Please be seated.
Speaker Jacobson, Premier McLeod, Members of the Legislative Assembly, leaders, Chief Superintendent Blake, ladies and gentlemen. I open by congratulating the Members of the 17th Assembly for the leadership you have shown since your election last fall and the vision that you have developed for the Northwest Territories. That vision reflects the hopes and dreams of all Northerners. It envisions strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories. The resilience of our people, the dedication of the public service, and your collective commitment and leadership make this vision eminently achievable.
Springtime brings new life to the North. The North comes alive with the return of migratory birds. New life brings new ways to adapt new ideas for sustainability and a renewed happiness and good living.
My speech today marks a departure from the Commissioner’s address this Chamber has become used to. It is not the customary ceremonial welcome. Commencing today it is much more. Similar to other Canadian jurisdictions, my address adopts the practice of laying out your government’s agenda for the coming months, while touching on
recent accomplishments and looking forward to future development challenges.
This change is one of many on the territory’s road to political maturity. We see it in the evolution of this Legislative Assembly, which saw its beginnings as an appointed Territorial Council advising an appointed Commissioner on how to administer government programs in the Northwest Territories. Over the years that advisory council has become a fully elected body with the power to enact legislation on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories, led by an elected Premier and Cabinet who are responsible to this House for their decisions and policies.
This evolution tells only part of the story of our territory’s political advancement. Another chapter is written in the ongoing devolution of federal programs and responsibilities to the Government of the Northwest Territories. Education, local government, policing, health care, forestry, highways, airports, each was devolved in turn. Each advanced our level of political self-determination.
One of the last remaining responsibilities still to be devolved is also one of the most critical. I’m referring to the authority over public lands, water and resources. This is an authority of utmost importance and one which each province and territory, except for ourselves and Nunavut, enjoys. That includes the regulation of development, environmental protection, land use planning, the setting and enforcement of codes and standards and, importantly, the levy of resource taxes or royalties. It will give Northerners the power to shape what happens in our own backyard, making us masters in our own home, masters of our own destiny.
Much is at stake in the transfer of this final power. Multi-millions of dollars in government revenues depend on it. The health of our resource sector and our environment depend on it. Your government remains as committed to devolution as any before it.
This afternoon I am pleased to inform you that the commitment to devolution is paying off. I refer to the signing of the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle by representatives of the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated yesterday.
---Applause
The Sahtu will now join with the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Northwest Territories Metis Nation in negotiating the transfer of authority over public lands, water and resources from Canada. This development is a reflection of the openness, the vision and the dedicated hard work of many people. I know you join me in congratulating the Sahtu.
The Sahtu’s signing makes this a good day for devolution in the Northwest Territories. However, there is still much work to do. We expect to conclude the final agreement before the end of the year. After that, it will take another 18 months to complete the planning required to implement devolution. I know our governments – the public, territorial government and Aboriginal governments – are up to the task, and I look forward to the time when we as Northerners will have the authority to properly manage public lands, resources and water in a responsible, sustainable manner for the benefit of the current and future generations.
My friends, yesterday’s signing came about because of efforts your government has made to build strong working relationships with many different groups and people across the Northwest Territories. We are a small territory who will need to work together if we want to achieve our goal of a prosperous, sustainable NWT that provides benefits for all of our people in every community and region. Achieving that goal will take the work and effort of not just your government but also of Aboriginal and community governments, business and industry, environmental and social organizations and all people of the NWT.
As the public government for all residents, the Government of the Northwest Territories is responsible for considering the interests and needs of all of the regions, people and groups in the Northwest Territories during our deliberations. Your government continues to reach out to people and organizations in every sector, to help build the consensus and support it needs to achieve a better future for all of our people.
It began last October, even before this House formally sat, when the entire Caucus of the Legislative Assembly met with leaders from all Aboriginal governments in Detah. That meeting demonstrated the government’s interest in a new relationship with Aboriginal governments; one built on the principles of mutual respect, recognition and responsibility. The Premier and Cabinet have continued to follow up on the start made at Detah, with bilateral meetings with Aboriginal government in every region of the Northwest Territories.
These formal government-to-government meetings represent progress toward the establishment of regular ongoing meetings between Aboriginal government and the public government to discuss the issues of shared importance where we can make progress and find ways to strengthen our relationships. These meetings have shown us that while differences of opinion remain, there is, in fact, a strong willingness and much common ground upon which to work together. For example, both the Tlicho Government and the Northwest Territories Metis Nation are working with your government to develop bilateral intergovernmental cooperation agreements that will formalize relationships and set out principles and protocols for the respective governments to work with one another.
This willingness to work together and find common ground forms the basis of advancing the Legislative Assembly’s priority of strengthening relationships in a spirit of mutual respect, recognition and responsibility will be expressed in a public statement of your government’s key principles and commitments with respect to engaging with Aboriginal governments and communities that will be tabled during this legislative session.
Community governments also have a critical role to play in supporting our residents and their aspirations. In recognition of this, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is implementing an accountability framework to support this very important level of government. The accountability framework acknowledges the shared responsibility our governments have to manage public funds, makes clear how your government will engage with community, and helps community governments report more transparently to their residents on how communities are being governed and how programs and services are being managed.
These meetings and our work on formal engagement processes with Aboriginal and community governments mark a different approach. It is a new approach that has the potential of bringing Northerners closer together across the whole spectrum of human endeavour. It can unite us as a people, strong both in our unity and in our unique differences. It can bring business and government together in public/private collaborations. It can create new synergies by partnering with non-profit organizations, with municipalities, with Ottawa. It can leverage resource development by pooling interests with the mining and petroleum industries. It can foster environmental protection by finding common cause with conservation groups.
While your government continues to build consensus at home, it will also look outside of the NWT for partners it can work with. Chief among these will be the federal government, whose Northern Strategy aligns closely with this Assembly’s own vision. Canada will be an important partner with this Assembly in creating a prosperous, self-sufficient territory and your government will continue to engage them on issues of interest to NWT residents.
Where there is trust and common cause, there is unity. Where there is unity, there is no limit to what Northerners can accomplish. There is a known adage: a single ant can move a grain of sand, but an army of ants working together can move a mountain. I truly believe we Northerners can move mountains. I look to myself, where life has brought me today, and I see first-hand that it really can be done.
Consider our generous resource base, our environment, our vibrant cultural heritage, our natural inventiveness, the youthfulness of our population. Everywhere one turns in the Northwest Territories, one sees the spirit of collaboration and mutual goodwill. This is our traditional way: working together. To quote your Premier: “Our territory is too small to be fragmented by issues that divide us. If we are to move forward, we will need to do it together.”
My fellow Northerners, never were those words more true than today. We live in a time of fragile economies, vulnerable world markets and fiscal restraint. The government’s resources, which pay for the programs and services that our residents rely on, are limited. We need to work together to make collective decisions about the priorities we have as a territory and the best way those priorities can be realized. The people of the NWT want an opportunity to succeed, to live healthy lives, participating as full members of a prosperous and stable society. It is the job of your government to create the conditions for that success, to put in place the programs and supports that will help our residents achieve their personal and collective aspirations. In the coming months your government will continue to build on the good work that it already does for our people, for our economy and for our environment.
Creating the conditions for personal success means addressing those issues that keep our people from achieving their full potential – poverty, poor health, lack of education, housing challenges. Your government is already taking action in these areas.
We can see it in Building for the Future, a new strategy introduced by the NWT Housing Corporation last month. This strategy responds directly to this Assembly’s priority to address housing needs. It was based on the last government’s shelter policy review and was informed by extensive consultations with Northerners. This strategic framework builds on the success of existing housing programs and services, and incorporates changes where they are needed. It extends across the whole spectrum of housing needs from homelessness to homeownership, and across all types of communities. The strategy coincides with a new rent scale for approximately 2,400 public housing units the Housing Corporation operates. The new scale is simpler. It is more predictable. It is fairer and it fosters independence as opposed to dependence. The new rent scale will be implemented this summer.
We can see it in the work your government is doing to develop an Anti-Poverty Strategy. Where there is poverty, one finds addictions, overcrowded housing, hunger, low literacy, ill health, family violence and unemployment. Over the last year the Government of the Northwest Territories held discussions with residents, stakeholders, clients and front line workers on how we can address poverty. What the government heard echoes something we already know: poverty is not something the government can tackle on its own. It is a complex, multi-faceted issue that we all – individuals, families, communities, governments, business, and volunteer and community groups – have a responsibility to work on. Individuals, their families and their communities, other governments, volunteers and community organizations and business all have essential roles to play. Your government is now working with a broad array of stakeholders to develop an Anti-Poverty Strategy that will be tabled in this House before the end of the calendar year.
Education is another key in helping the people of the Northwest Territories achieve personal success. Your government continues to work on that front as well. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment continues to implement the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, designed to eliminate the education gap that exists between Aboriginal students and the rest of our school-aged population. This 10-year plan takes a long-term, developmental approach and tackles the challenges comprehensively, striving for an increased focus on early childhood development, more Aboriginal educators, higher attendance, greater parental support and better and more appropriate tools. Under this plan the department has provided literacy coaches in each region of the territory and expanded its network of community libraries. The department is also developing new Aboriginal language curriculum, supporting the orientation of teachers in Aboriginal culture, and launched a campaign to increase school attendance. Steps this year will focus on working in collaboration with Aboriginal governments to engage parents more fully in their children’s education.
This work also dovetails with work being done by ECE and the Department of Health and Social Services to renew the Early Childhood Development Framework for Action. Ensuring our children get the supports they need during their critical developmental years will have long-term benefits. Earlier this month the Ministers of two of the departments and the deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Social Programs co-chaired a meeting with Aboriginal and social program leaders to begin consultations on this subject. I look forward to seeing these cooperative efforts bear fruit among our children and youth.
Prevention is the most effective way we have of ensuring our residents lead healthy lives. With that in mind, the Minister of Health and Social Services will be presenting a Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan to guide the territory over the next three years. That plan will position the department to respond to those in need. In a similar vein, the department will soon commence work with its community, regional and territorial partners to develop community wellness plans. This focus on communities is also reflected in work the Department of Justice is doing with the RCMP on the development of community-based policing priority plans with each community in the NWT that will help ensure the safety and security of our residents.
I would also like to mention the Department of Public Works and Services, which supports the delivery of critical programs and services to our residents in all 33 of our communities through its management of the digital communications network. Recent changes to the contract for the digital communications network will ensure that it can better support services like digital imaging, like X-rays, video conferencing for clinical service delivery, faster Internet access for schools across the territory and better support for distance learning applications.
Ensuring NWT residents are healthy and educated and free from addictions and mental health challenges is only one part of the picture. Government must also keep its end of the bargain, by working to create the conditions for economic success as well. Realizing our vision for our people also means ensuring that there are economic and employment opportunities available throughout our territory.
In response to the mandate provided by you, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has initiated work to advance two planned and coordinated strategies for the future of mining and economic development in the NWT.
A Mineral Development Strategy, developed in partnership with representatives of the mining industry, will serve to increase industry confidence and expenditures in mineral exploration, and endorse the responsible and productive use of our territory’s great mineral wealth, providing jobs and economic prosperity for decades to come.
It will complement the development of a comprehensive economic development strategy that will identify challenges and opportunities for investment and growth, and build capacity in our communities for self-sufficiency among our people in a manner that reflects this Assembly’s key values of responsibility and environmental sustainability. At the same time your government will be undertaking an initiative to reduce red tape, identifying and eliminating inefficient processes through internal reviews and consultations with the people of the Northwest Territories.
Investing in territorial infrastructure is another important aspect of your government’s work to create the conditions for economic success. As in all areas, the government’s economic initiatives are constrained. This demands that the government be scrupulous in how it targets its spending. The government has chosen a strategic approach. On the investment front, that means focusing on those infrastructure areas that will not only address our significant infrastructure deficit but will also improve our service delivery and develop our economy. On the policy front that means planning to ensure development is channelled in an orderly manner most beneficial to Northerners.
The government’s infrastructure priorities are laying the groundwork for economic expansion that will create benefits for the people in all the communities and regions, further economic diversification and support northern businesses. They include preparing for the construction of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk portion of the Mackenzie Highway and the ongoing planning for the southern stretches of that same road. These projects will open up vast new resources for development and lower the cost of living in nearby communities.
The Department of Transportation is currently responding to the environmental assessment requirements of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway. That includes geotechnical investigations, surveys, consultations, and studies into fisheries, vegetation, wildlife, archaeology and hydrology. It also means examining procurement options, assessing the project risks and determining how to achieve the best value for money. This information is being compiled into a business case study to address the procurement and financing options.
As for the Mackenzie Highway’s unfinished southern portion, the Department of Transportation continues to make progress on this project. Your government has made incremental investments totalling over $100 million towards the development of an all-weather highway over the last 10 years. The next step is to prepare a comprehensive project description report for use in the project’s preliminary environmental screening. That was made possible by the completion of the regional project description reports. These reports were prepared in partnership with the land claimant groups along the proposed route, including the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation, Tulita District Land Corporation, K’ahsho Development Foundation and the Gwich’in Tribal Council. The involvement of these Aboriginal organizations has given the Mackenzie Highway project new momentum, while ensuring maximum local involvement and buy-in.
This highway project complements and supports another critical infrastructure objective of your government. That’s the construction of the Mackenzie Valley fibre optic link down that same valley. This high-tech digital communications system will create tremendous benefits for all the communities along and adjacent to the route, including approved delivery of education, health services and new business opportunities. It will enhance the quality of telehealth, closing the distance between patients and medical experts, cutting the cost of medical travel. It will improve access to clinical results and digital medical files, resulting in more timely patient care and treatment decisions. It will do the same for families and children in the care of social workers.
The fibre optic link is still in the feasibility stage. Studies indicate it could be built in the space of two years for an approximate cost of $65 million. Your government is currently looking at options for financing the project as a public-private partnership.
Complementing the proposed fibre optic link is the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility. This facility became a reality in 2011 and inaugurated its second dish just last month. While not a government led or financed project, it is an example of how the government can benefit from innovative partnerships between the private sector and other governments. It has the potential to elevate that region from the boom-bust cycle of the activities such as oil and gas, and place it in the high-tech forefront the territory’s economy needs to diversify into more predictable, stable and sustainable industries. The Inuvik Satellite Station Facility is an ideal example of this. It has your government’s utmost support.
The Northwest Territories also stands to benefit from the proposed Gahcho Kue diamond mine. Your government supports a balanced approach to development that is sustainable over the long term. It is committed to maximizing benefits of this project for the people of the Northwest Territories and will be working towards this goal as part of the environmental impact review process.
That brings me to the largest, most important private sector project of all: the Mackenzie Gas Project. The Mackenzie Gas Project is an enterprise of national scale that could play a key role in pulling Canada out of its economic slump. The Mackenzie Gas Project will contribute $68 billion to the Northwest Territories economy and over $86 billion to the Canadian economy, including 208,000 person years of employment. It would mean the displacement of coal in the generation of electricity, making for a cleaner planet. It would also prompt the development of natural gas reserves along the entire pipeline corridor; reserves that otherwise remain inaccessible. Coupled with devolution, it would spell a new age of prosperity for the people of the Northwest Territories.
For these reasons, your government remains committed to seeing this project proceed in spite of some unfortunate delays. Those delays stem from a decline in gas prices, increased supply and a need for a negotiated federal fiscal framework. Your government has been a source of stability in the unpredictable high-stakes decision-making environment the proponents face. Its Ministers have travelled nationally and internationally in an open-handed effort to broker support for the project. These efforts are a direct reflection of the stated priorities of this Chamber. Much depends on them. I’m confident they will bear fruit.
Access to the financial resources necessary to support our infrastructure investments is critical to our plans. Congratulations are in order to your Minister and Department of Finance, who have successfully concluded negotiations with Canada on a new borrowing limit for the territorial government this past March. The federally imposed limit has been raised to $800 million from $575 million. The new limit will help your government to fund other infrastructure priorities identified by you and future Legislatures. Canada has been a cooperative partner in working towards a new borrowing limit and your government appreciates their continuing efforts to support the North and Northerners.
The increased borrowing limit does not alter your government’s current fiscal strategy. That strategy is to pay down increased short-term borrowing incurred to support the territorial economy. The new borrowing limit allows you to invest in strategic infrastructure projects that are required to deliver essential programs and services and develop our economy. I know you will use it wisely, with a view to the territory’s long-term benefit.
My friends, one cannot talk about the well-being of Northerners and creating a prosperous territory without talking about the environment. The land is the source of our life and of our wealth as a territory. One of this Legislative Assembly’s most important goals is an environment that will sustain present and future generations. That includes the abundant wildlife that we are blessed with: muskox, muskrat, moose, whales, waterfowl, fish, furbearers, caribou and so many other species.
Wildlife is an important source of income and nutrition. It is also intimately tied to culture. The territory needs legislation that incorporates the most current tools for managing that wildlife. This is vital to conserving our animal populations in accordance with your goals. Your Cabinet proposes to use Bill 9, introduced in the 16th Legislative Assembly, as a starting point for consultation towards a new Wildlife Act.
The new bill will incorporate the results of additional consultations, including ministerial meetings with Aboriginal government leaders. Public information materials in plain language will be developed and widely distributed. Public meetings will be held in all regional centres. The objective is to present a new Wildlife Act during your fall session. It will offer an efficient system for wildlife management in the Northwest Territories that respects the rights and freedoms of all northern residents. I look forward to proclaiming this new, important legislation when it is passed.
The environment is larger than the living creatures that make it their home. It is the ice and the snow, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the landscapes that inspire us and places that represent and symbolize our past. Your government recognizes this and is undertaking several initiatives in this area. I refer to the government’s Water Stewardship Strategy, its Greenhouse Gas Strategy and its Land Use Sustainability Framework.
Each has far-reaching consequences for the people of the North today and in the future. The Water Stewardship Strategy, for example, establishes a framework for water monitoring. That monitoring, and other activities under the strategy, will assist your government in negotiating transboundary water management agreements. Such agreements are essential for the protection of our northern lakes, rivers and wetlands, especially in the face of development taking place in Alberta and British Columbia. Your government is concerned about the downstream effects of developments there on the Mackenzie River Basin. For that reason, the first priority is a transboundary water management agreement with Alberta. Negotiations commenced this year, continuing through 2013. The departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Justice have been mandated with this important task. I know they will serve our territory’s interests well, as do the dedicated employees of every territorial government department.
For many years your government has demonstrated the importance of having a clear understanding and vision for managing the land and resources of our territory. This summer your government will be seeking input from all sectors of the NWT populace on what vision, principles and objectives should frame the management of lands and resources into the future. The product of this consultation and cooperative approach will be a land use and sustainability framework, and the framework will build on existing cooperation relationships found in the settled lands, resources and self-government agreements, and will allow the people of the NWT to know how their government will manage land and resources in the future.
How development of the North is regulated is one of the most important ways we have of both protecting our environment and supporting economic growth. The Government of the Northwest Territories wants to see an integrated system of land and water management in the NWT based on settled land claims that functions in the public interest and allows for decisions to be made by NWT residents. Canada is currently undertaking a national initiative to streamline and increase the consistency of regulatory processes across Canada. This will affect the regulatory system here in the North. Your government, led by the Department of Executive, is working to ensure that the improvements being proposed by Canada will help streamline the regulatory regime while still ensuring proper environmental impact assessment, and respecting existing Aboriginal lands, resources and self-government agreements.
I now turn my attention to the subject of our public service. It is mostly with a view to expressing my gratitude. This government is blessed with an exemplary public service. In hospitals and nursing stations, they care for the sick. On the territory’s byways they maintain the roads and keep them safe for our drivers. They watch over aircraft as they land and take off. They count caribou, monitor water quality and answer phones. They manage our finances. When our babies are born healthy, when our graduation rates are increasing, when our economy has weathered the recession, when our government is well run, we have the public service to thank.
Out of respect for its employees, your government will soon be entrusting them with a new moral responsibility. As part of its tentative agreement with the Union of Northern Workers, your government has committed to providing public servants with a way to report potential wrongdoing and will work toward the development of whistleblower legislation for the consideration of this House during the life of the 17th Assembly.
I wish to acknowledge the government workers’ unions for helping to give this issue the profile that it deserves. Our public service unions and employee associations are also to be commended for their cooperative approach in collective bargaining. We have both been solid partners in the struggle to maintain fiscal balance, even as they pursue the very legitimate interests of those they speak for. In the past few weeks, your government has reached tentative four-year agreements with the Union of Northern Workers, the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association and the Northwest Territories Medical Association. When ratified, these arrangements will help provide certainty and stability to our employees and the government both.
Much is worth celebrating as we look to the triumphs of this government, this Assembly and our territory. Yet, there is a singular accomplishment that must be highlighted, and I refer to the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The year 2012 marks the 60th year of her reign. The Northwest Territories has joined with the nation and with the Commonwealth in commemorating this occasion. We are doing so by honouring those Canadians whose lives mirror her own generous spirit of leadership and public service, and I am pleased to be a part of the celebrations to have a role in awarding some of the Diamond Jubilee medals that will be presented this year. This medal recognizes the outstanding contributions of Canadians from all walks of lives to their communities and to their country. Among them will be many Northerners. Our territory is blessed with more heroes and heroines than the limited number of available medals could ever acknowledge. I encourage everyone to nominate a deserving Northerner for this medal and know you will rejoice, as shall I, in each and every conferral.
On a personal note, this past year has been a gratifying one for me. I have visited throughout the territory and spoken to hundreds of Northerners. I have travelled across the country and hosted many dignitaries from outside of the territory. Most notable of those was His Excellency Governor General David Johnston.
I would also like to take time to remember those prominent Northerners who have left us for the spirit world. We will miss them, but their legacy will continue to live on in the lives of all those who knew and loved them.
I have outlined numerous government initiatives this afternoon. Each represents much forethought, careful coordination and tremendous hard work. I have every faith that these initiatives will succeed. Your leadership, our growing unity, and the grace of God, the Great Spirit, make this assuredly so. I commend your deliberations to the counsel of that Great Spirit now.
During this session the Government of the Northwest Territories will introduce the following bills for consideration by this House:
Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2012-2013;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 7, 2010-2011;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2010-2011;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2012-2013.
The government considers these bills essential to the good conduct of government business and, as such, I recommend their passage.
As Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I now declare open the Third Session of the 17th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, merci beaucoup, mahsi cho, quanani, koana.
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If everyone could rise to the singing of O Canada.
---Singing of O Canada
I’d like to call a recess so we can have a reception in the Great Hall with all our colleagues and members of the community. Thank you.
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Good afternoon, colleagues. On behalf of all Members, I’d like to thank Commissioner Tuccaro for opening the Third Session of the 17th Legislative Assembly. I’d also like to say thank you to Pastor Emmanuel Adam from Glad Tidings Mission from my home in Tuktoyaktuk, and to the Fort Good Hope Drummers and the children’s choir from N.J. Macpherson School here in Yellowknife, for their contributions this afternoon.
Thank you, as well, to Grand Chief Frank Andrew, Sahtu Dene Council; Ms. Ethel Blondin-Andrew, chair of the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated; Ms. Betty Villebrun, president of the Northwest Territories Metis Nation; and Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, president of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, for joining Members on the floor of the House this afternoon.
I’d also like to extend appreciation of the House to Chief Superintendent Wade Blake, RCMP “G” Division; and Mr. Tony Whitford, our Honourary Table Officer of the Assembly, for joining us here today.
---Applause
Of course, a warm welcome to all our guests who are here in the gallery.
I’m happy to inform Members that we’ll have Pages from the following schools working with us during this sitting:
St. Patrick High School out of Yellowknife,
Range Lake North School in Yellowknife,
Kalemi Dene School in Ndilo,
Samuel Hearne Secondary School in Inuvik,
Diamond Jenness School in Hay River,
Angik School in Paulauk,
Alexis Arrowmaker School, and
Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells.
Welcome to all the Pages.
---Applause
I hope all Pages are as eager to take part in the Assembly’s proceedings as we are to have them here. Welcome on behalf of all our Members.
On a sadder note, colleagues, I’d like take the opportunity to extend condolences to all of those who lost loved ones since we last met across the territory. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.
In Nunakput, I would like to personally extend condolences to the families of:
Geddes Wolki Sr., who passed away in Sachs Harbour. Condolences to his wife, Lena, and the Wolki family;
Robin Gruben of Tuktoyaktuk, condolences to his parents, Roger and Winnie Gruben, and family;
Therese Voudrach of Tuktoyaktuk, condolences to her daughter Karen and to her family;
Jessica Jerome from out of Yellowknife. Condolences to Tootsie Jerome and Chauna Kikoak, who I grew up with in Tuk, who lost her daughter this past week here in Yellowknife. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you.
Roy Inuktalik of Ulukhaktok, condolences to his wife, Kate Inuktalik, and family.
Also, we’re going to miss a good friend of all of ours in this House, Mr. Ed Jeske. He will be sadly missed here in the House and for our long conversations and coffees with him. I suggest he’ll be sadly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family on behalf of myself and all Members.
Colleagues, I know that we will all give thoughtful consideration to the important work we have before us over the next weeks ahead during this sitting. I ask you to follow the rules and procedures that we have established to guide the proceedings. As your Speaker, I will assist in any way to make your work here as productive as possible.
Another brief announcement before we begin work here today: please join me in wishing our colleagues Ms. Bisaro and Mr. Beaulieu a very happy birthday here today in the House.
---Applause
What a great day to begin a budget session.
---Laughter
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will deliver the budget address on Thursday, May 24, 2012. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about fairness. This government has an obligation to consider decentralization of government programs and services. We can’t change where some things are located, where there is a river, a lake, rare earths, diamonds, natural deposits. We can’t change where those things are located and the industry that may spring up around them, but we can certainly change the economic outlook for our regions and for our communities.
Centralization of government is a self-perpetuating problem. The more centralization occurs, the more rationale there is for more centralization. Growth spawns a capacity, and capacity attracts growth. Someone has to have the political will to stand up for what is fair. This is what is fair: that this government, with its resources, use every opportunity possible to bring this question to bear. This is the question: Is this a service, a program, a project, a position, an activity, a meeting or a departmental activity that could be carried out within a community or a region outside the capital?
No one wants to deny Yellowknife its prosperity, but it isn’t necessary to sit back, to the detriment to the regions, and watch Yellowknife thrive. Businesses will make choices based on their interests of their enterprises and we do not control that, but the GNWT has the opportunity to consider, within the parameters of efficiency and effectiveness, the goals and mandates of this government to bring this lens of fairness to the decision it makes. Left to the bureaucracy, I am sad to say, I doubt that this kind of decentralization will happen.
I am looking for strong political leadership to put actions to the statements that we say we want strong and viable regions, communities, and where we have the opportunity to positively affect this, Mr. Speaker, I believe that we as a government have to stop talking and we have to start to see some actions.
Now, I believe this is a government that can do it. I have every confidence that this Premier, this Cabinet, this 17th Legislative Assembly is the government that is going to start to bring real action to decentralization in support of communities and regions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple of months ago I spoke strongly about the procurement dealings of this government on the highway for bypass project. I am returning once again to this House on such topic.
I indicated then, this is not the last time I will be speaking to the House for the ill-fitted Negotiated Contracts Policy and how such policy undermines our territory’s ability to protect public first in what is already an established market economy.
You see, few disagree that Yellowknife itself is at full market capacity. As such, things are very competitive in the highway construction industry. All businesses, large and small, strongly depend on the ability to bid competitively on contracts to meet the needs of their workers and overall business survival. Negotiated contracts in what is deemed a market economy do not make sense and, in my humble opinion, goes against the grain of such policy intent.
My broad brush approach on this subject has always been about the policy itself in areas where capacity building is not required, and that any further destruction of the use of such policy in already established economies will do nothing more than create division, and upset the established competitive advantages of the taxpayer.
Interestingly enough, this very community is in a divisive stance right now. The root cause of this community’s standoff is occurring a mere stone’s throw from this Legislative Assembly and is being fueled by anger, confusion and lack of trust from the government being transparent and open with its people.
For months now I have been asking this government and the Transportation Minister for a Cabinet justification paper on the highway for bypass project. Shamefully, I must indicate to the Members of this House that I received a formal response only this morning, the first day of session. What I received was not a Cabinet justification paper but reference to a confidential Cabinet decision paper that will not be shared with the Regular Members. Not only is this not fair to the Members of the House and the residents of the NWT, but to the proponent itself who is patiently waiting and wondering why this government has not signed the negotiated contract papers.
One needs to ask: Why the delays? Why the secrecy? Interestingly, an article today in our local paper caught my attention and sheds an even more unique spin to the already controversial subject before us. The writer talks about the Negotiated Contracts Policy in reference to the great Trojan horse style of politics, where metaphorically this government is allowing backdoor, hidden agendas and deals to infiltrate our public purse. Cleverly, the writer envisions that capacity building could also produce an air of ill-fated cannibalism of sorts amongst government oversubscribed companies. In essence, the very aspect of helping build capacity itself will create destruction of others. If memory serves me, let’s hope that fate for the people of the Northwest Territories will not fall for this same level of catastrophe as the villagers of Troy.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to finish my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I will be discussing once again during oral questions with the Minister of Transportation on this subject to make sure that taxpayers and residents of NWT are getting a fair price for this project, that money is being spent in the North and that jobs are truly going to Northerners. In the end, I have said all along that opportunity, not exclusivity, is to be the way of this government, and that transparency and accountability cannot take a backseat for the people of the Northwest Territories.
I ask once again for this government, the Minister of Transportation and the department to come forward with clean hands and to justify why an exclusive highway contract was used in Yellowknife. I believe we owe it to the hardworking taxpayers, a fair and reasonable explanation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been a tough six months for our territory. We have lost many of our residents to illnesses, accidents, desperation and old age. We had one recently, as you mentioned earlier. Some we have lost years before their time; some a bit before their time; and some who left us after a life well lived. All had contributions yet to be made. We will miss each and every one. My heart goes out to the families and the friends of each of them.
The circumstances around each death were different, but one death here in Yellowknife was particularly troubling to many of us. A constituent reflected on that death and on another one, as well, and shared the following: “A few thoughts post-demise of two Inuit women: The lack of culturally relevant services in Yellowknife may be a factor in our failure to effectively assist these women who resorted to desperate acts and ended their lives. In Yellowknife, the locus of control for services to women at risk to harm themselves or others is not within the culture of these clients. Services are provided by Caucasians with political savvy and proposal writing skills. Nunavut is focusing on both language and cultural aspects in these sensitive and difficult areas of service provision. Maybe there needs to be a reallocation of government funds to ensure services are as culturally relevant as possible.”
I read that comment and it struck a chord with me. We are blessed with great diversity in our territory and in the North, but that diversity is also an impediment. Our service providers often must deal with people from different cultures, speaking different languages. They do their best, but do we provide them with the necessary training so they are comfortable in their job, comfortable dealing with our diverse population?
People do not always make the effort to understand each other, to accept our differences. It is human nature to take the easy way out, especially if we have no background training or knowledge to help us understand a different culture. As a government, we have to recognize that failing and do something about it.
The RCMP announced recently that they will establish an Aboriginal Advisory Committee here in the NWT. I applaud that move. How we treat each other depends on how well we understand each other. We cannot understand and treat the actions of someone who is not like us, without some effort. That the RCMP has recognized that and is willing to take action to correct the situation is good news.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
For a start, the RCMP wants their members to learn local culture, meet with chief and council and attend a feast soon after they arrive in the community. For our part, the GNWT has to do something similar. We have to recognize the diversity of the clients we provide services for. We have to then educate and train our service providers so they understand the diversity and the different cultures that make up our great territory so our service providers can understand why a client acts as they do and provide service that is as culturally relevant as possible.
If we don’t, as my constituents powerfully stated, the carnage will continue. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Colleagues, before we go on I’d like to welcome back former Member, Minister, Premier, Mr. Jim Antoine, into the House. Welcome.
---Applause
The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Devolution is the process of taking over responsibility for managing lands and resources. Devolution has been going on for more than 200 years, so it’s important to know the history.
Most of the devolution had Britain and then Canada taking over resources from Aboriginal peoples. It has been done subject to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the Rupert’s Land Act in 1868, Treaty 8 in 1899, Treaty 11 in 1921, and into modern times.
Treaty 11 is seen by the Dene as a peace and friendship treaty with the Crown, but the treaty was spurred by the discovery of oil and gas in Norman Wells and the written version included extinguishment of Aboriginal rights to land and resources.
The process sped up after the treaties, when more people streamed into this land bringing disease, famine, hardships, residential schools and reserves. The Natural Resources Transfers Act in 1930 covering the western provinces is another example of devolution without any consultation with First Nations.
Assimilation of Aboriginal peoples in Canada was still a policy in 1969 when it was published by then Indian Affairs Minister Jean Chretien in the aptly named White Paper.
I’m proud to say that in the past 40 years the Aboriginal peoples of Canada and the North have organized and fought back in court in the Berger Inquiry, repatriation of the Constitution, land claims, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and so on. It is a fight to change the fundamental relationship between First Nations in Canada.
Where does the GNWT fit in? It delivers programs and services on behalf of Canada, but now the GNWT wants to take control of lands and resources. This government is unilaterally pushing for devolution to itself; this government has done an end run around the recommendations of the Bourque Commission, the Denendeh Government Proposal, the Western Constitutional Forum and the Constitutional Alliance. It is an approach that may alienate Aboriginal groups and spur more legal challenges. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about the market disruption caused by the Minister of Transportation and this McLeod government by sole sourcing the Highway No. 4 realignment, which frankly, Mr. Speaker, wouldn’t pass the smell test of ITI’s Market Disruption Policy.
As we all know, Minister Ramsay has been consistently critical of sole-sourced contracts as a Member in this Assembly, but now he’s in Cabinet, he’s reversed his position; because if you listen to the concerns in the community, you would hear people referring to him as Reverse Ramsay now, the new champion of sole source.
Because only Reverse Ramsay, they say, can now justify the meddling in a healthy, well-established environment, local industry. People are asking where is the old Ramsay, as they hang their head low, but now the Minister of Transportation will justify his new founded love for sole-sourced contracts with dismal comments such as they approached us, it’s better for the taxpayer, we are building capacity. So accordingly, as the people see it, and as well as they say it, this McLeod government is finally shedding light on what little respect they have for the taxpayers and the local industry. The Minister will try to use the guise of a negotiated contract with sleight of hand, but really he just means sole sourced by another name, and he will talk about community benefits. Sadly, none of these would even matter to Member Ramsay if he was sitting on this side of the House, because I could hear him now screaming as he drives up to the rafters yelling for an RFP.
So just like the children’s story book is called, “Where’s Waldo,” the public is asking where is Ramsay.
The actions of the McLeod government show that they stand behind market disruption as their new policy in our capital area, which is a competitive area; a very vibrant one, I may add. So people ask why are they trying to attract business if they do what they’ve just done. What about the BIP policy? Does it not matter? Why are we encouraging northern business to invest here if we’re just going to do what they’re doing?
I’d like to quote Member Ramsay, as he’s clearly put on the record a number of times: “My difficulty is when contracts are handed over.” Another one: “The public asks us as political leaders to govern in a fashion that is fair, open and transparent. We are the protectors of the public purse.” Here’s another one: “Why is this happening when the work should rightfully go to an RFP?” My personal favourite is: “I’m not suggesting that the people who have received these contracts are not competent, I’m not suggesting that they are not offering a fair price. What I’m saying is that there’s no way to be sure of either of these things and if we do not use a competitive process like a tender or an RFP...”
So all I’m asking for is do the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I was thrilled to be part of a small change in our government wherein the Commissioner delivered a throne speech, and this is symbolic because it sets the tone and direction of our government for the future years to come. However, I was dismayed that the address failed to mention two words important to me, my people and my constituency: Highway No. 7.
So it means to me that it is not a priority of this government and I see it as a failure to take care of my people and their needs. I have been trying very hard to get the attention of this government for Highway No. 7 for the past nine years. Never has a session gone by where I haven’t done a Member’s statement on this subject. I feel like I’m a lone voice crying from the wilderness.
I will continue to raise this issue during this particular session in the House, in Committee of the Whole and in our committee meetings. I’d truly like to see this government put those two words in the next throne speech, and I believe that with the support of my colleagues and support of Cabinet, we can make this a priority of our government and we should not fail the people any further. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to do my Member’s statement on a critical situation that we find ourselves in in Inuvik. It’s the gas situation. I’ve had conversations with certain Ministers over this and we are working hard to find a solution in Inuvik and we’re looking at trying to get support from this government.
During our most current business planning sessions that we had last month and part of this month, all the departments recognize the gas situation as something that we’ve got to take into consideration when they’re planning the business plans, how it’s going to affect them. What some don’t realize is that in Inuvik where we’re going through this situation and the cost of living is already high, what I’m concerned about is we’re going to start losing professionals from the community. We’re going to lose teachers; we’re going to lose nurses; we’re going to lose caregivers and people who run programs and services, because they can’t afford to pay those prices. Businesses are going to be affected very hard. They’re going to have to accrue their costs somehow, which means they’re going to increase the goods and services that they provide to the residents of Inuvik and it’s going to put those residents into a poverty situation, which will impact income support.
The situation doesn’t only affect Inuvik, but it’s going to have a rippling effect right across the Northwest Territories. You will see it, and if this government doesn’t make the commitments to address the issue and look at how we can mitigate them, I know where we are making some of our buildings and turning them over to diesel, but the money that’s going into mitigating the effects of this situation could be better spent by investing it into a long-term solution for Inuvik so that later on we don’t have to pay the price. Invest now and we won’t have to pay later.
Throughout this government, throughout this session I will continue to speak on the situation. In Inuvik right now we see a lot of homes up for sale since the announcement of the gas situation in Inuvik. It’s something that we need to address, something that we’d like to get some support on from this government that the residents of Inuvik don’t have to go through some hard times here.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This House has debated and put in place a responsible policy that allows for negotiated contracts. It was created to “lead to benefits for businesses or residents which could not reasonably be expected to be achieved through competitive contracting, or contribute to the creation, growth and competitive capacity of Northwest Territories-based businesses.” This policy has regularly been applied in appropriate cases across the NWT, with major benefits accruing to our residents and businesses.
A couple of my colleagues have questioned the application of this policy for the Giant Mine bypass road through the Chief Drygeese territory. Rather than attacking the policy, they have attacked this application. This to me is wrong-headed, achieves little and ignores the benefits the policy was intended to create.
A negotiated contract with Det’on Cho means our NWT tax dollars will stay in the NWT economy. Det’on Cho has invested $10 million – all spent locally – to purchase equipment that will be used on the Giant Mine road realignment. It’s mounted major training programs locally to ensure people are ready and able to get to work. That training, in fact, paid off with an 85 percent Aboriginal hiring rate on the successful Detah road project, which has only been partially funded to date.
The negotiated contract for a small portion of the Detah road was completed on time and on budget, with the participation of an array of locally owned subcontractors. Thanks to that contract, Det’on Cho now has a start on equipment, staff, experience and business partnerships to deliver a cost effective and quality realignment of the trail through Giant Mine.
For the Yellowknives First Nation owners of Det’on Cho, the highway realignment is also part of the long overdue remediation of the environmental disaster inflicted on Akaitcho lands.
Over the years the Yellowknives Dene have lost use and occupation of traditional lands and have suffered the introduction of poisons into the environment they rely upon and cherish. They have not had the opportunity to participate in the development of industry capacity which exists today. The Giant bypass project begins to address some of this harm, by promoting the prosperity of those who have been most affected.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The Negotiated Contracts Policy exists for good reasons, and I’m glad we’ve put it to good use here. If there are problems with the policy, let’s have a discussion, but let’s not wait until the policy happens to be applied in our own backyard to speak out on it.
I look forward to the successful completion of the contract negotiations and the flow of benefits to our local economy that will result. I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to add my Member’s statement today to talk about the potential benefits to the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories. I want to say, first of all, congratulations to the GNWT and their negotiating team for working with the people in the Sahtu and allowing them flexibility, and more importantly, for the Sahtu people to come to a decision to sit at the negotiating table on devolution. This gives them some flexibility to come, as I said in my press release, to negotiate our own faith within the Sahtu and the Northwest Territories.
This is not a done deal yet; however, we can see the benefits of us coming to the table and to take ownership of our own destiny. I wanted to say this first of all in my Member’s statement: Congratulations to the leadership and the people in the Sahtu.
I also want to say that as part of this process, and my colleague the honourable Member for Hay River Mrs. Groenewegen talked about, was the issue of decentralization and putting the decentralization process to work. We want to see results where programs, services and, more importantly, the positions are going to go into the regions and not automatically assume that the city of Yellowknife and the buildings here are going to have them. The bureaucracy needs to know that they need to put these positions in the regions and not make it easier for us as government to say it has to go to Yellowknife because it makes more sense. It makes more sense to see the services go to the regions. That’s what I’m going to be harping on this government, to hold them accountable and see if your words are real true to us and put these positions in the regions where they make more sense to my people. We’ll wait and see that approach for me.
I do want to say that’s my forewarning to the Cabinet members; that I will be here, as any other Members, to hold them accountable and transfer them and make sure that government does what is says it’s going to do.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In today’s Hub, my local newspaper, I was quoted on a discussion that I had to have with the press about our new health care facility in Hay River. This should be an exciting time for our new facility; however, there are many people in the community that are concerned that this new health care facility will be downgraded from the current hospital that we have today. The residents of Hay River are concerned that they will have to travel to Yellowknife and southern areas to have blood work, patient care and medical services done, because the facility is being downgraded. I know this is not the fact; however, the Department of Health has not been doing anything in this public relations mess.
In response to all the negative press, the two MLAs – myself and Mrs. Groenewegen – have had a meeting with the department to clear up this mess, to hopefully bury this issue. The department indicated that there was no plan to downgrade the service but that the facility would be the future of Hay River and would also be a benefit for 50 years. If it was going to be a benefit for 50 years, the difficulty that I have is the 10 long-term care beds that we have there now are not in the existing design for the new building. How can it be the future for 50 years if it doesn’t meet today’s needs?
This is a large problem in Hay River. Our population is not getting any younger. Like the rest of Canada, we are getting older. I will have questions for the Minister of Health later today.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This afternoon I want to talk about spring, which I know is in all of our minds. This simple word has many meanings, but to most of us it is a celebration. We once celebrated surviving the long, cold winter and also a successful trapping season. We celebrated by travelling to the nearest outpost or settlement and by feasting and dancing with our families, neighbours and community. Today we celebrate with jamborees, and of course we still feast and dance and celebrate our friendships. For the fortunate people who live on the banks of our rivers, we depend on spring to bring us fresh water, fish, and migratory ducks and geese.
I want to remind my colleagues that for me spring is a time to harvest for my family and provide for my elders. That is what my parents taught me. First provide for the elders and those who cannot go hunting, then have enough for your own family.
I also want to remind everyone that we must take precautions during spring. With the ice moving and waters flowing, fast rivers are very dangerous, especially for the little ones who are very curious and want to explore. We need to educate them about the dangers of fast flowing waters. Even experienced hunters need to be careful. We need to wear lifejackets in our boats and look out for our neighbours.
Our government should also be prepared for spring. For example, there is a good chance there will again be some flooding in Aklavik. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs should be ready in case Aklavik and other communities need help. The community of Aklavik has not fully recovered from the last big flood, when the government assistance was not available for the community.
I will have questions for the Minister later today. Have a safe and enjoyable spring, everyone.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize a constituent of mine and mayor of the Town of Inuvik, Mr. Denny Rodgers. Welcome.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize Chief Jim Antoine – welcome to the gallery – and my assistant, Ms. Pearl Norwegian, who is here for this week. Great to see them travelling.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
