David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Premier in regard to a letter that was written to the Premier back on April 19th, some six months ago, from the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council outlining concerns that they’ve had in regard to the devolution process and elements that they feel are critical to making sure that the agreements that we do negotiate for devolution include some of these aspects, regardless of division of powers and responsibilities. We’re looking at the distribution of revenues in regard to how the existing different agreements reflect the population of a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Prior to discussing the issue on devolution yesterday, there was a press release that was released yesterday afternoon from the Gwich’in Tribal Council that clearly identifies that they are not supportive of the draft Northwest Territories devolution agreement. Also in the media release was a response to a letter that was written to the Premier back on April 19th which outlined a bunch of items that they’d like the Premier to discuss with them on how the division of powers was going to be looked at, looking at how the sharing of resources and revenues was going to be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the elements that they talk about in the agreement is the whole area of distribution of royalty wealth of which 25 percent is going to aboriginal organizations in the Northwest Territories. The other 75 percent is going to the Government of the Northwest Territories. Those governments represent 50 percent of the population of the Northwest Territories and they represent 27 communities. I’d like to know if we have looked at the possibility of seeing how this arrangement is being divvied up and will we consider reallocation of that formula so that it’s more...

In the letter there are several items, six items which were part of the media release that came out yesterday. I’d like to ask the Premier, has your department taken into consideration these six elements that were in the letter in regard to the negotiation of the devolution process and were they even brought to the negotiating table.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize three constituents in the gallery. There’s Gladys Edwards from Aklavik, we don’t get many constituents here so… Charlene Blake from Tsiigehtchic and also Maria McSwain from Fort McPherson. I’d like to welcome you to the House. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I will try to simplify my question. During the negotiations between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government at those negotiating tables... I mean, you keep talking about a past tense of what aboriginal groups did or who signed on or who didn’t. I want to know, physically, were the aboriginal groups at the negotiations between the federal government and the Government of the Northwest Territories to come up with this latest agreement-in-principle for devolution for the Northwest Territories? Yes or no?

Mr. Chairman, I believe that just looking out in the parking lot here, the Legislative Assembly, they ripped up all the chipseal that was here. Basically they hauled it to the landfill. A lot of that material could have been recycled because it is an oil-based product. It can be basically reused. I would just like to know, as a government, I think that is the type of stuff we should be looking at if we are looking at a long-term cost of providing this throughout the Northwest Territories, but also realizing there are savings to recycling materials regardless of what the product is. I would...

Mr. Speaker, the concern from the aboriginal groups that I’ve been talking to is that under the land claim agreements we have water rights provisions; we have, basically, land and water provisions; we have the surface rights provisions; we have land use planning provisions. All those provisions are basically supposed to be part of the devolution process so that when the devolution process will be concluded, you will have a working relationship with landowners throughout the Northwest Territories from the aboriginal landowners to the Crown holders and making sure that all the parameters of...

Mr. Chair, I think, looking at it by way of the usage over a period of time, like you say, five years is usually the life of the product where you basically have to rip it up and redo the whole thing again. I’m just wondering if that’s something that’s the problem with chipseal, it has a short duration of usage and then you basically have to redo it again. I think it’s something that we should be looking at like a product that can possibly double the lifecycle of chipseal, but more importantly, look at other products. You touched on it when you said it’s the cheapest way of applying, but that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to ask the Premier exactly how many aboriginal groups were in the negotiating process, at the table negotiating this latest devolution agreement since previous statements by the Premier in which he put this arrangement on the back burner, as he stated. Can you tell us how many aboriginal groups were actually at the negotiating table when this was being negotiated between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government?