Debates of February 6, 2006 (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier of the Northwest Territories, in light of his meeting this weekend with Premier Danny Williams in terms of some sort of a cooperation strategy not to take our flags down, but to get the attention of the federal government in terms of our similar types of resource revenue sharing deals. What are the Premier’s plans in terms of working with the province and through the Council of the Federation? I’d like to ask the Premier in terms of his meeting with the Premier of Newfoundland. Thank you.

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

Return To Question 342-15(4): Meeting With Premier Danny Williams

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had a very good meeting with Premier Williams on Saturday. The meeting was to talk about a national energy strategy. Of course, that includes resource revenues and where they will be allocated. Mr. Speaker, Premier Williams chairs a committee of the Council of the Federation. The other members of that committee are myself, Premier Klein from Alberta, and Premier Charest from Quebec. So what we are doing is working on a national strategy that hopefully would be presented on behalf of all the Council of the Federation Premiers to the Prime Minister and federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 342-15(4): Meeting With Premier Danny Williams

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When can the Northwest Territories, along with two powerful Premiers on this committee, Alberta and Quebec, when would this council make the national energy strategy known to the other Premiers so that they can go forward to the federal government and, like Mr. Williams said, hopefully we can have all 13 areas in Canada, or provinces in Canada, all 13 be like Alberta. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 342-15(4): Meeting With Premier Danny Williams

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to make one correction. There are four powerful Premiers on that committee.

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I take very seriously my responsibility to represent the North. I think it’s very important that the North be on this committee. I hope that I can carry as much influence to the committee’s decisions and recommendations as do the others.

Mr. Speaker, our intention is to table a draft national strategy at the Council of the Federation meeting in July. Assuming that the other Premiers are onside with what we’re recommending, it would then become a document forwarded to the federal government and, of course, then the public. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 342-15(4): Meeting With Premier Danny Williams

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My apologies to the powerful Premier, Mr. Handley. I hope he doesn’t tell me to take a hike here. I’d like to ask Mr. Premier, in terms of the National Energy Strategy going forward to the Premiers and forwarded on to the Prime Minister, what would be in the National Energy Strategy involved this side here in terms of putting together something that would be supported by all Members within the Territories to bring this forward to a final recommendation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 342-15(4): Meeting With Premier Danny Williams

Mr. Speaker, I would certainly be very willing to brief all of the Members of this House as we progress in putting the strategy together. This was our first face-to-face meeting to think through how the strategy would be put together, what would be the elements to it, how it would be structured. I can’t make it public at this point because we would have to have the agreement from all of the Premiers before we’d do that. But I’d be happy to brief Members privately and when it’s agreed that it should go public, I’ll certainly be the first to make it available to everyone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.