David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I noted in the devolution process, there is also, I believe it is Section 12 of that agreement which clearly identified that this government could not remove itself from federal obligations in which the obligations the federal government has under ensuring that those commitments they make under land claims agreements have to be fulfilled and that they are not going to be basically simply diminished. I think that is the concern of a lot of the aboriginal groups that do have land claims. We have economic measures. We have surface resource sections. We have protected...

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Mr. Speaker, again, there is a very long backlog in regards to this. There are a lot of people waiting. I heard from a lot of constituents in the three communities I represent. There have been people waiting for almost a year and a half and still haven’t received this service. Is there a possibility that different health authorities, whoever can assist the Inuvik region through this transition and get some of these patients into the system either in Yellowknife or elsewhere so that we can try to bring some remedy to the situation and shorten the waiting list that people are waiting for the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I’d like to ask the Premier why in the land claim agreements we specifically state that the Government of the Northwest Territories shall consult the aboriginal groups in regard to oil and gas and devolution in the Northwest Territories and why aboriginal groups have written letters to the Minister, which have been sitting on his desk for seven months? Is that the way that we deal with aboriginal governments when we make reference that this government shall consult and we’ve put the letters on the side table and, what, wait for the time to run out? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the whole intention of the land claim agreements, the devolution of process is to enhance the land claim agreements to give the aboriginal response in regards to lands and resource responsibility of the Northwest Territories, but ownership of those resources of the Northwest Territories and to take part of the political and social development in the Northwest Territories. Without those enhancements, the Dene-Metis would have never signed the agreements that we have today, because we have settled for arrangement that we will take a share of resource revenue sharing throughout the...

There are constitutional cases under Section 35 rights in the Constitution where there are land claims agreements that are settled in the Northwest Territories which specifically state that the Government of the Northwest Territories shall negotiate with those organizations. It’s in our land claims agreements. Yet this government is totally missing the boat when they figure they can sign an agreement between themselves and the federal government and not have aboriginal involvement. That for me is the problem with this agreement. The way it’s being handled is the lack of aboriginal involvement...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad that the Premier has finally seen the light to meet with the aboriginal leaders and for those groups that have been raising issues for some six or seven months regarding a letter he received from the Gwich’in Tribal Council on areas they had concerns about on the devolution process with no response to date.

Under the Northern Accord Agreement it’s clear that aboriginal rights are clearly defined in the agreement. It says none of the agreements that abrogate, derogate from any of the provisions included in the aboriginal land claims settlement, including the...

Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Mr. Speaker, again, it will be nice if the Department of Health and Social Services, the Inuvik Regional Health Board could maybe put out a public advisory letting the people know what the status of the situation is so that they can stop calling our MLAs and also get the information to the people that require that. I would like to ask the Minister if they can also notify the public on the status of the situation and also work with those families and parents to deal with this matter. Thank you.