This is page numbers 105 - 162 of the Hansard for the 19th 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

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll take that as a comment. I also want to see this move forward as soon as possible. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you. Anything further, Mr. Bonnetrouge? No? Okay, next, MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Madam Chair. Under this section, I picked up from a couple of the comments and it's something that I hear and live and talk about all the time in my community: committed to doing business differently. The Premier has stated this over and over and over again, that the GNWT is committed to doing business differently and they want to work unilaterally with our Indigenous governments at the negotiating tables; saying that, and having this as a mandate, but yet our negotiating teams continue as a unilateral, by themselves. The federal government is not pushing it. Core principle objectives, CPOs; this is what I hear about from different leaderships, is the GNWT continues to push CPOs at the table, and Indigenous governments feel that this is a barrier for it to move forward because, and I'll discuss that further when we get to the next section, if we're going to the table to negotiate land claims, self-governments, and we're going to respect the rights of these negotiations and we're going to the table, then how are we pushing CPOs that are government CPO standards and they have the right to change them whenever they want to change them, and Indigenous governments, it's kind of "take it or leave it?" Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. There are a few questions in there. For one, we are trying to do this differently. I've already met with Carolyn Bennett and told her that she needs to come to the table, as well. Instead of just negotiators, we need to actually have the leaders at the table sometimes. I think I caught her off-guard; she didn't give me a solid commitment, but it's a start. I mean, I realize that people have to be kind of talked to a few times.

The core principles, I mean, that is something that I would have to give more thought to. They're basic principles like, for example, an income support. You know, everybody has a right to, I can't remember them, but they're very basic principles on people's rights. I would love to be able to say, "Throw them out the window." The reality is there are three people at the table, not just ourselves, the GNWT and Indigenous governments; there is the federal government. They have principles that we have to abide by, for example, the principles on health. They just brought out the Child and Family Services Act. They're looking at that. That has core principles in it. So we can't just say that we're going to throw them out at this table here and not recognize that there are principles across Canada that we have to abide by, as well.

However, I think it's a discussion that we should be able to negotiate and talk about. Like I said, the NWT core principles, it's only a little, tiny booklet. It's probably one of the smallest things I've read since I've been a Premier. They're very basic. They're not huge. They're more like a human rights thing, so I think it's an item for discussion, but I can't commit that we would throw them off when there is more than just one party at the table. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Madam Premier. Further, Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes.

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding is that these core principle objectives, though, are being pushed only by GNWT. No other negotiators are pushing them at the tables, and the Indigenous groups are feeling kind of -- and I'm not speaking for every Indigenous group, because I haven't talked to every Indigenous group, so I can't speak to every, but the ones that I have and I do understand is that that may be a barrier, because it is almost saying that we are a tiered government. If we are going to the table to negotiate, what you're saying is the way you need to have it done, and what we're saying, as an Indigenous government, we can't -- like you said, that needs to be at the table where -- and the negotiators, and I mean, maybe that's going to help better with negotiators having a mandate that is going to tell them to be able to do these kinds of things.

A lot of times, what I'm hearing is they go, and they're not even coming back with the things that they say that they're going to follow up, so I think that there are some issues there, and I think that those need to be -- in order for us to move forward with this, I think that those things need to be looked at, and whoever is in charge of meeting with the negotiators needs to be saying, "Okay, what are the challenges? What are these, and how are we going to move forward? When the Premier is meeting with these Indigenous groups, what are the challenges, like it says in there? And how can we move forward, and how can we" -- because if that's the case, we're never going to move forward. Thank you

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Like I said, I think that everything should be on the table and open for discussion. Anything that's within the Government of the Northwest Territories' purview, then I am open to discussion. I have to make sure that people do have basic rights, but I think that the core principles are something that we could negotiate. It's something that some Indigenous governments are fine with now, other ones who are fighting a bit more. It might not be a one size fit all, but, I mean, if it's only in the GNWT, I am willing to sit down and talk to them about it. That was my commitment to all of the chiefs, is that we will be sitting down and talking about all of the obstacles. I imagine, if that is an obstacle, it will come up. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Madam Premier. I have next on my list the Member for Frame Lake.

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to finish in less than five minutes. I have one comment and one question, if I may. My comment is that the last Premier said that we were going to get all of the negotiations completed in the last Assembly, and we had one agreement-in-principle reached. The bar was too high with the last Assembly. This one, I think it's too low, with just two of maybe 16 tables. I think, hopefully, we can get somewhere in between.

That was my comment, Madam Chair. My question is the advisory committee that's mentioned in the "how we will demonstrate progress," the very first item there, "quarterly reports provided to advisory committee." What is that advisory committee, and how is it related to the special joint committee that is identified in the bottom of the second column? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Every single MLA in this building has certain strengths, and one of the strengths that I will say about the MLA is he catches things. That is actually wrong; that should say "joint committee." Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Madam Premier. Anything further? Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Next on my list, Member for Kam Lake.

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Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I've got one quick question, as well, hopefully. We have all, around the table, agreed that settling and implementing treaty land resource and self-government agreements is a top priority for this government, and we need to move the meter on this one. My question for the Premier is: does she feel that we need to actually accomplish priority number 3 of "implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People" before we can justly accomplish our priority number 2? Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. It would help, maybe, to do that first. However, I am not telling people to wait for it. There are issues happening, and the federal government is going to be doing it. BC claims that they were the first; they've got it done. BC is having problems with it now. I mean, they've just said that they've got it made into legislation, and now they've got a pipeline that the Indigenous governments are saying, "You never even consulted us."

It's one thing to put it in policy. I'm not willing to put it into policy. I mean, that would be my get-out-of-jail-free card. I think this is more than just putting it in the legislation and just saying, "Whatever, we'll keep going about business." In the phone calls that I've made, we've committed already to the Indigenous governments that each one of them -- we're already asking them, "What do you see UNDRIP looking like?" This process is going to take time, if we do it light. If we just want to make it a legislation policy, that's the get-out-of-jail. Please tell me, all of you, that you want that, and that's my get-out-of-jail-free, but I don't think that that's what we should be doing. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Madam Premier. Members, are there any further questions on "settle and implement treaty land resources and self-government agreements"? Seeing none, committee, we will move to page 9. Are there any questions on "implement United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples"? Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Madam Chair. With the goal to "implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," I think one of the things when I'm reading in the "what we're going to do" and our timeline, what I heard when we met with the Indigenous leaders, for me, I feel like it's not enough. I know the Premier has said that we need to do this right, but I feel like, at some point, we just need to put this in our legislation in order to move it forward.

I'm going to say it again and again, because I think, in order for us to act on this and in order for us to respect the rights of Indigenous people, we need to start looking at everything that we do with that lens. I think it needs to go into legislation, and I think it needs to go into the mandate letters to the negotiators, and I think it needs to go into, you know, mandate letters to all the departments. That's how I feel that we need to be moving forward, if we're really in the true spirit of going to reconcile.

I feel like, sometimes, when I look at this, we might be letting the Indigenous governments down a little bit, because when they've seen it, and then what I see now, I'm Indigenous, so I'm kind of like, you know, you get excited and then, kind of, the bubble gets popped. That's kind of how I'm feeling. If the Premier is meeting with these groups, and they say they want to move this faster, is the Premier willing to look at that and move it along faster? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely. If I can get all the Indigenous groups to say that they would have the working group established before summer 2020, which is just a few months, I would be all over that. I don't think that we're going to.

This is about asking the Indigenous governments what they see UNDRIP should be. It should not be about the GNWT saying what UNDRIP will be. If you look at the UNDRIP philosophy or whatever it is, one of the key things, it says, "Ask the Indigenous people." It doesn't say that MLAs should sit around and do this. It is about talking to the Indigenous people. I read that, I took that to heart, and this is something that I think that Indigenous governments should define for us, as long as it doesn't break the law. That is my commitment, that I will be working with them, and if they want to make it faster, then I am right beside them. Everybody knows I run fast. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Madam Premier. Anything further, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes?

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Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know I have said this before, and I know I have said it to the Premier before, I feel that, when we talk about the priority before and we talk about UNDRIP, they go hand-in-hand. I almost feel like we can't move forward without them. You know, it's kind of hard to say, how do we settle these things where there are barriers, and we're not respecting -- so we're not putting these legislations in place. I feel like, to move forward on priority number two, we need to ensure that we have priority number three because I feel that they go hand-in-hand. Does the Premier agree to that?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely, I agree to that. If you look at the timelines, I mean we're already talking about what you want to point out, Madam Chair. Just because we organized this pamphlet with housing number one and land claim number two does not mean those are our order of priorities. At no time did I hear any of the MLAs agree to which was priority 1 and which one was priority 22. My impression, every single one of these priorities is number one. Thank you, Madam Chair.