Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As my respected colleagues on this side of the Assembly know, the job of MLA is not an easy one. We are not like Official Opposition down south. We don’t oppose the government just for the sake of opposing. We, in fact, elected this government. Our job is to represent the interests of our constituents and to build consensus in this Assembly, and this is what I try to do.
Today I would like to give credit where credit is due. On Monday we celebrated a progress that has been made on finalizing the Devolution Agreement. Congratulations to our Premier, the Aboriginal government leaders and their officials for bringing us to this historic threshold.
This is big news, as devolution is a stated priority of this Legislative Assembly. Last Friday we celebrated the Tlicho Government coming on board with this process that will bring resource revenues and increase authorities to the North.
In the Deh Cho region, it is no secret that concerns around devolution have been expressed. Our Aboriginal leadership do not want anything to negatively impact the Dehcho Process for resolving Aboriginal title and self-government issues. As the MLA for Nahendeh and as a Dene person and of the Dehcho, I, of course, share these priorities too. I have brought these issues to my constituents in meetings and in conversations with the Premier, Cabinet members and experts. In response, I have heard the Devolution Agreement cannot stop or take away from our rights as Aboriginal people.
I understand that our Aboriginal treaty rights will continue to be constitutionally protected. I also understand that land claim and self-government negotiations will not be negatively affected by devolution and that the Government of Canada can take back any land necessary from the Government of the Northwest Territories for the settlement of the claims.
My job, and our jobs as MLAs, is to ensure that our constituents’ interests are heard and that their rights are protected. We have done that and I believe we need to seize the opportunities that devolution provides.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I encourage my respective colleagues in this Assembly and all residents of the NWT to consider the opportunities devolution provides. Within my own constituency of Nahendeh, I encourage the Dehcho First Nations to carefully consider the merits of devolution. Devolution offers an important opportunity for the public government and Aboriginal governments to work more closely in land and resource management. Devolution also means that important decisions around land and resources will be made closer to home with the priorities of the people of the NWT in mind.
Devolution will also provide resource revenue to the people of the NWT. It is time to stop the flow of 100 percent of the resource revenues out of the North. It is time to bring the powers closer to home. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
