This is page numbers 3035 - 3094 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 know.

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Oral Question 803-19(2): Slave Geological Province Study
Oral Questions

November 25th, 2021

Page 3040

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on the proposed regional study for the Slave Geological Province. I'd like to know from the Minister how does this government intend to engage Indigenous governments, the public, and Regular MLAs with regard to its position on such a study. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Member for the question. The decision to conduct a regional study rests with the federal government under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. And we are working with the federal government, potentially, to give it back to us. But, again, that's part of the work that's being done.

The federal government is leading an initiative with the Indigenous governments and others on a possible regional study. The GNWT participates actively in that engagement and is not contemplating our own separate process. The role of the public in these exploratory discussions has not been discussed. As they are external meetings occurring, we are also engaging with Regular MLAs. The GNWT is interested in hearing the views of others on the request and will use this feedback to develop an informed position on this. And I have to say it's the Department of Lands, not the Department of Environment and Natural Resources that has the lead on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I'm glad I got the right guy, maybe not to his portfolio but. Look, we got to start this process pronto, because the feds are already doing consultation, so.

But I was pleased to see the Tlicho government copied the Kitikmeot Inuit Association on its request to the federal government for regional study. So can the Minister explain whether our government has taken a position on the geographic scope of such a regional study and the need for a trans-boundary approach. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to inform the House, no, we're not taking a position presently. We need to hear from our Indigenous governments and we also need to hear from the new Nunavut government Cabinet before taking a position. We need to make an informed decision and that means listening to people moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I guess I'm telling him my position so that he can take it up with others.

But we need to understand that tradeoffs and opportunity costs; in other words, what would a similar expenditure of funds in any other economic sector actually generate in terms of employment and benefits and the distribution of those jobs and benefits.

So will the Minister commit to ensuring that when GNWT starts pushing for this regional study that consideration of alternatives and opportunity costs are an essential part of the regional study. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Member giving us his point of view and I can guarantee I'll have more conversations with the Member on this very topic.

Again, I have to reiterate, the GNWT has not taken a position on what topics will be included in the regional study. The regional study is being developed by the federal government with work with our Indigenous governments.

Again, the GNWT is interested in hearing the views of other parties and will use this feedback to develop an informed position on this study. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President I thank the Minister for that but I just hope that we get informed too late because, by then, decisions will already be made.

But it's become best practice within environmental assessment to ensure that there is participant funding for Indigenous governments and the public to provide a level playing field and better decisions in the public interest.

So can the Minister tell us what the position of this government is with regard to the funding for a regional study on the Slave Geological Province and, more particularly, participant funding. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you. Probably people getting tired of me standing up in the House and saying it's the federal government's responsibility. But under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, it is the federal government. They are the one responsible for it. The GNWT is in the position. The position is that the regional study's conducted. The federal government needs to be responsible for the study and participants moving forward.

We will be working with our Indigenous governments and participants to stress that to the federal government. It is their responsibility until the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act becomes ours, the federal government needs to do what their job is and that is to pay for this study. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the June 2021 report of Procurement Review Panel, there are 50 recommendations for the Government of the Northwest Territories to improve procurement. Does the Minister accept this report and its 50 recommendations, and will the Minister commit to implementing all of them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly accept the report and was also very pleased to see the recommendations. There is a lot there that we can work with.

There is a more formal response that is being put together certainly with a lot of input from me directly. I have had more than one meeting with our working group but also with the working group.

And as far as that response comes and which ones get accepted, we want to take that back and continue to have discussions first and foremost with Indigenous governments. There are obligations before we change any procurement to modern treaty holders. We must engage with them before making changes to procurement. But more importantly, we want to engage with them because we want to really do something distinct and unique in a territory that has a 50 percent Indigenous population, Indigenous governments, and an opportunity to be leaders in Canada on how we do that.

So much more to come on this, Mr. Speaker, and while I'm not going to go so far as to say that I am going to accept all 50, I certainly want to convey that I thought there was a lot in there that can be worked with really positively. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us to what extent Indigenous governments have participated in the procurement review, how have discussions with our Indigenous partners been regarding this procurement review. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the invitation to participate in the panel process went to all parties across the territory, both Indigenous governments as well as a variety of stake holders from a number of different industries and members of the public. Not all Indigenous governments close to participate in that process, and that came on an assurance from us that there would be other opportunities. So at this point, I'm happy to update that the modern treaty holders and self-governance table, which of course are the organizations or other governments that we are obliged under the treaties to engage with before changing procurement, they have set up a process right now with our working group that is going to allow them to move through discussions around what procurement might look like.

And quite recently at the Council of Leaders table, there was also similarly further discussions on how they, too, can continue to engage with the officials to have those direct discussions about what they might want to see and how they want to see this unfold.

So it is a vision that I am happy to say that is coming together, that this is not just the GNWT telling Indigenous governments how we are going to do this. It is everyone working together on the process from the beginning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us when the review of procurement will be complete and what the expected outcomes of what that review will be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am hoping we will start seeing changes within the next few months. The total process might take somewhat longer and I'm hesitant to put a deadline on it because obviously we are still in the process of having discussions with Indigenous governments as well about how to develop this policy moving forward.

But that all said, one of the things that I do believe we will see out of a new procurement policy is that rather than procurement scattered across multiple departments and divisions and multiple different policies all with a different associated Minister, a very strong recommendation that came out of the review, and that I think so far has had positive reception generally, is to put this under one House. Let's have procurement in one place, one accountable Minister, and make some sense of the whole system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Minister's remarks yesterday, the Minister affirmed the commitment to create an Indigenous procurement policy framework. Can the Minister tell us when we can expect to see the creation of the Indigenous policy framework. Is there a timeline?

Also in concluding, Mr. Speaker, I also want to ensure that you can do all the different changes in policy and procurement but we also make sure that everybody's on the same page in enforcement of that policy is -- must be there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do -- there is timelines now set up for those discussions to happen at the modern treaty holders table with our officials as well as the Northwest Territories Council of Leaders. So with timelines for those meetings, I am confident they will move quickly.

There is very much clear awareness that there are some major projects across different regions of the Northwest Territories right now. And if we don't change procurement, we have the procurement we have as it is that no one seems particularly happy with. So there is an urgency for everyone to get this changed.

And I can't agree more. No matter what changes we make we need to be monitoring those changes. Vendor performance management is already being worked on. That's happening at the Comptroller General's office. The have already moved some stages with that and that work doesn't need to stop. We could be monitoring our own contracts even right now. So vendor performance management is already in progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement was in reference to the Federal Rapid Housing Initiative and the tight timeline for submitting applications.

What was equally alarming is the fact that no announcements were ever made of the initiative. There was total secrecy. As the Housing Corporation is a partner in this venture, my question to the Minister is why were there no public announcements made regarding this initiative. Mahsi.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the comment as well. When these federal programs are being announced, the Housing Corporation in the territories is given really little to no notice. Once we were able to acquire the information, the Housing Corporation acted very quickly and we wanted to get the word out in the Northwest Territories to encourage the Indigenous groups to put forward applications. And in support of those applications, the Housing Corporation was there to look at SEED money that may be required to assist those applications going forward.

But with those -- with those federal engagements and with those applications coming forward, with that specific funding, the Northwest Territories does not have a say in how those applications are going to be approved or denied. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for that answer. Mr. Speaker, I took the liberty of contacting the northern office of CMHC in Yellowknife. The representative wouldn't provide any information to me and asked that I contact my First Nations office for information. Well the local First Nations office stated they couldn't say anything pending public announcement by CMHC. Can the Minister find out why there is such secrecy for a publicly-funded initiative. Mahsi.