Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The whole premise of this government here, its Intergovernmental Council is made up of governments that own land, and together we will manage land in the Northwest Territories. We have this public government structure that has 19 MLAs, and through this process we will represent all of the interests of the people of the Northwest Territories.
To the Premier, thank you, I guess. I recognize that the belief is that the GNWT represents all residents, and I agree that, yes, the GNWT should do that, but there needs to be an avenue for non-Aboriginal residents to have some kind of input, and I think the Premier should know that there are many times when residents feel that there’s a lack of an opportunity for them to provide input into lands and resource management and many other things. The Premier mentions that we have 19 MLAs, and I think he’s suggesting that that’s the avenue that residents should use.
I’d like to ask him is that the only avenue that he sees for input from residents to this government? What else is in place now to facilitate input from residents to the government?
Obviously, there’s more than just this Legislative Assembly. For example, Yellowknife has seven MLAs that people in Yellowknife can just phone and walk to their MLAs’ doors and provide input. We also have other avenues. We have committee meetings. We have departments where we consult, and then we consult and we consult on every imaginable kind of policy, and we seek input and then we go back and go back to the committees for their input and then, as a government, we take a position or develop a policy and then we would work with our Aboriginal governments on the Intergovernmental Council for those matters related to land.
I just have to say that the Premier mentions a whole host of things that are out there, but committee meetings are, I would say, probably 90 to 95 percent closed meetings and there’s no opportunity for public input there.
The Premier mentions consultation. What kind of consultation, and I’m talking about consultation specifically for residents who are not represented by another form of government.
Again to the Premier, is there a mechanism right now that exists so that residents can go to a body other than their MLA, that they can go to a body and they can provide input on a specific issue before all of the NWT?
This government spends a tremendous amount of dollars on consulting with the general public on any kind of strategy. I could probably list off about two dozen, but I guess the ones that come to mind are the Water Strategy and the forest management, devolution and what have you. We go out and we give everybody the opportunity for input. We go to the communities. We call meetings and we also use the Internet, our website, where we put out information and we seek feedback. There are all kinds of avenues for the public to have input into our policies.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I find it unbelievable that this government is going to go out and consult on every issue that comes before it. There are any number of decisions that are made by Premier and Cabinet on any number of issues into which residents have no input. There is a need for a formal mechanism for our residents to have an opportunity to have input into lands and resource management.
I’d like to ask the Premier, will he consider establishing some sort of a group similar to the Wildlife Act stakeholder group that was set up to handle input from non-Aboriginal residents, and will he consider the same sort of a group for lands and resource management?
We will find a way to get input from people that have large amounts of land that have some information to contribute.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of ITI. I want to ask the Minister, within our settlement in the Sahtu Dene/Metis Land Claim Agreement, we negotiated chapter 12, I believe, on the economic measures.
I want to ask the Minister in regard to this chapter, what is the interpretation or what we agreed to in chapter 12 with the Government of the Northwest Territories with this chapter to help out the Sahtu business in regard to the economic opportunities.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through the programs and services that ITI provide across the territory and specifically in the Sahtu, we’ve seen the number of especially Aboriginal-owned businesses increase exponentially in the Sahtu over the past three years. We continue to provide support in this area. Through this budgeting process recently concluded, we’ve added a business development officer at the Sahtu regional office in Norman Wells and we continue to look for opportunities to work with land owners and business owners and Aboriginal leaders in the Sahtu to ensure that money is available and opportunity is available for those that want to get into business. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, in the economic measures chapter, if there is going to be any type of changes to the policies and programs and services, is there an opportunity that this Minister will then sit down with the Sahtu leadership and discuss the type of changes that could possibly be coming forth or whatever that there’s going to be a shift from this Constitution written document?
I can certainly look to DAAIR, I suppose, for some guidance. I will be travelling to the Member’s riding in April and if there’s an opportunity to sit down to discuss these types of things with the leaders in the Sahtu at that time, I would certainly be happy to do that. Thank you.
Finally I get a Minister coming to the Sahtu. I would be interested in sitting down with the leadership and with the Minister. This chapter is very important because of what’s happening in the Sahtu. We don’t have an all-weather road right now, so it makes it difficult to jump on any type of economic development other than what we have in the short period of a winter road season.
I want to ask the Minister, with this chapter here in regards to any future changes, definitely the leadership would be upfront and involved in discussing what changes possibly may happen with chapter 13.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly look forward to the discussion. With all that is happening in the Sahtu, it is very important that we get on the same page and that opportunities that are there are acted upon and that the investments are made in the region so that the people of the region can benefit. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the communities of Fort Good Hope, Deline and Colville Lake, most of the action right now is happening around Tulita and Norman Wells, so there are plenty of opportunities, but also for the other Sahtu communities. Specifically Fort Good Hope, Deline and Colville Lake there isn’t much activity happening there.
With programs and infrastructure that goes into those communities, is the Minister following the intent and the spirit of chapter 13 in working with the communities on any type of infrastructure projects that would be going into those communities?
Mr. Speaker, we continue to work with the Sahtu Secretariat in the Sahtu. We also work with communities to develop economic plans. We’ve provided some funding to get people together to discuss economic opportunities in the Sahtu and we will continue to do that. We will continue to work toward that type of activity that currently is taking place in and around Norman Wells and Tulita. We’re hoping that that type of activity expands so that there’s more opportunity in communities like Fort Good Hope, Deline and Colville Lake. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to continue my questions to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I’d like to ask the Minister – as you know, Aklavik is an isolated community – will the Minister work with the community to stockpile gravel in the community to build a parking lot at the Moose Kerr School?
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’d be more than willing to work with the community; however, at the end of the day, the decision is usually made by the community as to whether they’re going to have a gravel haul or not. They will canvas other departments to see if there’s need for gravel. You did say Municipal and Community Affairs…
---Laughter
…and I have to get on TV.
---Laughter
So we’ll work with the community and they will identify their gravel needs and we’ll continue to work with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Sorry, I got mixed up with those two departments, but while the Minister is giving…
---Laughter
I know the community has been planning to stockpile gravel to upgrade their roads in the community, so is the Minister willing to work with the community to ensure that there are funds available for that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The community does have funds available. They are able to use the money provided through our department. Again, they will work with a number of the other groups. They may check with the NWT Housing Corporation to see if there might be a requirement for gravel. If there is, it will give them a pretty good indication how much they want to stockpile. They, in turn, would sell that gravel to whoever needs it in the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, titled “Cancer in the Northwest Territories 2001-2010.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table Dehcho First Nations leadership resolution and the attachment from the February 4 to 6, 2014, winter leadership meeting held in Fort Providence. The resolution calls upon the GNWT to honour long-standing commitments made in 2006 by the forest management division of ENR to develop regulations and policies in support of the non-timber forest product industry. The resolution insists that these measures be in place prior to the 2014 harvesting season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table two documents. The first is called “Income Security for all Canadians.” The second is an infographic that has a lot of good stuff in it, called “The Case for a Guaranteed Income – Lifting People from Poverty: Fairly, Efficiently and Effectively.” Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Nadli.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, March 10, 2014, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories take the steps necessary to ensure widespread access to… Sorry, I have the wrong motion, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Could someone get the right motion for Mr. Nadli?
Sorry about that. Whereas non-timber forest products, including wild mushrooms, can offer wide-ranging health and economic benefits; and whereas, world-wide demand for gourmet mushrooms…
I give notice that on Monday, March 10, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories take the steps… Again, is this the right motion? Sorry.
---Interjection
It is? Okay. …take the necessary steps to ensure widespread access to automated external defibrillators or AEDS…
---Interjection
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 10, 2014, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that this Legislative Assembly request the Government of Canada to propose to Parliament an amendment to the Northwest Territories Act that would authorize this current 17th Legislative Assembly to extend its term to a period not exceeding five years; and further, that the Premier communicate this request to the Prime Minister; and furthermore, should federal legislation be enacted as requested, the Board of Management of the Legislative Assembly propose a bill at the earliest opportunity to defer the next NWT election to October 2016. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
