Debates of February 1, 2006 (day 20)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Honourable Joe Handley, Premier of the Northwest Territories. I spoke in my Member’s statement about dealing with a new political climate in Ottawa with a new Conservative government and as well here locally with a non-governing party Member of Parliament. So the political landscape in Ottawa has certainly shifted. I guess the big question in my mind and the public’s mind is, how is our government going to work with the new government in Ottawa to get our issues addressed? I guess the first question I have for the Premier is, how is our government going to work with the new Conservative government in Ottawa to address the issues we face here in the North? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 311-15(4): GNWT Work With New Federal Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say, first of all, it will be different because we now have our Member of Parliament who represents one of the opposition parties. Our working relationship with the Member of Parliament will be somewhat different. Mr. Speaker, I am encouraged, though, by the Prime Minister’s statements. In fact, on election night, accepting his victory, he did make the statement that he would work with us to realize our dreams in the North. In letters to me, he has been very clear in terms of his position on a number of major issues to us.

So, Mr. Speaker, I have written a letter to the Prime Minister congratulating him. A letter will be going out this week outlining our major priorities, which I’m sure he’s very familiar with; but that will be done. He will be selecting his Cabinet next week and we will be corresponding with the new Cabinet Ministers as soon as they are in office. Mr. Speaker, we also will continue to have a good, strong relationship with the current government. I believe, from his correspondence, he supports what we’re doing.

Mr. Speaker, I want to also emphasize that we will work with all of the Members in this House for advice on how we can deliver the message, what the message should be. I have also opened the door for our business community to participate, as a business coalition, in events if we were to do them, like another Northwest Territories Day in Ottawa. Mr. Speaker, I’ll be meeting with regional aboriginal leaders on February 9th to discuss with them our working relationship, as well.

So, Mr. Speaker, I’m optimistic. The Prime Minister-designate has made some firm commitments to us and I think, as I’ve said earlier, we hit the ground running. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 311-15(4): GNWT Work With New Federal Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for his response this afternoon. One of the questions I’d have for the Premier, I know he spoke of priorities, we’ve seen a number of these same priorities kicked around for the last number of years by this government and the government before it and even the government before that. I’m talking about devolution and resource revenue sharing specifically. I’m just wondering, from the public standpoint, and the Premier mentioned a letter that he’s writing to Ottawa listing priorities, I mean, when is the government going to issue a list of priorities to the public so that the public can try to understand what we’re up against in Ottawa and whether or not we can actually deliver on some of these priorities by the end of the life of this government, which is only 19 months away, Mr. Speaker? So I’d like to ask the Premier if, indeed, he’ll make a list of priorities that he’s going to send to Ottawa available to the public and to Members of this side of the House so that everybody knows what we’re asking for and we can try to get some things accomplished? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 311-15(4): GNWT Work With New Federal Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will make available to all of the Members a copy of the letter that we’re sending to the Prime Minister. Certainly Members are free to share that with their constituents, so it will very quickly become a public letter.

Mr. Speaker, I did give the Members a quick briefing on what I thought were the main priorities, and asked for input, if anyone has other ideas. If I can, very quickly, Mr. Speaker, they are financing and resource development, devolution included. Both our financing formula and devolution and resource revenue sharing are priorities. Mr. Speaker, another one is the major infrastructure needs we have in the Northwest Territories. That is a priority, particularly our road transportation system, but our airports as well, and municipal infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, another one is on economic development and support for the energy industry, which is just getting on its feet in the Northwest Territories in a big way right now with the Mackenzie Valley pipeline. Then, Mr. Speaker, the others are a whole package of social issues, from housing to post-secondary education to health. These are commitments that were made at the First Ministers' meeting that we need to talk with the Prime Minister about.

Mr. Speaker, included in that list, I want to say as well, are other commitments that have been made, for example, to residential school survivors that we need to know where the current government stands on that as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 311-15(4): GNWT Work With New Federal Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for his response. I’d like to, as well, ask the Premier, and I know he mentioned it briefly, but how is the Government of the Northwest Territories going to involve aboriginal governments here in the Northwest Territories in dealing with the federal government? During the election campaign there was a lot of negativity in some camps towards the Conservative government coming into power and dealing with aboriginal people. I’m just wondering, has the Premier got a strategy so that he can lay to rest some of these fears that were out there to the aboriginal governments here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 311-15(4): GNWT Work With New Federal Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have not had opportunity to speak with all the aboriginal leaders. I will have a meeting with the regional leaders on February 9th, but I have talked to many of them and all the people that I have talked to recognize that Canada has voted in a new party as a government. The North has voted in a new Member of Parliament, and everybody is going to work positively to achieve what we can. We have many common agenda items right now and I have no doubt, as we discuss this further with aboriginal leaders, that they’re going to approach this very positively, in spite of comments that may have been made earlier on. We all want to move forward on the pipeline, on continuing that strong economy, on self-government, on devolution and so on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.