This is page numbers 2329 - 2354 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 program.

Topics

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. In my statement, I made reference to the UN Rapporteur visiting the Deh Cho and, shortly after that, there was a measure that all parties agreed to the appointment of Peter Russell, and he helped bridge the mediation and facilitation of a dialogue that became part of the Common Ground Principles, in terms of trying to bridge the log jam that existed then. The Common Ground Principles, which the GNWT was part of, identifies the fundamentals that the parties understand, that the ownership jurisdiction and sovereignty of the Dehcho First Nations process, as an essential tenet of the Deh Cho process. My question to the Minister is: why do most First Nations lands and resources negotiations take so long, and how could this government help speed up the process? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is it goes back to the signing treaties. At the time treaties were signed, there was the oral version and the written version, and, from what I understand, the oral version is interpreted differently than the written version by a number of Aboriginal governments. That is possibly one of the reasons for the long time.

I think one of the benefits of ministerial special representatives is we ask them to outline and find out what some of the reasons for the delays, what are the challenges, what are the road blocks. I think, in my view, some of them have been mandates, and I think that we need to take a new approach to negotiating so that we do not wait until somebody blinks before we make progress. So I am hopeful and optimistic that the report of the ministerial special representatives will allow us to find a way to move forward on these long-standing claims, some of them that have been negotiating for over 25 years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

I think I saw the Minister wink, so there is a possibility. It's encouraging. Treaties as far back as the Royal Proclamation of 1763 were bilateral in nature between the First Nations and the Crown. Will the GNWT accept the lead role of Canada in the negotiations of lands and resources?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

That is something that the federal government has indicated that, with devolution, we should be at the table, and that we have programs and services, and we have responsibilities as a public Government of the Northwest Territories.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

For people that follow First Nations history and the evolution of land claims and negotiations of lands and resources, the incident at Ipperwash opened up everybody's eyes that these long-standing lands and resource negotiations have been far too long and that there has to be an agreement that is just and fair for First Nations in terms of having a role in the Canadian society. The MSR report is complete. What are the possibilities that the Minister is considering and different approaches to help speed up negotiations?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Our expectation is that the MSRs will identify a number of options that would allow us to take different approaches and approaches that will allow us to move forward. I look forward to having the opportunity to review those recommendations and to also discuss it with the federal minister and, also, as we determine the path forward, with the appropriate parties and governments.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Moving forward, can the Minister inform this House as to what he thinks could be accomplished by May 2017? Mahsi.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

May 2017, that is two months away. I expect that by then we should have the ministerial special reports, we should have identified a path forward with the Government of Canada, and I think that we will be able to engage our colleagues on the Cabinet committee and the joint committee and hopefully find a way to work with the Aboriginal governments on the negotiations.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. I have spoken a couple of times now about the need to update the family violence survey. It was last done 10 years ago. In the June session, the Minister said that she thought the survey was a valuable tool and she would advocate for funds to do a new one. How is that going? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The conversation of an attitudinal survey is actually interesting, and I would like to kind of address that. I would like to start with stating that I am quite offended by the Member's statement, when she stated that it is clear that Members do not agree that family violence is insulting. Because Members do not have a desire to continue to punish individuals who have served their time after committing domestic violence but rather focus on healing, because we want to preserve rights in place, does not mean that Members do not understand or care about family violence in the Northwest Territories. If the Member meant that we do not agree on punishment versus healing, then, of course, the Member is certainly correct. The attitudinal survey, we did discuss it. We looked into it. We talked about it within different departments. We have made the decision that, with the state of the economy right now, with the way we are going right now, spending a hundred thousand dollars on a survey is probably not the best use of the money. I am taking the stance that I would rather focus that money on prevention and healing at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I didn't realize that responses to questions were also a rebuttal time, but that is good to know. What I have asked the Minister for and she said she can't afford is a commitment to redoing the family violence survey. She said that it was a valuable tool, and she said she would advocate for funds to redo it.

How about just taking half the Cabinet to Vancouver? That would free up $100,000, which is what the family violence survey cost last time. How about taking $100,000 out of the infrastructure budget? There are a number of ways that a hundred thousand dollars can be found very readily by this government. I have seen it done, so how about finding that money?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. I would just like to remind Members that, whenever there is a question to a Minister, the Minister has either the right to answer or not to answer a question. Second set of questions to the Minister responsible for the Status of Women.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to state that family violence is an issue within the Northwest Territories. It is something that we have to donate time and energy to. Again, I would like to say that I believe that we need to focus on prevention and healing at this point. I also want to state, since it was in the question, that not only is the issue of family violence an issue within the Northwest Territories, we have to take care of all the residents, and that means we have to provide support and money to our mineral industry, to our infrastructure, to housing, to transportation, to education. We have a lot of priorities, and I will not advocate that we use all of our money to address one issue when we have many issues within the Northwest Territories.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I am advocating $100,000 out of a $1.7 billion budget. I am talking about half the population. I am talking about making people safe. We need to address this problem in more effective ways. What we are doing is not addressing the root causes of family violence. So my question to the Minister is: is she willing to make a commitment to look at a systemic fix to family violence? The information for that would be provided by a new family violence survey.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

I am definitely committed to addressing the root causes of family violence, and the root causes of family violence is not an attitudinal survey. It is a lot of other things. It can be a host of ideas, and that is why I will commit to supporting prevention and healing.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. How is the Minister going to prevent family violence going forward? Thank you.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is not my responsibility alone as a Minister, as a human being, to address the issue of family violence and the root causes. We are working across departments. We are working with our colleagues, Regular MLAs. We are working with Aboriginal governments. We are working with non-profit organizations. This is a societal issue, not one person's issue. I will commit to working in partnership with as many people, as many organizations I can, to address the issue of family violence.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of ITI. Mr. Speaker, my question is: cruise ships bring great economic benefit to their ports of call all around the world. How is the department working to maximize the opportunities available for our remote communities from increased marine travel through the Northwest Passage? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.