Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I was talking about an MOU. I thought that agreement was made between the Town of Inuvik and the Department of Transportation, but apparently, that’s not happening. This has been two, almost three, years in the making for a simple little MOU.
I’d like to direct my questions today to the Minister of Transportation. I’d like to ask the Minister if he’s aware of the status of the MOU as of today.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Minister of Transportation.
Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has alluded to in his Member’s statement, we had a meeting in Inuvik to discuss this issue with the mayor and the regional superintendent. One issue we did talk about was the issue of the long-standing MOU negotiations that happened in the previous government with the Town of Inuvik and the Department of Transportation.
My understanding is there were some issues that have been going back and forth. There were some delays, in terms of the change of the town council membership and the department’s commercial development staff.
The department recently received a letter from the town to respond to some of their concerns. We hope this agreement will be concluded within the next couple of weeks.
Mr. Speaker, one of the things I admire about old-timers is that when they say, “We have a deal,” their word is as good as a piece of document.
My understanding in this case is that an agreement was reached. We sat at the table and we said, “We do have an agreement.” Whether it was on the whole MOU or that particular issue…. My understanding is it was the whole MOU.
I’d like to ask the Minister: was he under the impression that an agreement was reached on the MOU between Transportation and the Town of Inuvik?
Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that we had a deal to conclude the MOU between the Town of Inuvik and the department. There were issues we felt we could resolve in a short time and have a deal concluded. That was my understanding, and that’s the basis on which I’m going forward to see this MOU resolved shortly.
Mr. Speaker, my understanding was that the last outstanding issue was the setback of 100 feet from the road. That was the one issue that was holding up the whole agreement. Again, I say I was under the impression that we did have an agreement for the whole MOU.
I would like to ask the Minister: what’s the reluctance on the part of Transportation to have this MOU finalized?
Certainly there are some legal issues in terms of the transfer. The town wishes to have the use of the quarry before the transfer of the lands, and we are obligated to proceed this way.
There are also issues around the transfer of the lands with regard to MACA being somewhat involved with the issue with the Town of Inuvik, of course. NAV Canada has some issues. Natural Resources Canada also has some issues around the transfer.
We are proceeding to work with the town in terms of the use of the quarry and also proceeding with the transfer of the land. However, there are some legal issues that we certainly have to be cognizant of in terms of giving the final signature on the MOU.
Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a simple memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Northwest Territories’ Transportation and the Town of Inuvik, and somehow the document is getting bigger and bigger. It started off with a few sections. The last count, I think, was 33 sections. Every time, it seems, it goes back to the department there are more sections added on. Pretty soon we’ll end up with a document this thick.
I would like to ask the Minister today — and he is the Minister of Transportation; he has the authority to direct his department to get issues resolved — to assert that authority and direct his department to expedite the signing of this MOU between Transportation and the Town of Inuvik. This is something that’s been going on for three years, and it’s just taking too long.
Would the Minister commit to directing — I repeat “directing” — his department to have this thing finalized within the next month?
Mr. Speaker, when the Member and I, along with the mayor and the regional superintendent, sat down in Inuvik…. I have asked the department, when the Member was there, to get this MOU dealt with, to see what we can do and what some of the issues are here.
I still maintain that position; let’s work on the issues. Those issues sometimes take somewhat careful consideration. We are in an MOU. We have to look after the interests of not only the town but the department.
I will give my assurance to the Member here and the Town of Inuvik that the department will do everything within reason to satisfy an MOU that the Town of Inuvik and the department can be happy with.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
