Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first statement on the floor in this House in 2015 was on the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories was the first jurisdiction in Canada to support UNDRIP and continues to do so today, which I am very pleased. Also, the Government of Canada has now signed onto this agreement.
Given the importance of the Arctic coast and seas to Inuit people, culturally, historically, and economically for sustenance, it is essential that Inuit are engaged in any development of laws or regulations for Arctic coastal waterways. Canada should be engaging with Inuit in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut on any work done in the Northwest Passage under UNCLOS, or United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, following the UNDRIP principles.
There should be a culture shift in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker. Indigenous people are not a Liberal-Conservative issue, nor an NDP-PPC issue. We should have consistent engagement from Ottawa on issues that impact our way of life, regardless of who is in power. We must continue to implement at all levels of government to ensure our rights and our land-claim agreements, which are not only ours but are the responsibility of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government, as well.
Mr. Speaker, I will quote Senator Murray Sinclair, who has been advocating for Indigenous people throughout his career. He states, "The Senate is still debating this, and it seems to be stalling with some senators. People who use the concept of veto and the concept of free, prior, and informed consent as though they are the same thing are totally missing the point."
Last week, our Premier also stated, "I also think it makes sense that residents of Canada's three northern territories have a leading say in determining Canada's plan for the Arctic. We are the ones who live here. We are the ones who are repeatedly affected when decisions are made for us, rather than with us. We are an obvious partner for Canada when they begin to discuss what should happen next."
Mr. Speaker, if anyone in our territory should be leading and implementing UNDRIP, it should be our Premier. Being an Indigenous person myself, I am proud of the work that he and his team have done in collaborating with Indigenous governments and the federal government on projects from planning to implementation. The rest of the country and other countries should take note and follow suit. We have come a long way, but we have a lot of work to do together.
Mr. Speaker, later, I will have questions for the Premier. Thank you.