Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On January 26th of this year the Premier of the Northwest Territories signed an agreement-in-principle on devolution of public lands and resources to the Government of the Northwest Territories from the federal government.
On February 2, 2011, I held my regular constituency meeting for residents of the Great Slave riding. I hold one prior to every session. One of the issues which was discussed at length during that meeting was the recent AIP on devolution in the Northwest Territories. Clearly, there are many varied opinions out there on this topic. To that end, during the meeting I agreed with a request from one of my constituents to poll my constituents to get a sense of where they stand on this important issue.
As such, immediately after the winter session I set up a poll on my website asking a few devolution-related questions. I notified all of my constituents by way of my regular newsletters and included references on my website and did a public news release, as well. Although my focus for the poll was on my constituents’ input, I did open the poll to all residents of the Northwest Territories so I could include their thoughts and their input. Here are the questions and the results:
Question one was: Do you support the transfer of management of Crown lands and a share of resource revenue from the federal government to the GNWT and Aboriginal government?
Out of 67 individual responses, 82 percent, or 55, said yes; 18 percent, or 12 people, said no.
The second question was: Do you support the GNWT in moving forward with the negotiations of a final devolution agreement?
Out of 66 individual responses, 42 percent, or 28 individuals, said yes, but make every reasonable effort to include all Aboriginal governments and organizations in the negotiations; 35 percent, or 23 individuals, said yes, commencing with negotiations with the existing signatories; and 23 percent, or 15 individuals, said no.
The third question was: Do you support the GNWT signing a final agreement on devolution?
Out of 71 individual responses, 30 percent, or 21 people, said yes, with the existing signatories; 27 percent, or 19, said yes, with a signed bilateral agreement between the GNWT and the federal government; 17 percent, or 12, said yes, only if at least 50 percent of recognized Aboriginal governments and organizations will also sign; 14 percent, or 10, said yes, only if all recognized Aboriginal governments and organizations agreed to sign on as well; 12 percent, or 9 people, said no.
Mr. Speaker, during the winter session, in response to questions from Members, the Premier agreed to meet with interested parties throughout the Northwest Territories to provide information and clarity on what devolution of public…
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, during the winter session, in response to questions from Members, the Premier agreed to meet with interested parties throughout the Northwest Territories to provide both information and clarity on what devolution of public lands and resources means to the Northwest Territories.
To that end, this evening the Yellowknife MLAs will be holding a public information session for all residents of Yellowknife with the Premier of the Northwest Territories. This will be an opportunity for all Yellowknife residents to ask the Premier their questions about devolution, and an opportunity for all Yellowknife MLAs to hear what Yellowknifers think about this important topic.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to seeing many Yellowknife residents in the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly this evening starting at 7 p.m. for this meeting. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regards to the previous election that took place, one of the predominant issues at hand was the whole devolution process in the Northwest Territories and where a particular candidate stood on the issue. Mr. Speaker, not only in the campaign but also full-page ads, which were paid by this government, to combat certain opponents of the Devolution Agreement, especially the Gwich’in leadership and the Gwich’in people that I represent, which I took offense to the article I read in the paper.
Mr. Speaker, the question that’s being asked out there is how can the Premier explain the lack of any participation on the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle to the federal government and to the federal opposition leader in light of what is happening, where we have two Aboriginal groups at the table, where six are not presently partaking.
Mr. Speaker, the question also has to be asked, exactly what is this Premier doing to advance the talks on devolution with the Gwich’in and other Aboriginal and Dene leaders throughout the Northwest Territories and ensure there is a current outstanding process that they can be involved in. Land claim agreements allow for arbitration. There also are appeal mechanisms in regards to how you can appeal certain mechanisms in those agreements.
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Mr. Krutko, you may continue.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are mechanisms we can use to entice people to the table, but more importantly, mechanisms, if we can’t work with them, let’s find a person who can through arbitration. Bring someone in who can bring the parties to the table, bring the parties with their issues, and at the end of the day, have a deal for all Northerners and have the best deal we can for the Northwest Territories and the people that we serve.
Mr. Speaker, there has to be questions out there and resolutions to these outstanding problems. Mr. Speaker, Dene issues and Dene concerns are valid. They have concerns about what’s happening with Norman Wells and why it isn’t on the table. They have concerns on exactly how management of lands and resources are going to be handled in their regions, regardless of whether it’s the Gwich’in or Inuvialuit or Sahtu or Tlicho or the Deh Cho, so they know that any activities or decisions that are going to be made will be done in consolidation with the people that are going to be affected by those decisions.
Mr. Speaker, we, as government and as a Legislature, have to be attuned to what’s being said out there about the lack of Dene participation in a process of that magnitude in regards to where we are going in the future.
Mr. Speaker, the leadership in the Northwest Territories have made it blatantly clear to the Premier and other northern leaders that if we can’t agree to devolution, why are we even talking about a northern vision if we expect to move forward on this matter.
Mr. Speaker, it’s critical that this Premier ensures that there are going to be meetings held with those groups who are basically outside the tent and are not presently fully participating and willing to sign, but we have to find a mechanism for them to be heard, regardless if it’s the obligations we have in land claim agreements, which clearly stipulated that they shall be involved in these negotiations, in which they are not. Also, the ongoing negotiations of devolution, including a package that will be beneficial to all Northerners, all residents and, more importantly, the Aboriginal people who are the ones who are ultimately going to be affected by what happens on their lands. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
