Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Forging the Future, Anchored in Our Past, Building on Our Present, Youth Conference Report, July 7 to 8, 2011.

I believe that the situation as we find ourselves in Norman Wells also is being felt in another community supplied by natural gas, Inuvik. There the utility provider is looking at their options and approaching the federal government. We know that throughout the territory we have to come up with a process that works.

This is such a large issue that in fact at the Western Premiers’ Conference that we held here in the Northwest Territories the idea of disasters and disaster mitigation was discussed and then brought to the larger table at the Council of Federation to address this, and we’re hoping...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of Norman Wells, one, the gas supply has seized our attention. In fact, a number of departments -- Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, and our Power Corporation -- are working with the community to deal with the issue that we were all notified that the gas supply would be coming to an end in two years.

The additional pressure that mounted in the spring was the issue of the pipeline, and thereby a reduction in natural gas supply. The community has done their work. They approached us, through the Department of Municipal and Community...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the Finance Minister stated, he’ll get the additional information and provide that to Members. In our budget submission I believe we shared with committee a fair bit of that, but we’ll get the additional information.

More importantly, as was stated earlier by the Finance Minister in an earlier question around implementation, this isn’t the full implementation of working to implement the deal. This is preparation for implementation. The one thing we’ve learned, as the Minister has stated, from the Yukon experience -- and the Member knows this himself from his own work...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Miltenberger has touched on it and I know the Members brought this up in discussions in this Assembly in the past about preparation for taking over the regime itself and the work. As we stated in this House, we’re unable to begin that work until we own the legislation. This money is identified for the preparation up to and including negotiations. Once a final agreement is signed, then we can look at doing that work about making changes as we see fit in the Northwest Territories. This request does not include that style of work of changing a made-in-the-North...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The process used incorporated Aboriginal groups across the Northwest Territories, all Aboriginal groups. We have fulfilled our obligations under claims. We have provided funds. They have been at the table. In fact, the agreement-in-principle, as it sits, has the handprint of Aboriginal groups on it, the majority of Aboriginal groups.

Now, Mr. Krutko has pointed out there are two Aboriginal groups that have signed this. One group has a settled claim and one group doesn’t have a settled claim. So there are differences there between that, but they both saw fit to decide to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The second part of the question is the approach we are using to stay engaged with all the Aboriginal groups throughout the territory. We’ve done a number of things. One, first and foremost, is the door remains open, and the funds we are requesting, these are prorated amounts for the remainder of this fiscal year. The future year includes an amount that would incorporate a full year’s approach and contributions for Aboriginal groups. That we budgeted to have all Aboriginal groups take part if they decide to sign on to the AIP. That’s the first door and avenue of being...

We have limited opportunity left in the life of our Assembly to make approaches to the federal government. As I stated, this is of national significance and importance when you look at what happened to the natural disasters that did occur in Alberta and the prairie provinces for the flooding, and other disaster areas in Ontario, for example. The idea of dealing with the issues before they become disasters is being discussed and will continue to be discussed. There seems to be some favourable language coming from the federal government.

Specific to our communities, we will have a challenge...

We have -- and I must say the Member has been consistent on that -- raised the issue, invited us to meet with the community leadership. We’ve done that on a couple of occasions. We’ve come up with an approach to help the community looking at the actual conversion that has to happen as gas supplies run out. I believe the target for residential customers is 2014. We’ve started working on that. We as departments have started conversion of our own assets to ensure that we reduce the demand for natural gas to try to extend that gas season, I guess we can call it.

The ongoing work, and I know the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just on this motion, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, we’ve said on a number of occasions that nothing we can do could take away from the established land claims authorities that are there that are constitutionally protected in this country. We’ve said that and have that in some of our legislation, as pointed out. Those pieces of legislation that are included are, in fact, ones that are much larger, that effect direct impact on some of the co-management areas. The Member has raised the Wildlife Act, for example, because it directly involves a...