Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, the way I see it right now is we could be spending money better and how could that be happening? I bet we could get further by spending $1 million on a television commercial that could air all across Canada for people in Canada, and maybe even we could wake up some of those parliamentarians down in Ottawa to see what is really happening up here. I think our resource money is being stolen. There is no Robin Hood stealing from the Northwest Territories and giving it back to the people, Mr. Premier. I think our Prime Minister should...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise again today to bring forward some of my concerns to a shepherd of our Assembly. I raised many questions in my Member’s statement today. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier if he knows whether or not the federal government will deduct from our grants the resources and revenues that the territory may collect in the future -- I stress may -- from the pipeline even if we do get a resource revenue agreement and deal. What does he have to demonstrate certainty; not his gut feeling, certainty? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, honourable colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I’ll say again, this bill includes permitting approvals and loan guarantees worth nearly $18 billion U.S. That’s $22 billion Canadian, as I’ve said. To make that point, as I’ve stressed, clearly that’s 24 times what the GNWT will get over our life of this project. Mr. Speaker, that does not make any fiscal sense. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT should be working with the Americas about buying off and sitting still for 20 years because we’d be much further ahead making a side deal than trying to charge into this in competition with...

The GNWT is investing so much money in the pipeline; we’re opening new offices, we’re hiring more people in the government, we’re doing assessment after assessment without really knowing what our return on the investment is going to be. If we took all the money that we have invested in the pipeline strategy and we put it into early childhood education or a stronger arts program or something better yet, such as youth, we’d be seeing real tangible results, Mr. Speaker. Real results. Mr. Speaker, as I see it, we are racing to build a pipeline, but unfortunately there is no race for the Americas...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I think about the Mackenzie Valley pipeline it raises a number of concerns for me; primary concerns such as what it will do to benefit northerners. We should be asking these questions for a long time. We had been, is the way I see it. At this time, I think we should know some of the answers before we break ground. Our return to the Mackenzie Valley pipeline for the Northwest Territories without a resource revenue sharing agreement is expected to be $900 million over the next 30 years compared to what the federal government’s share is, which is almost $22 billion...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I won’t be as long. I see this pipeline not like a train, but I get the image of more like a hurricane or tsunami taking over Florida. It is just going to come through the Northwest Territories, destroy our little towns and villages. So anybody in a trailer or whatnot better watch out, because these big oil companies are coming in.

Mr. Speaker, it’s paramount, it’s not just critical, it’s paramount that we receive primary benefits, substantial benefits, from this. In the Northwest Territories, we truly are the stewards of this land. However, I really doubt we have a...

My apologies, Mr. Speaker, and, of course to the Prime Minister of Canada. I would not insinuate that in a very negative way, and my apologies and I will retract that.

Mr. Speaker, I see the North is hurting from the way Ottawa is taking our resources, and I think you can tell from the passion in my voice I think our people will be suffering from that. Would the Premier tell us today how much has been invested to date in preparing for this pipeline? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I hope and I pray our Premier is right, that some day…However, the way I read the agreement now or I see us proceeding, I should say, not reading the agreement, is, yes, our resource benefit will increase, but our grant will decrease and still it will be a level playing field, there will be no change. So I can’t see that we are proceeding in a direction right now that is what I want as concrete.

Mr. Speaker, the Pembina Institute released a report that was on the radio in August, saying that the federal government who sets the royalties is giving away the territory...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You already mentioned their names, but I would like to mention a fine constituent of mine who is Pat McMahon, a former mayor of this fine city of Yellowknife. In her fine company is Captain Tony Evans of the HMCS Yellowknife. I’d like to draw to the attention of all Members of this House that I’m wearing the Yellowknife ship’s pin right on my chest here with pride. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement? Thank you.