Debates of March 10, 2005 (day 53)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this afternoon are for the Premier in his capacity as the Minister responsible for Intergovernmental Affairs. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the visit to the Northwest Territories over the last couple of days of Naim Ahmed, the consulate general from the American consulate in Calgary to the Northwest Territories, and the initiative that the American government has taken to create virtual consulates on the web site for the Northwest Territories as well as Nunavut and the Yukon. As we have heard this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, sometimes we wonder whether we are on Ottawa’s radar screen. At least we know that we are on Washington’s through this move.

Mr. Speaker, our site is among, I understand, 30 of these virtual sites that the American government has set up. I would like to ask the Premier about a reference to significant associations in educational, trade and military areas that the American consulate has proposed we share. I would also suggest, Mr. Speaker, that we share significant associations in the areas of energy, missile defence, caribou and their migration into the ANWR range and freshwater. Mr. Speaker, does this mean that the NWT is now part of American foreign policy? Thank you.

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

Return To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, I can’t speak for the consulate general or for the ambassador and their motivation setting up the virtual consulate. They do, I assume, want to share information and be able to communicate. Mr. Speaker, in my view, we are clearly not part of American foreign policy. We have our own views, our own government and federal government. That is where our interests and our loyalty lie.

Mr. Speaker, we do have issues though, that we must deal with, with our neighbours. Those are issues like climate change, environment and, as the Member has said, caribou migrations and sovereignty and security and so on. There are things that we should be exchanging.

Mr. Speaker, we have to recognize that we are very, very much a part of a global communication system. Internet has done that for us and I think this is one more step the American government has taken. The sites they have are across Canada, not just for the Northwest Territories, by the way, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Premier’s inclusion of a number of areas of international concern and interest that we share. I wanted to ask the Premier if he would undertake to create a dialogue that we could have directly, as people of the Northwest Territories, with the American people and their officials on these significant associations. Certainly I would put caribou, missile defence and, in the not-too-distant future, Mr. Speaker, what will be a contentious issue; that of fresh water. Can the Premier help us get together with the Americans and talk about these issues? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to do that and in fact Mr. Speaker, I did go over to Sir John Franklin High School yesterday to take part in the orientation for the students and the introduction of this virtual consulate. I did take the opportunity, even though I didn’t want to hone in on the students' projects too much, to send a message to Ambassador Cellucci and I did, while waiting there, get a reply from him, as did a number of students.

Mr. Speaker, I think all northerners, if they have questions and they want to make their views known, should access the site; it is there. I don’t have the Internet address for it right now, but I would be happy to share that with Members as well, if you want to communicate with the American consulate in Ottawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, I very much look forward to the opportunity to take these issues on with our American friends. I do call them friends; our nations do have their differences, but we have so much in common. This is where I wanted to ask too of the potential that this web site has to engage in even greater trade and exchange. The American market is the world’s biggest consumer of energy and diamonds, we’ve got lots of that, and they are great consumers of our hunting and fishing products. Can we use this new link, Mr. Speaker, to further share in our interests with the Americans for those products on the market? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, I am sure we can, because it is open and…Of course, the communications are through the embassy, but I am sure that they would, at our request, forward these on to other people who may have interest in it as well.

Mr. Speaker, it’s a good tool to use. I think that one drawback that I saw yesterday is that anyone else who wants to log on can also view your dialogue that is taking place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Mr. Speaker, the on-line chat sites and dialogues that go on serve a certain purpose. I am wondering, in light of the fact that His Excellency Mr. Cellucci is, I understand, soon going to be retiring as the ambassador to Canada, we will have a new American ambassador. Would the Premier consider being among the first in Canada to extend an invitation for the new American ambassador to visit the Northwest Territories in person? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 588-15(3): Shared Affiliations With The United States

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am very interested in who the new ambassador will be. The announcement is, I understand, to be made in the next week or two and I have been working very closely with the Consul General. I might add that this is the second trip that the Consul General has made since his appointment several months ago. He was here in November and he is back here again, so there is definitely very much interest by the American government in the potential for tourism, mining, diamonds, oil and gas and so on in the Northwest Territories. We want to keep up that relationship. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.