Debates of February 2, 2006 (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome and recognize the mayor of Enterprise, Mrs. Winnie Cadieux along with councillor Amy Mercredi from Enterprise. Also with us is Robert Lamalice, a councillor from the K’atlodeeche band council. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to also recognize the entire UNW executive, but specifically my constituent Gayla Wick who is first vice-president of the UNW, and also Sheila Laity who is regional vice-president for the North Great Slave region of the UNW and, interestingly enough, also enrolled in the Nurse Practitioner Program at Aurora College. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. My apologies; the Member for Yellowknife South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize a constituent of mine, Mr. Donnie Roberts, who is also a regional vice-president of the UNW in Fort McPherson. I would like to welcome you, Donnie.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Tyson Pertschy who was employed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Parks Canada. Mr. Pertschy is presently a member of a joint review panel, but, more importantly, he is my nephew. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Again, I want to recognize my mother in the gallery as a Native Women’s Association of the NWT. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Along with my other colleagues, Mr. Speaker, a welcome to the full executive of the Union of Northern Workers and to my constituent, Todd Parsons, the president of the UNW. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased today to recognize a constituent from Fort Simpson, Candy Brown, our regional vice-president for the Deh Cho region. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a former constituent in the Sahtu, Mr. Donnie Roberts who is now in the Gwich’in area, former social worker in our region. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me pleasure today to introduce in the gallery my wife and daughter. My wife, Shawna, and my daughter, Courtney.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anybody in the gallery today, welcome to the House. It is always a pleasure to have an audience.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Finance today in follow-up to his budget address. Mr. Speaker, whenever we talk about the fiscal situation in our government, whenever we talk about resource revenue sharing, we talk about royalties and devolution. As a territorial government, this can never be done in the absence of talking about the aspirations and the cooperation of aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories, as well. I know that the budget address was somewhat abbreviated today, but I noticed almost right away -- and I actually mentioned to my colleague here -- that there was only, I think, one reference to aboriginal governments in the entire budget address, right towards the very end. To that subject, Mr. Speaker, I also found it interesting that, during the election campaign, some of the aboriginal leaders were quite shocked to hear from our outgoing MP that we were only three days away from a devolution and resource revenue sharing agreement when the Liberal government fell. Some of the aboriginal leaders were quite surprised by that because they didn’t realize we were to that distance, which goes to the point that we cannot make progress on this file without their cooperation. I would like to know what the status is of creating a unified voice and a unified position so that when we do take our message to Ottawa, that we do have a credible message in the fact that it represents not only this public government but for aboriginal governments, as well. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 318-15(4): Inclusion Of Aboriginal Governments In Resource Revenue And Devolution Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the financial front, our negotiations have been working with the Aboriginal Summit and leaders across the Territories. We continue to do that. For the specific details of where certain files are sitting, I would have to have the Premier try to provide some information there. But on the front overall, our stance is still the same. We have to work together in the Northwest Territories with our partners in the North being aboriginal governments and organizations, to come up with a common message so that we can, in fact, show that we are unified in the Northwest Territories with our approach. There is a lot of work going on in the areas and much work yet to be done, as I pointed out. From the financial arrangements, the discussions with Finance Canada to our discussions for my shop within Finance here in the Northwest Territories, it has been very difficult to get them pulled into the discussions about how we would see resource revenue sharing.

We have had a lot of discussions with groups and aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories, but, unfortunately, in Ottawa, on the Finance Canada front, we haven’t had a whole lot of engagement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 318-15(4): Inclusion Of Aboriginal Governments In Resource Revenue And Devolution Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What are the plans that are on the agenda at this time on the part of this government to ensure that, when we do go, that deal that we want to make is not going to be anything less than what the aboriginal governments are looking for as well, and, therefore, not derailed at some future time because we did not have buy in? What’s the agenda? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 318-15(4): Inclusion Of Aboriginal Governments In Resource Revenue And Devolution Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we’ve been doing, building on the discussions we’ve had to date, is as a result of the election, the direction we’re going, putting out our budget, the Premier is meeting with the regional leaders across the North to discuss some of the strategies we may engage to put our issues at the forefront for the new federal government. That is the latest situation we’re facing and working towards. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 318-15(4): Inclusion Of Aboriginal Governments In Resource Revenue And Devolution Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the Finance Minister concur that we cannot negotiate devolution and resource revenue sharing alone, as a stand-alone government, and tell me what is in our process right now that guarantees or confirms to us that the participation of aboriginal governments is there? When he goes to Ottawa, is he going to take somebody who represents the Aboriginal Summit, who speaks for the aboriginal governments as well as for this government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 318-15(4): Inclusion Of Aboriginal Governments In Resource Revenue And Devolution Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the relationship we have built to this date with the aboriginal governments and groups across the North has been a positive one and growing, and I think with the spirit and intent of that in place, the Premier is having his discussions with the leaders about where we need to go, the next steps that need to be taken. So they’re involved. We feel they’re important to the development of the Northwest Territories as we look further down the road to self-government agreements that come in place and are enacted. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 318-15(4): Inclusion Of Aboriginal Governments In Resource Revenue And Devolution Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the end that we want to see progress on this file, can we do more? Is there something new or different? Is there anything new we can add to the process that will assure success on this area? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 318-15(4): Inclusion Of Aboriginal Governments In Resource Revenue And Devolution Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think there are a number of avenues that have opened up to us through the election process that we’ve just gone through across Canada with the Prime Minister-designate making it very clear that the fiscal imbalance issue needs to be direct -- repaired, I guess, is a simple way of putting it -- in fact, as well, in saying that he sees us in the North as being the ones that gain from the development of the North. So I think those are areas we need to work together on from the North and come up with a unified message, and I’m sure the Premier, as he meets with the regional leaders across the North, will be able to come up with an approach that is satisfactory. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement earlier, I spoke about the government making aboriginal languages its priority. I commended the ECE on its effort to revive the ALCIP program. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, though, what kind of commitment has been made to fund and support this essential program? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 319-15(4): Aboriginal Languages And Cultural Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the present time, this program is not funded as a base program, but is offered in partnership with the DECs across the Northwest Territories, so that they are paying for the delivery of the course when it’s delivered in the regions. There has been some discussion about the need to consider whether or not this should be one of the base programs, particularly when in the revised curriculum it becomes a two-year program. We are considering that, but have not in this budget included the funds for the college to offer that as a base-funded program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 319-15(4): Aboriginal Languages And Cultural Program

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the ALCIP program is funded with official language money provided by the federal government. Is the Minister willing to truly make the aboriginal language and culture its priority and commit to manage this money? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 319-15(4): Aboriginal Languages And Cultural Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said, we are taking a look at whether or not it would be useful to offer this program as a base-funded program through the college. We will have to work with the college after the curriculum is completed. As things stand right now, it is not a two-year program, but the new curriculum should turn it into a two-year program. Once that’s done, we can discuss with the college what it would take to ensure that this could be a base-funded program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 319-15(4): Aboriginal Languages And Cultural Program

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister highlighted the new curriculum for the program, so I’d like to ask the Minister about the ALCIP programs being administered through various school boards; a difficult task, considering their mandate lies elsewhere. Can the Minister tell this Assembly what the college’s responsibility will be in the delivery of the new and revised ALCIP program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 319-15(4): Aboriginal Languages And Cultural Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The ALCIP program is a college program right now. It’s not administered by schools. The schools purchase the delivery of the program from the college, so they pay for the delivery. But the program itself is already a college program. What we’re talking about, though, is increasing the requirements of the program to a full two-year diploma-type course that would, we hope, then be offered as a base-funded program by the college.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Your final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 319-15(4): Aboriginal Languages And Cultural Program

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As this is one of the top priorities for the communities, I just have a final question for the Minister. Can the Minister assure this Assembly that the ALCIP program will hold the same kind of validity as any other teaching program, and given its place in the only post-secondary institution at Aurora College, as well as proper accreditation recognizing its importance to the education of our future generations? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 319-15(4): Aboriginal Languages And Cultural Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We already consider this to be an important program. It is being used now to ensure that aboriginal language and culture instructors in the school are moved into the UNW funding or salary brackets already. So it is being used to ensure that our staff get the recognition that they should for their qualifications for teaching these important subjects.