Bob McLeod

The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to openness and transparency in conducting its business on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories. In support of this, I am publishing a list of all meetings and teleconferences I have had with external parties, including my participation at intergovernmental meetings and conferences as well as public events.

These reports will provide more information than would typically be on a lobbyist registry. They identify all meetings with external parties not just those with paid lobbyists, of which there are very few in the Northwest...

Today in the Deh Cho Drum, the grand chief is quoted as saying, “I’ve been in this business for a long time. Any time the Dehcho has taken these kind of extreme actions, we always come out ahead.” Extreme positions are not helpful or productive. All of this is unfortunate, and the people that are losing out because of this are the people of the Deh Cho.

The Dehcho Framework Agreement provides facilitation may be requested should the parties come to an impasse. We have, of course, been working on the impasse related to land for a long time. While facilitation might be an option to consider, it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Dehcho First Nations has written, through legal counsel, to inform the Government of the Northwest Territories and Canada that the Dehcho First Nations is pursuing litigation against both governments. The correspondence accuses the Government of the Northwest Territories of negotiating in bad faith. The Government of the Northwest Territories does not negotiate in bad faith. The Government of the Northwest Territories understands that it is not bad faith to have officials work collaboratively for almost two years exploring creative solutions to land questions. It is...

I believe there is some exaggeration there. I look around the Northwest Territories and I don’t see any drilling, I don’t see any oil and gas activities. I’m not sure what the Member is referring to when he’s talking about millions of dollars being invested in plan A. As a government, we have to keep the buildings heated, we have to make sure the lights stay on, and we will continue to do so while, at the same time, investing in alternative and renewable forms of energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There is a main table involving the Government of Canada, the Dehcho First Nations and the Government of the Northwest Territories, so I would suggest they get together, Mr. Speaker.

I won’t repeat my comments about the boy who cried wolf. We’ve never left the table. We have never threatened not to negotiate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That’s why the main table is there. We have the Government of Canada, the Dehcho First Nation, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and as I said, the agreement-in-principle does allow for facilitation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member’s questioning on behalf of the Dehcho First Nations brings to mind the old fable of the boy who cried wolf. The Government of the Northwest Territories has never left the table. We’ve never said we would not negotiate. We are prepared to negotiate. The Dehcho First Nations has gone through great contortions to show otherwise. Their legal counsel has written to us and said they absolutely reject our latest offer. Their legal counsel has written to us and threatened to take us to court, and we’re prepared to negotiate and always have been. Thank you.

As far as we’re concerned, nothing has changed. We are prepared to negotiate. The DCFN legal counsel has rejected out of hand our latest offer. He’s threatened to take us to court. He won’t say on what basis. We have always said we have never left the table. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would suggest, Mr. Speaker, the next step would be for the Dehcho First Nations to attend the main table meeting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.