Debates of October 17, 2006 (day 9)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my opening Member’s statement I quoted the Premier talking about six to 12 months, very critical for people of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, it’s well known in the House as the Northwest Territories that the North is leaving a lot of millions of dollars in Ottawa’s pocket and staying on not leaving enough in the Northwest Territories. I want to ask the Premier what plans are in place in determining that Canada will give a fair deal to the people of the Northwest Territories so we won’t have to keep going back to a kid’s constituency and we say we’re broke, we have no money and our lives are in shambles, buildings are down, and, you know, we keep coming back here saying we’re broke. What plans are in place in terms of gathering, assembling some people in the Northwest Territories to get Ottawa here to say enough is enough, give us what is rightfully ours? What plans are in place for the North? Thank you.

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

Return To Question 104-15(5): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are two main actions which we are taking. As the Member knows, the Prime Minister has committed that we should be the primary beneficiaries and, following that, there has been the two reports on fiscal imbalance; both of them sided with our government. Following that, Minister Flaherty has indicated that he’s meeting with the Finance Ministers in December and at that time it is expected that he will be putting forward a proposal on territorial formula financing. So, Mr. Speaker, that will be the first action on that front.

Mr. Speaker, the other one has to do with devolution and resource revenue sharing. Clearly, these two are high. We cannot accept program responsibility without the revenues to be able to afford to pay for those programs. Mr. Speaker, we’ve made that known. The federal government have appointed a new federal negotiator for devolution. I have met with him and my indications from him is that he has a broader mandate than the previous federal negotiator, David Peterson, and his mandate will go into some of the areas regarding the fiscal side as well. So I expect our negotiators to be getting together soon. I don’t have a date, but I know that they have talked. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 104-15(5): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier inform the House here, inform the people in our region in terms of the second issue talks about devolution and resource revenue sharing in terms of what plans are in place to get the aboriginal governments, the businesspeople, the people in the Northwest Territories to say this is a good deal, it can’t wait any longer, we have to do something? Because right now we are still, in the eyes of the federal government, I believe, wards of the state of the federal government and we’re still little kids in the big ballgame here. So I would like to ask the Premier in terms of getting the support from the other people in the Northwest Territories to get a decent resource revenue sharing and devolution deal. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 104-15(5): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, we have been working with the business community, with aboriginal governments, on both devolution and resource revenue sharing. I want to continue that. Mr. Speaker, I will be attending regional meetings with the regional leaders. I know the leaders for the Aboriginal Summit are meeting in November. This will be an issue on their agenda. Mr. Speaker, we have worked in the past with the Business Coalition and I intend to continue to work with the business community through that coalition and I don’t have any specific plan on it, but we intend to work there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 104-15(5): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In our communities, again, they’re crying out for proper infrastructures, proper programming, proper services in our communities, the nurses, drug and alcohol centres, the youth, policing, yet we’re still talking about this. You know, we’re 30 years of devolution talks. We still come back and say we’re broke. So I guess I want to know when the deal is going to get done, when we’re going to have a good deal so we can have, like, province of the Northwest Territories, don’t keep begging in Ottawa for additional dollars. Again, I want to ask the Premier in terms of his time frame in terms of the end of this life, the next government, when will we get it done? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 104-15(5): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations

Mr. Speaker, the federal government have made it clear that they will be proceeding on devolution and resource revenue sharing discussions, that in December Minister Flaherty will be meeting. So, Mr. Speaker, I expect clearly that we will have the answers to this and the process in place this fall before the end of the calendar year. Mr. Speaker, I expect to see as part of the 2007-08 budget some relief for the Northwest Territories on both the financing formula and on resource revenue sharing. Mr. Speaker, I think that is as much detail as we can provide at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 104-15(5): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the federal government has made other things very clear to us, they don’t like our literacy program, they don’t like our health programs, they made a bunch of huge cuts that affect the Northwest Territories. Shame on them for doing that. It’s a crying shame in the Northwest Territories. All the resources that we have that they’re making these types of cuts and then they turn around and say we’re going to deal with you, we’re going to give you a good deal here, trust us. So, Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. I want to ask the Premier what’s a backup plan that we northern people can go to Ottawa and get our deal and bring it home and have some decent programs for our people? Thank you.

Bring it home.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 104-15(5): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Negotiations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say, first of all, that I believe that we have to deal with these step by step, but I want to work with Minister Prentice and his people on the devolution and resource revenue sharing file. That is one that is doable. They have just appointed a negotiator. I intend to work with them on that one. The same on the Finance Minister’s file. Our Minister of Finance will be working with Minister Flaherty on that one and we’ll see where that goes. Mr. Speaker, if we’re not able to make progress on these two files, then at that time we are going to have to look at some other option because, as I said in my statement, the current situation is just not sustainable. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have a detailed plan B at this point and I would want to work with the Members in drafting whatever that might be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.