Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is a follow-up to my statement. It's for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Bell, and it's about the situation regarding the plans for the abandonment and reclamation of the Miramar Con Mine. Mr. Bell, along with myself and some other MLAs, as long ago as last summer, had written to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board and asked for more public access to a review process for how the company was going to shut down this property. I haven't heard anything from the board since then, and I would like to stress again that...

Mr. Speaker, I would agree with the Premier that we should never short-circuit the environment. The circumstances really seem to be unusual; that it is the Department of Fisheries that is advocating this on economic grounds. I have seen the Department of Fisheries’ application to do this. It really seems to be unusual and unwarranted. I would ask, does the Premier agree that the reasons for the application going through really don’t have much to do with the environment at all? Are they appropriate? Are they still appropriate or are they unusual or unwarranted? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act is a very powerful piece of federal legislation that was created a number of years ago. It sets up two fairly powerful boards that regulate the development of non-renewable resources here in the NWT. We’re facing a couple of situations right now that I think are kind of unusual and I want to bring them to the attention of the legislature.

The first one, Mr. Speaker, regards the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, which is now considering a request to take the Deh Cho Bridge proposal to a full environmental...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, in the Premier's response, he indicated that it is the intention to be inclusive, to promote partnership and I certainly support that. But the question I would like to ask is, in his response he said it's the intention of Cabinet to take all major decisions to committees and partners. This is very much the point, Mr. Speaker, of what we have a problem with: whether decisions are brought to committees or Members, not the question of whether there is an issue to be discussed or to be negotiated. So I would like to ask the Premier again, would he care to clarify that statement?...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Karen Hamre, my opponent from the most recent territorial election, and also Mr. Pierre LeBlanc, formerly of the Canadian Armed Forces, one of the commanders and now a very valued member of the business community in the resource section. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS Rule 85 requires that Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development: Mr. Allen, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes; Mr. Delorey, Member for Hay River North; Mrs. Groenewegen, Member for Hay River South; Mr. Menicoche, Member for Nahendeh; Mr. Ramsay, Member for Kam Lake; Mr. Villeneuve, Member for Tu Nedhe.

AND FURTHER that the following Members be...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, January 22, 2004, I will move the following motion: NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development: Mr. Allen, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes; Mr. Delorey, Member for Hay River North; Mrs. Groenewegen, Member for Hay River South; Mr. Menicoche, Member for Nahendeh; Mr. Ramsay, Member for Kam Lake; Mr. Villeneuve, Member for Tu Nedhe.

AND FURTHER that the following Members be named alternates to the Standing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for the Premier and it regards the issue that I made my statement on, as did Mrs. Groenewegen: the operation of consensus government. I would like to ask the Premier what are Cabinet's procedures when it comes to major government initiatives, and the expectations that are on Ministers when it comes to consulting with Members in committees? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to start by complimenting Mr. Handley on his sessional address and the messages that he has again sent to the Assembly and to the people of the NWT about the desires that we have to really be an Assembly that demonstrates how consensus can work, and how we can get on and really prove by our actions that we can and will do a good job.

This morning, as my colleague Mrs. Groenewegen indicated in her statement, we heard on CBC news that Minister Michael Miltenberger was suggesting that sweeping changes to health, social services and education boards and...