Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion "Apology and Compensation to the Yellowknives Dene First Nation Relating to Damages from the Giant Mine."
WHEREAS the Yellowknives Dene First Nation abused and occupied the lands and waters around Yellowknife Bay for thousands of years and continue to do so;
AND WHEREAS the workings of Giant Mine were located in their territory without compensation or permission from the Yellowknife Dene First Nation;
WHEREAS the operation of Giant Mine contaminated the lands and waters surrounding the water to the extent that some traditional activities including hunting, fishing, and gathering by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation had been harmed and potentially will never again be possible;
AND WHEREAS the massive stockpiles of arsenic created by the Giant Mine threatened to cause a major environmental catastrophe that could prevent Yellowknives Dene First Nations' usage of its traditional lands and water;
AND WHEREAS the treaty entitlement and lands right agreement has yet to be completed with Yellowknives Dene First Nation and that the impact and damages created by Giant Mine are an extraordinary and exceptional nature;
AND WHEREAS on July 1, 2017, the Prime Minister of Canada publicly stated that "Indigenous peoples of this country have faced oppression for centuries and as a society, we must acknowledge and apologize for past wrongs and chart a plan forward for the next 150 years;"
AND WHEREAS the Giant Mine oversight board in its 2017 establishment report recommended that in the interest of reconciliation, "the decisions and actions of past governments are acknowledged and that an apology is made for the impacts of these decisions and actions have had on the Yellowknives Dene First nation;"
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable for Frame Lake that the Legislative Assembly calls upon the government of Canada to make a formal public apology for the damage done by Giant Mine, and more specifically to the Yellowknives Dene First Nation;
AND FURTHER that the Assembly call upon the government of Canada to enter into negotiations with the Yellowknife Dene First Nation to provide compensation for these damages and loss.
AND FURTHERMORE that the Premier of the Northwest Territories convey this motion without delay to the Prime Minister of Canada with a letter requesting a reply.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to request a recorded vote.
Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Member for Nahendeh. Member for Frame Lake. Member for Yellowknife Centre. Member for Nunakput. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. Member for Range Lake. Member for Yellowknife South. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Member for Hay River South. Member for Thebacha. Member for Hay River North. Member for Mackenzie Delta. Member for Yellowknife North. Member for Kam Lake.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the vote: 16 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. Motion carried.
---Carried
Masi. Colleagues, at this time, I'm going to call a short break.
---SHORT RECESS
Masi, Members. Members, we left off on the first motion, 5-18(3). That was completed. Motions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like many First Nations throughout the Northwest Territories, the Gwich'in people have relied on the Porcupine caribou herd, along with other herds throughout the territory. Mr. Speaker, all Dene in the NWT are also part of the Porcupine caribou management agreement. Even though the Porcupine caribou herd is one of the healthiest herds in Canada and in the United States, as well, you know that future drilling, if allowed in 1002 lands is what this motion is speaking to.
It can have huge impacts on the Porcupine caribou herd. We see it throughout all the herds in Canada that are declining at the moment, yet the Porcupine caribou herd is healthy at the moment, but future drilling can have impacts on this, as well. That is the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd, Mr. Speaker, and now is the time we need to stand up again. You know, this fight has gone on for many years in the Gwich'in, in the Yukon, Alaska, and the Northwest Territories have always been lobbying the Congress and senators in the United States to protect their calving grounds. I'd just like to read the latest update that I received.
"The Senate passed its budget resolution, which directs the Senate Natural Resource Committee, chaired by Alaska Senator Murkowski, to generate $1 billion in new revenues. This is expected to be found by removing the legislative barriers to drilling in the coastal plain, and counting highly speculative revenues from the future sale of oil leases. The Senate vote happened largely along party lines, with the budget resolution passing 51 out of 52 Republicans to 49, all 48 Democrats, and one Republican. Earlier in the evening, Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell tabled a proposed amendment to the budget resolution, which had passed. Whatever moved the direction to the Senate Natural Resources Committee and thus ending the drilling threat in the budget, it did not pass, with 48 votes in favour, democrats, and 52 against, republicans. Last week, the House passed its own budget resolution which also directed its equivalent of the Senate Natural Resource Committee to find $5 billion in new revenues, example, $4 billion more than the Senate budget resolution. Most of these budget resolutions are not legally binding. They are also substantially different budget resolutions."
As I understand the archaic U.S. political process over the course of the next few weeks, the House and Senate will begin negotiations to reconcile the two budget resolutions in a single bill, which will have to pass in the Senate before becoming law, 51 votes required.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that there is still the ability for the language that puts the coastal plain at risk to be removed from the bill prior to the final Senate vote. Given the outcome of the capital amendment vote, however, this will require a shift in position of a minimum of three Republican senators. Mr. Speaker, in the worst-case scenario, the Senate will pass a budget into law in the coming weeks that removes the provisions from the federal legislation which currently prohibits exploration and drilling for oil in the coastal plain. So Mr. Speaker, more than ever, this motion is very important, and we need lobbying of our Prime Minister to meet with the President of the United States. I know that he is pro-development, but Mr. Speaker, I think we also need to send a contingent down to Washington to lobby the senators. Like I said, we only need three to change their position.
We have a lot of people who depend on the Porcupine caribou in the Northwest Territories along with the Yukon, I know they are doing their part to send people down to lobby. I just ask for your support, and Mr. Speaker, I will request a recorded vote. Thank you.
The Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Frame Lake, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Frame Lake, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Yellowknife South, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, and the Member for Thebacha.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the motion are: 16 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions.
---Carried
Masi. Motions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Jackson.
---Laughter
Well, he said we're on a first name basis today.
---Laughter
I'll take that.
Protocol usually has that the chair of Caucus would move a motion such as this, and I appreciate Julie allowing me to do this, being a long-serving Member. I don't want to say the oldest; a long-serving Member. I appreciate all the comments, and I think that speaks well to the work that not only Doug does, but a lot of us in here. We're the face of our department; we're the face of committees; we're the face of the government. However, there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes, and I think today is a great example of that. They do all the work. We take all the credit. If things go wrong, we blame them.
---Laughter
It is a very special time, and I thank the comments that you heard from colleagues around the room here. I know you have been around for 30 years. I was talking to Doug earlier, and he is actually younger than me, but he has been around 30 years. He is going to retire. I know some of you are saying, "Take the hint, R.C. Take the hint."
---Laughter
Anyway, you have probably seen and heard a lot of things, but never repeated them. I would like to be the first one to buy your book when it is written, because I am sure you have got a lot of stories. Mr. Speaker, having said all of that, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you.
Masi. The Member has requested a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.
The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Frame Lake, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Yellowknife South.
Masi. All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. Masi. The results of the vote: 16 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried.
---Carried
---Applause
Masi. The Member has requested a recorded vote. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour, please stand.
The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Frame Lake, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, and the Member for Yellowknife South.
Masi. All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the motion: 15 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions.
---Carried
Third reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
Masi. The Member has requested a recorded vote. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour, please stand.
The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Frame Lake, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, and the Member for Yellowknife South.
Masi. All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the vote: 15 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions.
---Carried
