Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government says it will seek input this summer on the vision, principles and objectives that should frame the management of our lands and resources in the future. I have called upon the government for some years to seek this input from the public. When devolution does occur, we must be ready to put in place a new management regime that reflects our values, priorities and environmental needs. I congratulate the government on beginning this work and look forward to hearing the details.
Meanwhile, the federal government seems intent on disassembling environmental protections and collapsing the regional land and water boards into a single NWT board. The loss of habitat protection from the Fisheries Act and the imposition of artificial deadlines for the completion of environmental reviews are especially disturbing. This government has said it will work to ensure federal changes maintain proper environmental impact assessment in the NWT. I look forward to details on this as well.
The proposal to eliminate regional land and water boards will seriously reduce local control over the pace and scope of development provided in the MVRMA in May. It could result in the elimination of 14 regional and six Yellowknife positions. In addition, 20 board positions offering honoraria to regional board members will be lost. Communities and regional residents will lose key local sources of information and the knowledge, experience and capacity regional staff provide.
Will we also lose resources at the time of devolution as the federal government pares down programs? If these changes are inevitable, there are some basics that we should insist upon to retain local insights and participation. The first is preservation of current board budgets reassigned to resident regional technical experts and analysis that provides expert advice to remaining board members. Regional board offices must remain active to ensure community presence and points of contact for concerned input, completion of the development of land use plans and common standards and guidelines for development proposal review and provisions for special regional concerns must be established. Future board meetings must be held rotationally in communities, not just Yellowknife, and GNWT and Aboriginal governments need the mandate for appointing board members.
Public oversight and environmental protection are at a crucial crossroads. As we prepare to assume the stewardship of our shared resource birthright, we’ll need to be ready to ensure citizens’ aspirations and environmental safety are protected.
I will be asking questions of the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources and Finance. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
