Debates of June 5, 2006 (day 5)

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take this opportunity to highlight a number of important initiatives undertaken by this government over the past year. I also want to bring Members up to date on an important national initiative that will be a large focus of our work over the remaining seventeen months of our mandate.

First, I would ask all Members of this Legislative Assembly to join me in recognizing and thanking the people and community of Inuvik, along with all the volunteers, emergency personnel, GNWT staff and others who assisted the people of Aklavik during the recent flood in that community.

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Mr. Speaker, we are very proud that community spirit such as this is alive and well in the Northwest Territories.

I also want to congratulate all Northwest Territories graduates. Last week, Minister Dent spoke about the record number of graduates we are seeing from high school and post-secondary institutions that bodes extremely well for the future of this territory. For each of these graduates and for all other students, I salute your hard work and commitment and I encourage you to put your knowledge and skills to work to build an even better territory for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, when the Members of this Legislative Assembly were first elected, we consulted widely with the people of the Northwest Territories on the priorities we should pursue during our term. Out of this consultative process, the government developed a strategic plan based on a vision of “self-reliant individuals and families sharing the rewards and responsibilities of healthy communities and a prosperous and unified Northwest Territories.”

Today, I want to highlight a number of initiatives we are undertaking with our partners to accomplish the vision set out at the beginning of our mandate. A number of these initiatives have been aimed at providing individuals with the tools to become more self-reliant.

Eliminating the incidence of violence against women and children is a priority of this government. In 2004, we tabled our response to the NWT action plan on family violence. While a great deal of work remains to be done to fight the scourge of family violence, I am pleased to report that the major elements of the action plan have been implemented. This accomplishment is, in large part, a result of the support and dedication of our NGO and federal government partners. Building on our achievements to date, we are committed to developing phase II of the action plan.

Last year, the Members of the Legislative Assembly enacted the Protection Against Family Violence Act. The provisions of this act have been used over 100 times to protect families from violent family members. Mr. Speaker, these court orders are more accessible and do not require a lawyer. In fact, victims can apply by telephone from any community in the Northwest Territories.

We are also committed to providing better policing services to protect our communities. In the past three years, 28 new RCMP positions have been added in our communities and we are continuing to work towards opening new detachments in communities currently not served full time.

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In the interim, RCMP officers are doing more patrols in these communities. We are also working with other available resources in new ways. For example, in Yellowknife, police are now doing foot patrols with bylaw officers.

Mr. Speaker, based on advice of Members, we will be piloting two new elder wilderness camp programs for eligible offenders in the Sahtu and Tlicho regions.

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These programs will allow inmates to participate in traditional activities under the guidance of an elder.

We are expanding critical health services. Beginning this year, Health and Social Services and ECE, in collaboration with regional health authorities, will create four new rehabilitation teams to serve clients in the South Slave and Beaufort-Delta regions, and to expand the outreach services provided through Stanton Territorial Hospital. These services include speech and language therapy, audiology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. This will help reduce wait times and strengthen the capacity of our regions to help children and adults overcome functional limitations.

As well, we are expanding dialysis services for people with kidney problems to allow patients who need dialysis to remain closer to home. This service will be expanded to Hay River this year and we are looking at the feasibility of further expansion to Fort Simpson in coming years.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard the message loud and clear from the Members that we must focus more of our limited resources on programs for youth. To this end, we have established new funding to help youth develop skills and contribute to their communities. For example, MACA will be working with ECE on a Summer Trades Institute and other community-based leadership programs.

We are also taking significant steps to help build more self-reliant communities. Recognizing the financial pressures facing our communities, the government allocated $35 million of the Northern Strategy trust to be spent on local priorities agreed upon by all local governing bodies.

While this program has not been without its challenges in some communities, it is clear from the applications processed to date that this funding will result in a meaningful legacy for northern communities. Some of the exciting projects moving forward in communities include:

support for the local hydro development project in Whati;

an adult education centre for the Katlodeeche First Nation;

expansion of the planned community office buildings in Fort McPherson and Fort Liard, which will include facilities such as a community interpretive centre;

updating of playgrounds and purchase of recreational equipment in Gameti, Yellowknife and the Katlodeeche First Nation;

new youth facilities in Fort McPherson and Whati;

many communities are upgrading critical infrastructure including roads, community halls, and mobile equipment purchases; and,

investment in new economic opportunities such as community sawmills for Wrigley and Gameti.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, we are providing $28 million in direct new funding to communities to provide a more stable funding base for community infrastructure. This represents an increase of $11 million over historic average spending and, combined with the new federal funding through the Gas Tax Agreement, will provide communities with significant resources to help address their critical infrastructure deficit.

Mr. Speaker, the quality and security of drinking water continues to be an issue across Canada. Public Works and Services, Municipal and Community Affairs, Health and Social Services, and Environment and Natural Resources, are partners in implementing a drinking water quality framework.

New regulations that came into force this year required increased rigor by community governments in testing the safety and quality of drinking water, both at source and after treatment. New funding is available to help communities comply with regulatory requirements and to assist with the costs of increased testing.

In addition to continued investments in community infrastructure, we are also focussing on our commitment to support active living. This year will see the construction of the first gym facility of Nahanni Butte, a new arena for Lutselk’e and an expanded gymnasium as part of the new school project in Gameti.

Mr. Speaker, this government has also focused on a number of important territorial issues.

The face of governance in the Northwest Territories is changing as aboriginal rights negotiations are concluded and agreements are implemented. The completion and implementation of aboriginal rights negotiations will change the nature and function of the territorial government itself and bring certainty to the shape and structure of governance in the Northwest Territories, which is a positive step for those who live or do business here.

The government fully supports the timely conclusion of aboriginal rights negotiations and is committed to meeting its implementation obligations. A number of tables are close to significant milestones.

We are at the latter stages of negotiating a final self-government agreement with the Deline First Nations and are very hopeful that this agreement can be signed within the mandate of this Legislative Assembly. At the Northwest Territories Metis Nation table, we have made significant progress on an agreement-in-principle on lands and resources and are working to finish this AIP over the summer.

Mr. Speaker, an important part of increasing self-reliance is doing more to protect our environment. Environment and Natural Resources has been working with territorial land claim organizations in a collaborative process aimed at drafting a new Species at Risk Act. We believe this partnership will result in the finalization of this critical legislation during the life of this Assembly and could serve as a model for drafting a new Wildlife Act for the Northwest Territories.

Recent surveys have shown a sharp decline in the population of our barren ground-caribou herds. In response, we have taken steps to protect our caribou herds for future generations. In conjunction with our co-management partners, we have developed a Caribou Management Strategy to halt or reverse this trend.

Mr. Speaker, we are also providing the tools for individuals and organizations to do more to protect our environment. During the first five months of operation, almost seven million containers have been returned to depots across the Northwest Territories under the Beverage Container Program. In keeping with the direction of this House, every resident of the territory has access to this program in his or her home community.

Another important focus has been to improve critically required territorial transportation infrastructure. Work is expected to begin this year on the Bear River Bridge in Tulita. This bridge will improve the reliability and length of operating season for the Mackenzie Valley winter road. We are working towards the completion of a $7 million airport improvement project in Norman Wells that will see the runway, taxiways and apron at this airport resurfaced. We will also be partnering with industry and the federal government to undertake a more detailed study for options for winter road realignment and an all-weather road in the Tlicho area.

The Deh Cho Bridge project is a critical project that will permanently connect the North Slave region to southern Canada. We are working with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation on federal assistance to help offset the increased costs of this project resulting from rising steel and labour costs.

A relatively small initiative but one of great interest to Members and to the people of the Northwest Territories is the recent introduction of a new driver’s licence. This new licence will meet all national standards for document security and will also be more readily accepted in the South for identification and border crossing purposes.

Mr. Speaker, a self-reliant territory must have a strong and growing economy. We have undertaken a number of important initiatives to strengthen and diversity our economy.

Tourism is the largest renewable resource in the Northwest Territories. It benefits all communities and residents of the Northwest Territories and has great potential for growth with continued support and investment. To foster this growth, we have increased our tourism budget by an additional $1 million. As well, Industry, Tourism and Investment has worked with industry on Tourism 2010, a five-year plan to grow the tourism industry in the Northwest Territories.

The traditional economy plays an important role in small communities by allowing our people to realize economic, social and cultural benefits from existing and accessible resources and as well displacing costly imported food commodities. To ensure the growth and sustainability of this sector, MACA, ITI and ENR will be expanding the youth trapper training to give young people more on-the-land skills.

With respect to the Mackenzie gas pipeline project, we are pleased with the Joint Review Panel and the National Energy Board reviews of this project. These are important processes that allow all residents and stakeholders of the territory to have input into the process.

As Members know, we believe this project is vital to the long-term economic and social well-being of the Northwest Territories. We are working with the proponents of the project to conclude a socio-economic agreement that will set out concrete expectations for this project both in the construction and operational stages.

Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting time for our territory. The election of the new federal government earlier this year, combined with the development potential of our territory and the heightened interest this brings, creates a political environment offering great opportunity.

I am pleased with the solid working relationship that we have established with the new national government, particularly with Prime Minister Harper and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the Honourable Jim Prentice. We are delighted that Minister Prentice could join northern leaders at the Third Annual Northern Leaders meeting in Norman Wells in April to discuss issues and priorities important to northern governments.

The recent decisions of the new federal government to honour the $500 million socio-economic impact fund, the $50 million affordable housing initiative and the residential schools agreement have been important early steps in building good relationships with Ottawa.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, the process being undertaken nationally to address the fiscal imbalance will significantly impact the work we do as a government and Legislature over the next year and a half.

As the Minister of Finance noted in his fiscal update last week, provincial and territorial Premiers established the Council of the Federal Advisory Panel on Fiscal Imbalance in May 2005 to conduct an independent review of both horizontal and vertical fiscal imbalances and to recommend solutions to resolve these imbalances.

The advisory panel recognizes the three territories face “enormous difficulties" in providing basic public services to their residents and must deal with critical social issues. The report acknowledged these difficulties and emphasized the unique territorial characteristics of small, dispersed populations, developing economies, underdeveloped infrastructures, high living costs, challenging social conditions relative to southern Canada, and evolving political systems.

The panel made a number of recommendations to address these issues including a new financing mechanism based on the expenditure need and eligible revenues for each territory, future adjustments following an adequacy review, and specific recommendations concerning per capita funding and devolution and resource revenue sharing.

Today, the federal Minister of Finance released the report of the federal Expert Panel on Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing. At first glance, we are generally pleased with the recommendations contained in this report. On Thursday, I will be joining my provincial and territorial colleagues in Edmonton to be briefed on this report in more detail by the expert panel.

These two reports will form the basis for discussions over the course of the summer on new fiscal arrangements that will have fundamental and long-term implications for the Northwest Territories. For too long, we have had fiscal arrangements that do not address the fundamental issues we face and are unresponsive to our new economic realities. We are hopeful this process will lead to a resolution of these issues.

Of course, Mr. Speaker, we remain firmly of the view that the long-term solution is to transfer responsibility for land and resources and revenues they generate to northern governments. We are encouraged by the statements of Prime Minister Harper and Minister Prentice that northerners should be the primary beneficiaries of development of northern resources…

Hear! Hear!

…a principle fully embraced by all Canadian Premiers.

Mr. Speaker, all Members of this Legislative Assembly have an important job to do in keeping the priorities of the Northwest Territories on the radar screen of the federal government. In April of 2005, we joined with aboriginal and business leaders to go to Ottawa to explain our case to federal leaders. I am hopeful we can undertake a similar initiative in the fall to meet with the new federal Ministers and other representatives in Ottawa to explain the challenges and opportunities that exist in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, we have been busy since the end of the budget session in working with our partners on issues of importance to this territory. I would like to thank all Members for their work and look forward to continuing our collaborative approach this summer in meeting with our aboriginal government partners during their respective annual summer assemblies. Thank you.

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