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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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Mr. Goldney.

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Goldney

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think the short answer is "not necessarily." When we say implement it within the constitutional framework of Canada, I don't think that we're saying anything different than the Government of Canada has said, and we have to recognize that the constitutional framework is the supreme law, and whatever we do has to fit within it. This is why it's important to have discussions with Indigenous governments, to come to as much of a common understanding as possible of what do we mean when we say we're going to fully implement UNDRIP in Canada. It's important to come to that understanding.

There might be circumstances where consent will be required, just as there is now in our constitutional framework, but it might not be every circumstance where our constitutional framework provides that Aboriginal rights can be balanced against other interests as well. Very much looking forward to continuing that conversation and getting as much clarity and common understanding as we can.

I should also point out, though, that the French version of UNDRIP says, "We'll aim to achieve the free, prior, and informed consent," which is language that the federal government has also adopted. There is much to talk about, though, to get as much common understanding as we can. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Goldney. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Spoken like a true Canadian lawyer, using the French interpretation.

My second question is: the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides Indigenous people the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions, providing education in their own languages. Right now, the closest we are in the Northwest Territories to doing this is the Tlicho, with their self-government.

Are we intending to amend the Education Act, amend the education formula that would come with that, change the role of the education councils to allow Indigenous peoples to have the right to control their educational systems; and are we willing to do that without necessarily settling and implementing treaty land resources and self-government agreements, the priority prior to this? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Absolutely, Madam Chair. The whole intention to review the act is that Indigenous governments are moving more into self-government. They have a right to draw down aspects, such as education, health, et cetera, and so we would need to make sure that we open the pathways so that that can happen. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. I will move on to the Member for Deh Cho.

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Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Premier, I recall you stating as soon as you got into office that you were phoning all of the Indigenous groups to have discussions. I am not certain if you did go into the communities, but I am kind of wondering if any part of your discussions mentioned these two mandate priority items, the settle and implementation and the UNDRIP.

Also, rather than waiting, I don't know why we're waiting for summer. I think, inside buildings, it feels like summer; it's warm. Even tonight, I would suggest, you know, to draft up a letter to all of the Indigenous groups on these two items and have them come back with their comments. Moving forward, I realize you still want to sit and meet with them, but I'm pretty sure that they are well aware of this UNDRIP for quite a number of years and probably really want to see it implemented because it helps them. Also, it's the territorial government, recognizing them as the true peoples of this country, this territory, and that we work and move ahead on these priorities. I'm wondering if you have comments on that one. Mahsi.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely. That was the whole purpose of the initial calls, was to talk to them about their negotiations, to do an introduction, talk about doing business different, and we also talked about the UNDRIP and it being in our priorities. We have been soliciting feedback from them. We've already got, I think there are two or three that we've got already on this, so it has been put forward and there is already movement on it. I do want to clarify, it's not all Indigenous groups that I've met with; it's Indigenous governments. Because, if I was to call every Indigenous group, I don't think I'd be sitting here today. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Deh Cho.

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Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi. Just to clarify, was that the regional governments? Is that who you're talking about? Like, there's the Akaitcho, there's the Dehcho. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. To clarify, yes, it's the regional governments. The ones that are in the land claims and the settlement negotiation are what I focused on, although some of them are not regional because not all of them are part of a regional land claim or a self-government negotiation, so sometimes I had to phone the chiefs in communities versus actually a regional rep. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. All right. So, if there are no further questions on this? Oh, Mr. Simpson, Hay River South.

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you. I guess it's part of the government's mandate, it's part of our priorities, so I see it's something that we have to initiate, whether it's, you know, writing letters or contacting the Indigenous groups and saying, "Okay, we have to sit down and talk about this, and come up with something to move ahead." Because I guess, in the territories, throughout the years, I suspect at one point in time it was mostly Aboriginal First Nations people here, Indigenous peoples, and as time went on more people, non-Aboriginal people, came in, came from the South to provide us with programs and services, and eventually it's going to flip where it's going to be more non-Indigenous or non-Aboriginal people here. So we have to make sure that the Indigenous groups are involved in this, and, you know, we've got the Constitution to think about. We've got the Indian Act. We have land claim agreements. We have self-government agreements. I think all of that has a bearing on what this is. We have to start somewhere, and, just like everything else, like the Constitution and the act and all that, there is case law related to all that. I suspect, at one point, when this is implemented, when we implement this, we're going to see some case law with that, as well. There are going to be challenges. You know, some of it might be straightforward; other parts, some Indigenous groups are going to use that to their benefit, but we have to do something, just like everything else out there. Something was done at one point, and this is just something else to strengthen Indigenous rights in Canada. It's up to us. It's part of our priorities. It's part of the mandate. We have to take the initiative and go out there and meet with the First Nations and the Indigenous groups, and establish a plan of action so we can do something with it, sooner than later. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Even if this wasn't in our priorities, the land claims and self-government agreements, I would be pushing this anyway. I believe it's a win-win situation. We've had Members talk about no economy means no social programs. The Indigenous governments, and I will use IRC as an example, who did settle, I look at where their nation is going. The economy is growing. More people who get jobs means fewer people on the GNWT burden, so we have fewer people on income support, fewer people in public housing, so it's a win-win. I've been putting that forward to every Indigenous government. This is not about us giving something up. This is about us working together, and, if we look at it as a win-win, then we're coming in with the right attitude. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. Are there any further questions to this item? Are there any further questions on "Implement UNDRIP, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People"? Seeing none, committee, we will move on to page 10, "Increase regional decision-making authority." Questions? Member for Thebacha.

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Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Madam Chair, I just want to make sure that I just wanted to say that this is an excellent priority. I think, when the decision-making was taken away from regions and communities, our people in the communities and regions do not want to come to headquarters for decisions. They would like to have those decisions made at their level. I think that's an excellent move, and, on behalf of all of us here, when we made this priority, I want to thank everybody in the room for that. Thank you so much.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Madam Premier.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you. I'll take that as a comment.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Member for Thebacha, did you have anything else? Okay, so I'll move on to the Member for Kam Lake.

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Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. During my time here with the 19th Legislative Assembly, I've had the opportunity to get to know a lot of the Members who sit around this room, and, although I grew up in the North and felt I had a very good understanding of everything that happened in the North, I've learned that I learn something new every day from my colleagues here. So my question would be: how does the GNWT intend to work with people from the regions to decide what powers need to be devolved to the regions and how they're going to do that in a meaningful way? Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Mr. Goldney.