Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

This is page numbers 3325 - 3360 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.

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Release of the GNWT Draft Action Plan in Response to the Draft Final Report of the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered IndigenouS WOMEN AND GIRLS

Ministers Absent From The House

Member's Statement on Inuvik Long-Term Care Facility

Student Outcomes

Housing

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

Priorities of the 19th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly

Regional and Community Decision-Making

Municipal Funding Gap

Priorities of the 19th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly

Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19

Eulogy for Archie Kaglik

Mental Health Impacts of COVID‐19

Regional and Community Decision‐Making

District Education Authorities

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

Emergency Solutions

Municipal Funding Gap

Housing

Future of Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre

Tabled Document 529-19(2): Changing the Relationship: Draft Action Plan in Response to the Calls for Justice on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People Tabled Document 530-19(2): Grants and Contributions Results Report 2020-2021 Tabled Document 531-19(2): Northern Mineral Sector Investment Study Final Report, August 2021 Tabled Document 532-19(2): Public Accounts 2020-2021 - Sections I, II, III and IV

Tabled Document 533-19(2): Northwest Territories on the Land Collaborative 2021 Report Tabled Document 534-19(2): What We Heard: 2021 Anti-Poverty Roundtable

Tabled Document 535-19(2): Motion 4-83(2): Testing of Cruise Missile in Canada - Excerpts from Hansard dated September 2, 1983 Tabled Document 536-19(2): Motion 15-86(1): Cruise Missile Testing Opposition - Excerpts from Hansard dated March 5, 1986 Tabled Document 537-19(2): Motion 11-89(2): Low Level Flights in Northwest Territories - Excerpts from Hansard dated November 1, 1989 Tabled Document 538-19(2): Motion 20-12(5): Condemnation of Continuation of Cruise Missile Testing - Excerpts from Hansard dated March 2, 1994

Bill 45: Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) 2022-2023

Consideration Of Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Committee Report 22-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Fiscal Regime - Analysis of Performance of Mining Fiscal Regime

Committee Report 23-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Review of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Public Accounts - Public-Private Partnership (P3) Classification for Old Stanton Refurbishment Project

Committee Report 23-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Review of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Public Accounts - Reporting of Contingent Liabilities from Claims and Litigation

Committee Report 23-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Review of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Public Accounts - Review of Fiscal Responsibility Policy

Committee Report 23-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Review of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Public Accounts -Enhancement of Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis Section

Committee Report 23-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Review of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Public Accounts - User-Friendly and Accessible Public Accounts

Committee Report 23-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Review of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Public Accounts - Government Response to Recommendations

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Bill 45: Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) 2022-2023

Recorded Vote

Bill 30: An Act to Amend the Aurora College Act

Recorded Vote

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 180-19(2): Committee Report 22-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Fiscal Regime - Analysis of Net Revenue Benefits, Carried
Consideration Of Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3346

Some Hon. Members

Question.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Nunakput.

Committee Motion 181-19(2): Committee Report 22-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Fiscal Regime - Mining Revenues to Benefit Future Generations, Carried
Consideration Of Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3346

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories generate greater mining revenues to benefit the future generations. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. Just briefly, I checked the heritage fund balance, and it's predicted to be $27 million at the end of 2020-2021. And I calculated the value of the diamonds that have been exported from the Northwest Territories since diamond production began, and it's about $35 billion.

I know we got a late start on the heritage fund, and the heritage fund is something that's going to be reviewed hopefully during the life of this Assembly, but I think we kind of need to do better for our future generations. Thanks, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. To the motion?

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Some Hon. Members

Question.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Nunakput.

Committee Motion 182-19(2): Committee Report 22-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Fiscal Regime - Indigenous Governments' Economic Benefit Sharing, Carried
Consideration Of Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3347

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories expand Indigenous governments' economic benefit sharing. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, just briefly, I do want to acknowledge that the Mineral Resources Act when it was being developed there are provisions now in the act for benefit agreements to be negotiated prior to production licences. I think that was a good thing to do. I think there's still some details to be worked out in that regard. But I think that was a good start in acknowledging that there's a need to share greater benefits with Indigenous governments from mining. Yes, thanks, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. To the motion? Member for Thebacha.

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Frieda Martselos Thebacha

I just want to make a comment on his comment. In that benefit agreements to Indigenous governments, the money comes, the money goes. I think that the only way to go in future with any kind of industry, especially large industry like mining or anything else, they have to have ownership. Indigenous governments should have ownership in the projects. So I just want to make that comment. And you know what, we have to -- I know there was the comments made by -- and I know he's very -- you know, I respect his views, although I don't always agree with them, and I respect anybody in this House views. We are all very -- what we believe in, we try to express on the floor of the House. And I'm very much about making sure that the mining industry survives. I want to make sure that the mining industry is -- that we're open for business, and I want to make sure that we all have jobs in the future, especially there's a lot of jobs that are -- like, even in my community, many of the people out of Fort Smith work at the mines. And I don't want to make things more difficult because sometimes, you know, too many rules and too many of everything -- and government likes to do that. Too much paper. Too much everything. And there's better ways of doing things in business. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. The consultant pointed out that we are doing some things in this area, but we actually have a lot of room to expand into making sure that, as MLA Martselos noted, that Indigenous-owned corporations and their governments, you know, take equity stakes in mines. I think it's pretty clear that some of our dev corps are doing much better than others and have really built, you know, wealth and experience off of mining. But there's a lot to learn. I think a great jurisdiction to turn to is Alaska.

If you go to Alaska, nine out of the ten largest owned corporations are Indigenous-owned corporations. They have really took their dev corps to a whole other scale. And I think you're going to get a long way down the list of companies operating in the NWT before you even find a local one let alone an Indigenous one. It is clear that no one in the NWT is operating on the scale of the companies currently running our mines. And I think a future world to envision in the mining world is that, you know, instead of it maybe being Rio Tinto or De Beers, it's actually an Indigenous-owned company that owns that mine. I don't think that is an outrageous dream and it is something that I hope that this mining fiscal regime can look to. I know that gets into IBAs, and I know that gets into the confidentiality of what is actually currently being paid out, but I think there is probably a lot of room to grow in this area. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

To the motion?

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Some Hon. Members

Question.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? Motion carried.

---Carried

Member for Nunakput.

Committee Motion 183-19(2): Committee Report 22-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Fiscal Regime -Public Information and Engagement, Carried
Consideration Of Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3347

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories make it public, as soon as possible, information on the steps, timeline, and the opportunities for public engagement for the review of the mining fiscal regime. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion? Member for Frame Lake.

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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I just want to encourage that the department does get out some more information about what the next steps are. There was the PricewaterhouseCooper's study done in -- that was publicly released in October of 2020, and I understand there's some more work in progress. But what those next steps are and the timeline for them and how that's going to relate to regulation development, whether the regulations are going to cover a variety of topics like map staking, transparency, that's just not clear at all. And so I want to encourage the department, the Minister, to put out that roadmap so that it's available to everybody. Thanks, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. To the motion?

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Some Hon. Members

Question.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Nunakput.

Committee Motion 184-19(2): Committee Report 22-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Fiscal Regime - Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
Consideration Of Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

December 8th, 2021

Page 3348

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee recommends the government provide a response to the recommendations contained in this report within 120 days. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

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