Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20232024, Department of Infrastructure, capital investment expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $3,450,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Please turn to page 11. Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20232024, Department of Lands capital investment expenditures, operations, not previously authorized, negative $225,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20232024, Department of Lands, capital investment expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, negative $225,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Tabled Document 88319(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20232024?
Agreed.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 88319(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20232024, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 88319(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Mahsi, Madam Chair.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried. Tabled Document 88319(2) will be reported as ready for consideration in a formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.
Carried
Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
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Committee, we have agreed to consider Committee Report 4419(2), Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs Final Report: A Northwest Territories Approach to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Negotiating Agreements.
I will go to the chair of the Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs for any opening comments. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the special committee's final report was read into the record in the Legislative Assembly on February 28th, 2023. This Assembly has tasked the Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs to seek and encourage discussion and recommendations on opportunities and specific challenges in meeting two specific assembly priorities:
Advance resolution of Aboriginal rights negotiations; and,
Implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In this final report, the committee makes recommendations informed by discussions with Indigenous governments and organizations, legal experts, Canadian scholars, the Government of Canada, and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
The committee's recommendations address informed governance, enabling a Northwest Territories constitutional framework, monitoring UNDRIP implementation, ensuring policies are consistent with UNDRIP, and concluding land agreements.
I thank all committee members for the commitment, time, and work given to the special committee. Every so often it truly felt like moving through time, discussing and hearing about the rights, issues, that seem to have not moved forward in decades. It felt like being stuck in the past, at the same time hearing visions of an empowered future and about the will to put the work into this vision was a true privilege.
The committee hopes that the collaborative efforts observed since we began our work will continue and achieve the reconciliation that is needed in the Northwest Territories. Individual Members may have additional comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. I will now open the floor to general comments on Committee Report 4419(2). Do any Members have any general comments? Seeing no comments at all, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that
The office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly includes in all transitional and orientation material for all MLAs postelection, and
The office of the Secretary to Cabinet of the Government of the Northwest Territories includes, in postelection materials specific to Cabinet, an introduction to the history and role of each of the following:
NWT Council of Leaders;.
Modern treaty and selfgovernment partners forum;
Intergovernmental council and intergovernmental council secretariat;
The jurisdictions of public government exclusive and inclusive Indigenous governments; and,
NWT Council of Leaders UNDRIP Memorandum of Understanding.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. O’Reilly.
Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. I want to, first of all, thanks the committee for the work that they did on this. And I know that this was tabled in the House on February the 28th. So, you know, since the report was even tabled, there's been other progress made as well and, you know, I point to the process convention on bills drafted pursuant to the Intergovernmental Council legislative development protocols. So I assume that that would probably be part of the orientation that Regular MLAs and Members of Cabinet would receive as some background on that legislative development protocol and then the process convention that we developed springing from that. So I just thought it would be worthwhile to add that because I know our staff are probably listening, and somebody might pay attention and actually make sure that gets included in the orientation program. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Abstentions? The motion is carried.
Carried
Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the 20th Legislative Assembly establish a special committee on UNDRIP implementation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Abstentions? Motion is carried.
Carried
Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the work plan proposals to be suggested by the Government of the Northwest Territories under the NWT Council of Leaders UNDRIP Memorandum of Understanding should include:
Description of who or what entity will monitor progress;
Identification of who or what entity will be accountable for progress;
A dispute resolution mechanism other than the Government of the Northwest Territories for disputes between Indigenous governments over the implementation of UNDRIP, land access and land exclusivity and other interjurisdictional disputes; and,
An established process or determined place to ensure the implementation of existing selfgovernment agreements or land claim agreements is consistent with the principles and objectives of UNDRIP.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Abstentions? Any opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
It's the separate motion. It's not the one that's in the package.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories systematically review the GNWT policies against the principles of UNDRIP and in consideration of purposes and objectives established by the NWT Council of Leaders UNDRIP Memorandum of Understanding,
Beginning with the review of policy 11.51 Aboriginal land claims;
Continuing with the review of policies listed under the authority of the Executive Council and ministerial policies; and,
While at the same time, establishing an understood process to ensure a check in with Indigenous governments and Members of the Legislative Assembly before final versions are concluded.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. O’Reilly.
Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. So I was trying to quickly refresh my memory on the report, and I confess I don't think I was here when it was read into the record. But I assume that this special committee is going to be a joint one between Regular MLAs and Cabinet? But I don't really see that kind of spelled out anywhere in here. Maybe somebody who's on the committee or the chair might be able to help me understand that. I assume, maybe I'm just reading too much into this, but are Regular MLAs going to be part of this or is this just like a Cabinet committee, or what's going on here? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Regular MLAs should be part of this. I don't think it should just be Cabinet in charge of this. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, do you want to comment on that?
I think when we when we had the discussions around the motions, I guess that's something because we were sitting around the table and we were a joint committee. So I think that was the intention, is this type of a committee to continue on. And so I think it was just an oversight of I think this committee worked well as being I mean, to do the work that we had to do, we had to have both sides of the special committee and I think to continue to do that work, it's going to have to continue to be both sides on the special committee to make sure that, you know, concerns from both sides are represented. So I'll leave it at that, and hopefully this gets into record so that when the next government does form and if they do choose to do this recommendation, then they understand that this should be recommended as a joint committee. Thank you.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those Madam Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's important to note within this motion as well that if we're really following the United Nations Declaration for Indigenous Peoples, which will be hopefully put through second reading sometime this week, and maybe by the end of the government, the third reading, that the Indigenous governments also have a huge role within this motion. So just wanted to say that it's not only the GNWT Ministers and Regular Members; the Indigenous governments within the declaration have to have a say in this as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Abstentions in opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories work towards establishing a shared framework with the Government of Canada, Indigenous governments, and organizations for the resolution of outstanding land and selfgovernment agreements;
And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories make the option of an independent facilitator available to all negotiation tables.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
