Debates of Feb. 23rd, 2017

This is page numbers 1951 – 2010 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 going.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Update On Early Childhood Development Plan: Education, Culture And Employment Milestone Statement

Enbridge Pipeline Erosion Control Measures

Support For Terrax Minerals Inc.

Improving Consumer Protection

Hay River Rental Accommodation Challenges

Benefits Of Public Service Growth In The Sahtu Region

Yellowknife Rental Accommodation Costs

Resident Mental Health Worker For Tsiigehtchic

Sugar Tax Best Practices

Modern Treaty Implementation

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Emergency Situation Communication Protocols

Yellowknife And Peripheral Area Land Use Management Plan

GNWT Land Use Monitoring Capacity

Sugar Tax Best Practices

Improving Consumer Protection

Rental Office Workload Challenges

Rental Accommodation Subsidies

Land Lease Assessments

Residential Mental Health Worker For Tsiigehtchic

Social Housing Policy Adjustments

Written Question 21-18(2): Complaints Of Sexual Assault Classified By RCMP As Unfounded

Tabled Document 302-18(2): Workers’ Safety And Compensation Commission 2015-2017 Strategic Plan

Extended Adjournment Of The House To February 28, 2017

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matter

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Lands, Deferral Of Operations Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Lands, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For Lands

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Justice, Deferral Of Community Justice And Policing Activity

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

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

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Comments or questions? Seeing nothing further, I will call this activity. Lands, operations, operations expenditure summary, $9,995,000. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Committee Motion 63-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Lands, Deferral Of Operations Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matter

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the activity, operations, under the Department of Lands Main Estimates 2017-2018 on page 299 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. There is a motion to defer. The motion is on the floor and being distributed. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

The Chair R.J. Simpson

We will defer operations. Thank you, committee. On to the next activity, which begins on page 301 and continues on to 304, Lands, planning and coordination. This is our final activity. Do we have comments or questions on Lands, planning and coordination? Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. In general comments and I think even in the Minister's opening remarks he talked about how there is some sort of land use planning process that is being developed for the Crown lands in the Wekweeti Management Area, and he talks about a terms of reference being developed. Can he, number one, answer whether this land use plan is going to be legally binding? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Perhaps this question might be best answered by Mr. Hagen.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. In the interest of time you can just gesture towards Mr. Hagen if you would like me to address him. Thank you. Mr. Hagen.

Hagen

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the Members know, I am sure, that it is the mandate commitment of the 18th Assembly to implement an agreed upon government structure allowing you to fly into Wekweeti management area on public lands. The Tlicho Government have one already established on private lands. So where we are now is we are collaborating with the Tlicho Government and other planning partners to develop a term of reference to move forward with planning for the public lands. You know, the public lands represent an opportunity to build a relationship through collaboration and it definitely will provide certainty regarding economic development, future prosperity, on and on, and of course some of those public lands in the Wekweeti take in two diamond mines and it also takes in the proposed road to Whati, and also it takes in the Bathurst caribou migration route also.

So it is a very important plan and we have full cooperation of the Tlicho Government to move forward on it. They are very keen to do so. We have had discussions with the Government of Canada. They are a signatory to the Tlicho Land Claim Agreement, so they have supported financially and with people the Gwich'in plan 25 years ago or so, the Sahtu plan, and the current draft of the Deh Cho Land Use Plan.

So far they have not said no, but we have not had a lot of luck getting support from them and moving this initiative forward, and we do not have the budget. We would need approximately $5 million over four years to complete the plan, but we are doing what we can and we are collaborating, like I say, with the Tlicho Government right now and trying to develop a term of reference.

Our Aboriginal organizations that have rights in the region also, so it does get very complicated, so we are not dealing just with the Tlicho here, we are dealing with other Aboriginal governments. We have not moved very far along yet, but we are starting the process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Hagen. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. That was a very detailed answer and I appreciate the deputy minister's comments. I guess, as I see it, there are two options for making sure this is a legally binding land use plan, and that is what our mandate calls for. One is to bring us under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, and Mr. Hagen mentioned the Gwich'in and the Sahtu Land Use Plans. This would be, I think, an ideal -- that is the accepted and negotiated process in those two areas. Of course the Tlicho Government would have to have some say in this, but it would seem to make some sense to bring this under the MVRMA so that it is legally binding, you have got an agreed-upon process for developing plans, amending them, and all of that sort of thing.

The other option might be the Planning Act, which is a bit antiquated. It is on our side. So I guess I am asking the department to give some thought to what is going to be the legal bases for this land use plan? My recommendation is that you bring it in under the MVRMA, but of course subject to negotiation with the Tlicho Government. Is that on the radar for the department, or what legislation are they thinking about to making sure that this is a legally binding land use plan? Thanks Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Hagen.

Hagen

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The idea would be to bring it in under the MVRMA. I agree totally. I am one of the architecture signatories to the MVRMA, so it is near and dear to my heart, and I believe that the Tlicho Government is looking at it the same way. The territorial government is the lead on this. We have chosen to work collaboratively with the Tlicho Government. They did want to come, at first, to be a full partner but then in their land claim agreement if they wanted to be a full partner they would also have to put up their private lands to be part of the overall land use plan.

So that obviously would be a non-starter, so they are in full support of doing a land use plan on their public lands and we are in discussions now for terms of reference, and I take your remarks into consideration and that is where we are trying to lead the process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Hagen. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I feel much more confident now about this, and I have known Mr. Hagen for years. I used to work at the Dene-Metis Negotiations Secretariat when I first came up here in 1985. The agreement that came out of that was to set up an integrated resource management system, the MVRMA is the implementation part of that, and I agree fully that that's what we should be pursuing. So I'm much more confident now than I was before I arrived in the Chamber today. Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's all I've got on this section. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. I see no further comments or questions. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to ask the Minister how old the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act is?

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister.

Louis Sebert Thebacha

I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, I was reaching for my earphone and I missed part of the question. I wonder if it could be repeated?

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu, could you repeat the question?

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to ask the Minister how old the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act is? Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

1996.

February 22nd, 2017

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Mr. Chair, I don't have the legislation in front of me, but I'm told that it's 1996; therefore, it would be 21 years old. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.

Debates of Feb. 23rd, 2017

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