the road that could be made, what kind of reply would the Minister make in terms of the travelling public that have sustained damages to their vehicle? Mahsi

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

That is something that hasn't come before me so I'm not aware of any people wanting to make claims against Transportation on the road conditions, but we continue to put signage up and everything in efforts to ensure that there's safe travel for everybody in the general public.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minster of DOT in regards to the marine landing in three of the Sahtu communities. We seen a significant amount of, I would say, left-behind ice in our three community dock landings, and my understanding there's an existing federal program in that jurisdiction. I'd like the Minister to elaborate if that exists on the clearing and maintenance of the barge landings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Transportation.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. The barge landings across the Northwest Territories, including the one that the Member is talking about in the Sahtu region, are a federal jurisdiction. This is something that we have been working with closely with the federal government to look at to reinstate the funding that they have taken away from the territorial government approximately two years ago, so it's actually a federal jurisdiction, but we're working closely with the Department of Coast Guard and Fisheries to see if we can reinstate the funding for all ports. Thank you.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

It seems that there is a commitment there or a program that we're waiting for. In the meantime, in particular one community in Norman Wells is expecting the barge to land here momentarily and we'd like the ice to be cleared so if the Minister could elaborate and clarify when would this be reinstated and if the dock landing would be cleared prior to the barge landing momentarily.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

I think it's a little premature to say the barge is going to be there shortly. I know that the sailing season historically leaves Hay River in late June. I'm not saying that is all this ice and stuff is going to melt on these landings, but this is definitely a federal jurisdiction. It is something that has been pointed out in the CTA report along with other issues across the North, and we will continue work with the federal government to see if we can reinstate this funding to make sure all the ports and harbours in the Northwest Territories have access.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

There is the secondary carrier in our barge landing schedule called Cooper Barging and they do sail before the lake ice allows NTCL to leave Hay River and that arrives in Norman Wells on a scheduled basis. They are actually going to be the first one, so if the Minister would elaborate a little bit more on an interim solution I would say incurred by this government rather than waiting for the federal response, in particular for the landing in Norman Wells.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

I can commit to the Member that that's something we can watch closely as things evolve and when Cooper is going to have their first sailing. I do know that the Hamlet of Fort Good Hope took the initiative themselves and cleaned off their landing space, but we will keep an eye on it and work with the Member to see if we can find a solution for this.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to continue on with my questions for the Premier based on my statement. One of the key things that he promised was to assist in evening out the bumps of the resource economy by providing support for economic diversification. To that end, I'd like to hear from the Premier when he expects the agricultural strategy to be ready. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Honourable Premier.