This is page numbers 4705 - 4730 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nahendeh.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to also recognize Louise Leblanc, Local 13 president from Fort Simpson, as part of the Union of Northern Workers, as well as Mr. Ernie Bernhardt and Beatrice Bernhardt, who are family friends. I had the opportunity to work with them in Kugluktuk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a few constituents from the Great Slave riding with us today. Ernie and Beatrice Bernhardt are with us today, as well as Daryl Dolynny, who is a former member and current CEO of Avens and a resident of the Great Slave riding. Thank you.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 4711

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery, thanks for being here with us. It is always great to have an audience as part of our proceedings.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Question 497-18(3): GNWT-Indigenous Government Relations
Oral Questions

February 5th, 2019

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Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier my Member's statement was on the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation's 2019 election. My questions are for the Premier on government-to-government relations.

Mr. Speaker, my first question is: how are we, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, holding ourselves accountable in relation to our obligations for the implementation of the land claims agreements in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to respecting the provisions of land claim agreements and to fulfilling its obligations under all Northwest Territories land claims, especially since we are also a signatory of the land claims. We see it as our land claims, as well.

Through implementation committees, which include representation for Canada, the Indigenous government, and the Government of the Northwest Territories, the parties discuss the ongoing implementation of land claim agreements and work to resolve any issues that may arise. Thank you.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

It is good to hear that the Premier recognizes it as a territorial land claim, as well. That holds us accountable. How will the Government of the Northwest Territories work with Indigenous governments to build better working policies around our land claims agreements so that we can work more closely together as we move towards self-government and our own self-determination?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed through the Respect, Recognition, and Responsibility document to work collaboratively with Northwest Territories Indigenous governments, including those with settled land claim agreements, on policies and approaches to public program and service delivery that reflect common interests and address shared concerns.

As Indigenous governments move toward self-determination, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to working collaboratively to support capacity building, the transition to self-government jurisdiction, and the delivery of public and Indigenous government programs and services.

As well, we formally recognize Aboriginal governments through memorandums of understanding, where we commit to meet bilaterally at least twice a year to discuss and resolve issues of concern or mutual issues.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

I appreciate the response in talking about bilateral agreements and other ways of advocating for funding for our regions. Leading from that question, Mr. Speaker, will the Premier commit to advocating or working side-by-side with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in Ottawa as climate change continues to affect the infrastructure in Nunakput?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Yes, we are commit today working very closely with the IRC in Ottawa not only on climate change, but other issues that affect us, such as offshore oil and gas and fisheries, among other things.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that. It's good to see that the government is open to working and actually travelling together to Ottawa to advocate. We are stronger together. That leads me to my next question, Mr. Speaker: talk about travelling. Will the Premier commit to taking all of Cabinet up to Nunakput and meet with all levels of government on issues that affect our residents before the 18th Assembly wraps up?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Cabinet open houses are a valuable opportunity for all of us in Cabinet to hear directly from people in each riding. We have two Cabinet open houses left to do, and we are prepared and looking forward to going to Nunakput, and we will hold Cabinet open houses in both of these ridings that we have not attended yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier. As I mentioned in my statement, more than half the commitments the Members of the 18th Assembly made in our mandate have not yet been fulfilled, and many of them are of immediate importance to our future. My question for the Premier is: what is the plan to complete the 109 outstanding commitments in the next seven months? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Honourable Premier.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are 230 mandate commitments for the 18th Legislative Assembly. Some of these are specific and targeted. Others are very broad and focused on fundamental issues that have faced our territory and require long-term efforts. With that said, we are committed to advancing each of these mandate commitments and, where possible, completing them. There are many positive advancements being made and tracked on the mandate reporting website. Between now and the end of this Assembly, the government will continue to work toward fulfilling the mandate commitments of the 18th Assembly.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I thank the Premier for that answer, but I am not satisfied with it because, in the three years to date, less than half of the mandate commitments have been fulfilled, so why will we have confidence on this side of the House that in fact the rest will be fulfilled in seven months?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

As of February 1, 2019, we are reporting on the implementation of the mandate. We have 123 commitments fulfilled, 107 commitments in progress, and zero commitments in the planning stage.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

It seems that two commitments have gone into the fulfilled category since I did my research. My question, however, remains: with more than a hundred commitments still not fulfilled, what confidence can the Premier give us that in fact they will be fulfilled in the next seven months?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

As a government, we are working very hard and we are committed to fulfilling all of the mandates, and we will be reviewing the commitments as we go forward. At some point, we will make a determination. Some of them we know are ongoing commitments, as I said. Some of them, the commitments are very broad, so I think a lot of them are ongoing. We will be reviewing each of them to determine if they will be fulfilled or not, and, at some point in the next seven months, we can report on our progress.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question at this time is to ask the Premier whether he is going to involve Regular Members in the discussion about commitments that still need to be fulfilled in the balance of this term so that we can add our voices to the priorities that are established.