Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just want to begin with the community of Wrigley. I think we spoke with the Minister about this before and in the House, is that striving towards a full-time detachment in the community of Wrigley is still a goal of our government and it’s something I support and the community supports. So as we work towards getting a full-time detachment, I’d just like to ask the Minister once again to raise it with his federal colleagues. It’s still a priority of our GNWT and I understood that it may still be in the federal capital plan but a couple years down the road. Any...

I guess the next biggest component is where is the federal government on this? I still think that they do have a huge fiduciary responsibility and to me it just seems like the federal government has been very absent in this whole process. The GNWT did have a role, but the federal government does have fiduciary responsibility as well. I believe they too should provide some resources and it really doesn’t have to be tied to signing the agreement-in-principle as well. I think that they should be flexible and creative as well and try to make this work for the North and for all Northerners. So I...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I noticed that this line item is specific to, I believe, some of the devolution discussion and some devolution budgeting requirements. Given the heightened awareness of our Aboriginal groups, most particularly the Dehcho First Nations which is a concern about where we are going with devolution. They want to understand more. I think last week they had passed the motion at the Dehcho winter leadership meeting about the willingness to at least talk about it at this... Their first position is always completing, of course, of the Dehcho process. That has always been a...

Thank you very much. It will certainly be something I will support and I will work with the community of Nahanni Butte and we will get something to the Minister’s office so, hopefully, we can get it into the capital planning process this summer and this fall, if the Minister is willing to work with the community towards that. Thank you.

Of course, it’s not in the capital plan yet, but how soon should that letter be in place and when is the next opportunity to put this into the capital plan? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I am very concerned about the discussion of our proposed carbon tax in the NWT, especially the impact it could have on small and remote communities. As the MLA with the smallest communities, I am not convinced that a carbon tax is in the best interest of my constituents. A carbon tax is implemented by taxing the burden of fossil fuels, coal, petroleum products such as gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel, including heating diesel. This is the very thing that we in the small communities use every day to make a living and have a living. We will certainly pay more and I cannot...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to speak a little bit about some of the frustrations from the Dehcho First Nations in the Deh Cho. I guess one of the biggest frustrating things, well, actually, one of the other frustrating things that keep happening, like, devolution was something that they did not need at this time because they just have to dedicate extra resources to find their way around that. But I think the biggest thing and the barrier of the Dehcho First Nations moving forward right now is the subsurface rights that was released by the federal government on the Edehzhie. I...

I believe that we cannot be too stern and continue with the carrot stick approach. There’s willingness out there. Anywhere the government can be flexible or creative in communicating with our Aboriginal groups and give them the information that they need, the resources that they need, I think it will go a long way. We are talking about their future and the future of the North and we’re at a big turning point here. It’s very important that we continue to be at the table with each other and discuss it.

So just in terms of a group like the Dehcho First Nations’ willingness to at least try to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have thought about the motion for the last little while and my honourable colleague proposed it. I do have to say that I will not be supporting this motion. Aboriginal people strive. It took time the Affirmative Action Policy for this government to start hiring Aboriginal people that we had to put this policy in place to force government to hire Aboriginal people. I don’t believe that we have to... I think this motion, despite my honourable colleague’s intentions, will open up the P1 policy to all kinds of different weakening of our Affirmative Action Policy. We are...

I just realized that when you talk about parks and parking areas, that’s two different things there. ...(inaudible)...parking area and a camping area on the other side of the Liard River from where Nahanni Butte is, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.