I like to hear that from the Premier. I had a discussion with the president of the Dene Development Corporation who is the partner of Northland Utilities which is a partner of ATCO in which they have had not one phone call. They have been trying to get in contact with Nancy Sutherland, president of ATCO Frontec, with no response back by way of wondering what the arrangement is with their deal. They have a deal with ATCO in regard to their partnership to distribute power in the Northwest Territories, Hay River, Yellowknife, Providence, and other communities in the Northwest Territories. There’s an agreement in place with that organization. But they are not being consulted on what’s going on with this proposal. I’d like to ask the Premier if he would personally make a call to Darrel Beaulieu of the Dene Development Corporation and ask him what role they are playing in regard to this proposal that you received from ATCO.
The business arrangements of ATCO and Northland Utilities and Dene Development Corporation is that they have an arrangement and we don’t have the detail to that. When it comes to dealing with the Dene Development Corporation itself on this matter sure, there’s no problems there. I’ll make the call.
Again, that clearly shows this government is leaving aboriginal organizations and development corporations out of the decision making process of this government. There are other partnership arrangements between the Government of the Northwest Territories and aboriginal companies with regard to power distribution, residual heat, and other types of projects. I’d like to ask the Premier why other aboriginal groups are not given the same ability to submit a proposal on their ability to buy into the power corporation instead of having a southern company do it for us.
At the regional leadership meeting held with aboriginal leaders in Fort Simpson this issue came up. I, at that point, said if they are interested in submitting a proposal we would have a look at that as well.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to the $80 million purchase, what is ATCO purchasing? Are they purchasing the assets of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation or are they purchasing the future potential that the power corporation has, some 15,000 megawatts of hydro power, the potential in regard to hydro, or the potential to win the potential for biomass? What are they buying into for $80 million?
Those are good questions and the fact that we’ve provided initial correspondence to committee to sit down and have a discussion about this and questions of that nature are the areas that we are going to do an investigation on. Again, we want to sit down with committee. We want to go through this process and do that due diligence first before we start to deal with it in any further steps.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I listened to CKLB on the radio the other day when the Premier was meeting with the chiefs and they were talking about a number of issues with the Premier. I got to thinking in terms of his dialogue this afternoon with the Member for Kam Lake about a going forward basis within the life of this Assembly here. I would ask the Premier if there’s enough discussion from the chiefs and other aboriginal governments to look at the Northwest Territories, as he was saying, in terms of the possibility of having discussions about constitution reforms and how the Northwest Territories can become a real partner in the confederation of Canada. Do we take the next step in terms of having that type of discussion? Or is that too big of a piece to bite on right now with respect to the pressing issues we have to deal with in the Northwest Territories?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m aware that at the Dene leadership meetings the topic of constitutional reform has come up. I’ve had discussions with the Dene National chief on the issue and I asked or he had requested that we look at trying to establish a joint process and that we undertake approaching the federal government to see if they would be party to that. I told him that we should be looking at what opportunities we have available working together in the Northwest Territories and be prepared to bring that to Members to have further discussion on.
In terms of the joint process and how to approach the federal government and the opportunities so all people in the Northwest Territories can have the opportunity to work together, is the Premier and his Cabinet, as well as the Members on this side here, going to see an opportunities paper or discussion paper saying this is over the last several discussions with leaderships right across the North, I think we’re ready to move on with this issue here to approach the federal government. Has the Premier thought about this in terms of a time frame of when this can happen?
There hasn’t been any time lines or discussion papers put in place. It has been a number of discussions at this point. I’d be prepared to get the material and the work that’s been done before and sit down with committee to go through what has been done and should we look at the opportunity. It depends on, for example, I understand the Dene leadership will do a motion on the subject, is my understanding. It depends on the results of that and the wishes of this Assembly as well.
I certainly look forward to when we can have potentially this discussion about the constitutional reform in the Northwest Territories. When the Premier receives a motion from the Dene chiefs will that be enough to push him forward to say I have the chief in the Northwest Territories asking for a constitution reform. Would that be enough to bring some form of discussion on this side to say we need to look at how we’re going to shape the Northwest Territories and how we want to put it into the confederation rightly in Canada.
As I said, there has been no commitment and times established. This has been a couple of discussions. As I said, I’m prepared to sit down with Members of the Assembly committee to discuss previous work that was done, where that went, and if there’s agreement that we should look at this process and get further involved or should we put it on the agenda of the next government.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Premier’s discussions with the other Premiers has this type of discussion ever come up in terms of having the Northwest Territories play a greater role in the confederation of Canada in terms of asking for what we want rather than being treated like an orphan of the federal government? We are moving out of that or hoping we’re going to move out of that frame of mind with the federal government. Has the Premier had any support in discussions with the other Premiers?
We haven’t had any discussions around constitutional development. The areas we have had discussions on is devolution and resource revenue sharing and getting their support for those initiatives that we’ve put on the table. That work continues, but we’ve not entered into the field of constitution development.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of constitutional development is certainly a huge issue. It has been briefly mentioned in some of the discussions with the results of the fallout from the Board Reform Initiative, but I must say that I’m extremely surprised to hear the Premier’s comments on this today. I’d like to ask the Premier if this is something that’s been discussed around the Cabinet table. Embarking on a full-fledged constitutional reform?
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, it hasn’t.
I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in some of the constitutional forums of the past, starting with the Western Constitutional Forum way back when chaired by Mr. Robert McQuarrie. These are huge undertakings and I kind of had the impression that we were kind of making it up as we went along here today. I’m a little bit unnerved with that, just given some of the other priorities we need to focus on right now. We’ve got some huge economic issues out there in the Northwest Territories. We’ve got some huge cost of living issues. I guess I just don’t want to give people out there in the Northwest Territories the wrong impression that we’re off to Ottawa right now to embark on a full-fledged constitutional forum. What he says carries weight, I mean, he is the Premier. Could he give me a little bit more idea of what he’s talking about here when he talks about constitutional discussions?
The fact that this issue was raised at the Dene leadership meeting, so in responding to the aboriginal leaders across the North about this issue we haven’t had a discussion. There is no position right now. There is some discussion about trying to get into a process and we’ll need to come and sit down with Members to discuss if there’s such a process we would engage in, to what level we would engage in, and how we would try to find partners; for example, the federal government would be key to this and what the First Nations would bring to the table as well. There is no paper in place. This is not a march to Ottawa at this stage. This is an issue that has been raised by the Dene leadership. We’re responding in a sense to some of their concerns and reactions, as well as some of the Members, about consensus government in the North. Just put it out there for discussion.
We all know that too many priorities is no priority. Certainly there will be a time when constitutional development will be timely and it will be appropriate to discuss that. Was there a motion or any resolution passed at the Dene Nation this week with regard to constitutional development?
I know it was under discussion at the table. My understanding is they were going to prepare it as one of the motions that had to be discussed and voted on. I’m not sure the outcome of that.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Premier commit to not taking any further action on this unless a proposal or resolution does come from the Dene National Assembly to this government, at which time would he please ask us what we would think of our government perhaps leading an initiative on something like this? I don’t know how that would all take place, but I think it does bear some discussion as a full Caucus.
As I said earlier, before any decision is made, before any discussion happens we’ll have to sit down as Members. I absolutely agree, this would be a good Caucus discussion item.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to also ask the Premier when all the chiefs of the Northwest Territories gather and if they are going to draft a motion in terms of having some serious discussions on constitutional reform, there’s land claims settlements, there’s self-government settlements negotiated, that the Premier takes the motion very seriously for our people back in our communities who are represented by the leadership of the chiefs here in terms of bringing forward to, like Mrs. Groenewegen has indicated, the Assembly so we can have discussions. These are our chiefs that are speaking about this motion.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The relationship we have with aboriginal governments we take very seriously. In fact, that is why we’ve established the regional leaders meetings that we take part in with the grand chiefs and presidents of aboriginal government across the Territory. We have a joint ability to put items on the agenda. So those discussions and motions that are made are taken seriously. There are not all times we can agree with what’s put on the table. We let them know. But we continue to try to work on best efforts to strengthen our position from the Territory. Far too many times we find ourselves at odds and not moving ahead because Ottawa continues to tell us and make decisions in the North that have long-term impacts here. We’re starting to see the fact that we need to work together and pull our resources together and have that discussion. So yes, we do take their motion seriously.
In my question to the Premier regarding the constitution issue, certainly as he said Ottawa takes a lot of resources out of the Northwest Territories. In his discussions with devolution and resource revenue sharing, that is possibly a signal in terms of the development of a constitution and protection of constitutional rights in the Northwest Territories. In his discussions with those two specific areas, is that where this government and Cabinet is looking at how we can evolve into getting stronger constitutional protection rights for the Northwest Territories where we can stand up and say yes, we are truly a partner in Canada.
The process we’re involved in exists within the framework we operate under. The NWT Act, our relationship with the federal government, this would not establish, it’s not the work of a constitutional process. It is within the existing framework that we have. If we’re going to enter into that area I think we do, as Members have stated, need to get to the table, have a discussion, work with the aboriginal leadership across the North, and see if we can come forward with a common process and understanding and who would take part, to what level, where the funds would come from, so on and so forth. That’s all very early stages. We might not have any discussion in that area. Our work is in the existing framework that we have to live with.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to the opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 7-16(3), Ministerial Benefits Policy; Committee Report 2-16(3), Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures Report on Matters Referred to the Committee; Committee Report 3-16(3), Report on the Use of Laptop Computers and Blackberry Devices in the Legislative Assembly; Tabled Document 11-16(3), NWT Main Estimates 2009-2010; Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Historical Resources Act; Bill 3, International Interest in Mobile Aircraft Equipment Act; Bill 4, Public Library Act; Bill 5, Professional Corporations Act; Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act with Mr. Abernethy in the chair.
Thank you. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. We’re reviewing Tabled Document 7-16(3), Committee Report 2-16(3), Committee Report 3-16(3), Tabled Document 11-16(3), Bills 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7. What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The wish of the committee today is to deal with Committee Report 3-16(3), Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures Report on the Use of Laptop Computers and Blackberry Devices in the Legislative Assembly. And then after that to continue on with consideration of the budget for the NWT Housing Corporation and the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, time permitting.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. We’ll commence with that as soon as we’ve taken a short break. Is committee agreed? Sorry.
Agreed.
Okay. We’ll go with that once we have a short break.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the break, committee agreed that we would consider Committee Report 3-16(3), Report on the Use of Laptop Computers and BlackBerry Devices in the Legislative Assembly. I would like to go to the chair of Rules and Procedures for some opening comments. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures tabled Committee Report 3-16(3) on February 11, 2009. This report on the use of laptop computers and BlackBerry devices in the Legislative Assembly was read into the record and a motion was passed to move the report into Committee of the Whole. Members may recall that the report recommended that laptop computers be allowed during the Committee of the Whole proceedings during the sitting of the Legislative Assembly and that the use of laptops be evaluated.
The committee is also recommending that the standing and special committees of the Assembly allow the use of laptops during committee meetings. The committee further recommends that the issue of the purchase of laptops, the planning and installation of supporting infrastructure, required changes to operational procedures and the implementation plan be all developed.
Lastly, Mr. Chair, the committee is recommending that the use of BlackBerry devices be permitted but, similar to the use of cell phones, they must not disrupt Members’ activities.
Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to make the three motions as recommended by the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures in the report. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. You can proceed with your motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends that Members be permitted to use laptops during Committee of the Whole proceedings during the winter 2009 session only, after which their use will be evaluated;
And further, that communication devices cannot be used by a Member who has the floor; and that a Member who has the floor must have his or her laptop closed.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
