Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are in follow-up to the statement that I made. Treaties for the most part in the NWT and in Canada are bilateral in nature, involving two parties, Aboriginal governments and the Government of Canada. From a First Nations perspective, treaties take on the features of being peace and friendship or cooperation agreements. At times, through governments' measuring and ensuring that the level of accountability and transparency does prevail over those regimes, sometimes it takes on the face of being paternalistic. My question is to the Premier: does the GNWT engage in any discussions with the federal government about changing the way First Nations are funded in the NWT? Mahsi.
Masi. The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories has not formally engaged with Canada about changing the way First Nations are funded in the Northwest Territories, nor about how such changes would be reflected in the negotiations taking place under the Dehcho process. However, I can state that Canada, through its federal working group of Ministers on the review of laws and policies related to Indigenous people, did release 10 principles that Canada will be using to guide the relationships with Indigenous governments, and one of the principles talks about review of the fiscal arrangements with First Nations.
I would like to thank the Premier for his reply. Recently, a Parliamentary committee from the federal level was here in Yellowknife and had run consultations in preparation for the federal budget that we expect in the new year. Has the GNWT undertaken any analysis or discussions with Canada about financing for designated authority communities funded by the federal government? Will future arrangements continue the practice of treating these communities differently than other First Nations communities in the NWT?
We have engaged the federal government to try to determine what their future vision is for their fiscal relationships with Aboriginal governments, and we have not been successful. I, myself, have written twice to the chair of the federal working group of Ministers on the review of laws and policies related to Indigenous people, offering to make a presentation about how we have an integrated system of health and education and to try to determine what their future plans are, but we have not undertaken any analysis with Canada about financing designated authorities funded by the federal government. I cannot speak for Canada. It has been very difficult to determine where they are going with future funding arrangements. The Government of the Northwest Territories currently contracts designated authority communities to provide municipal services in their communities, and currently we do not see changing that approach.
My question is: can the Premier clarify whether the GNWT sees these designated authority communities as Aboriginal governments?
The Government of the Northwest Territories views any First Nations, Metis, or Inuit communities that have completed or are currently in or about to start Aboriginal land claim and/or self-government negotiations as an Aboriginal government.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the region that I am strongly, of course, affiliated with is the Deh Cho region, and they are an unsettled region. Would this government, through the Premier's eyes, view the Deh Cho as an Aboriginal government?
I have said that the Government of the Northwest Territories views any First Nation that is involved in Aboriginal land claims or in self-government negotiations as an Aboriginal government, so it falls under that definition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
