Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Premier. We had the opportunity last Sunday to meet with the Senate committee on natural resources. They’re travelling through the North. They’re going to be here in Yellowknife, Norman Wells, Inuvik and, I believe, up in Tuk.
We had an opportunity, along with my colleagues Mr. Bromley and Mr. Menicoche.... The issues that they touched on were very informative. They talked about global warming; they talked about devolution; they talked about resource development.
One thing they really seemed to have a lot of questions on was devolution and resource-revenue sharing. I think the realization that we have wealth yet we don’t have devolution is something they found very surprising.
So I’d like to ask the Premier: did anyone from his Executive Council, or somebody from the Executive, have an opportunity to meet with this Senate committee and talk about resource-revenue sharing?
The Hon. Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, we had correspondence with the Senate committee and had the Deputy Premier sit down with them and have some discussion, as well as one of our staff members.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Member a supplementary question. Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I think it’s an opportunity we have to use whatever means of achieving devolution. I think the Senate is probably the second-most powerful legislative authority we have in Canada, next to the House of Commons. I’d like to ensure that we continue to keep them involved in the issues in the Northwest Territories. It seemed like they’re focusing a lot of attention in the North, which is great.
I’d just like to ask the Premier: exactly what are we doing to lobby other Senators and other MPs in Ottawa to make them aware of our issues, especially in the area of devolution?
Mr. Speaker, as the Deputy Premier has informed me, there’s going to be some correspondence between the Senate committee and ourselves to share more information.
First and foremost, though, we have to realize that the federal government is ready to move on this file. We just have to make sure we get the proper deal. One of those things is to work up north first and get agreement to proceed forward or, if we decide there are just too many differences here, to look at what other approaches are available to us. But we are corresponding with the Senate committee, looking at options and sharing more information.
Mr. Speaker, again I’d like to ask the Premier if he also can keep Members on this side involved in that process. By working together and also having a strong enough focus on this, I think we can make a difference. I think by lobbying efforts and doing whatever we can as Members and also as Ministers to keep this at the top of the agenda, it will move a little bit.
I’d like to ask the Premier: are there any intentions of developing some sort of kit or package we can hand out to promote this issue? As Members on this side of the House, it will help us to understand the issue and, more importantly, promote it also.
We would be prepared to put that kit together, an information package, and share it with Members. I do believe Members can help us in getting the message up north. The simple fact that we’re looking at tightening our belts as a government shows everybody in the North that we need to get more revenues in the North. One of those packages is a revenue source flowing south right now. We need to bring that north so we can enhance our programs and not have to tighten our belts.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Senate committee was also pretty interested in a lot of our infrastructure projects. We’re talking about the Mackenzie Highway; we’re talking about Taltson; we’re talking about hydro development. Again, the problem we have is our borrowing limit. That’s something they also found pretty interesting: why is it that we’re limited on the amount of capital we can invest, which is going to promote…?
Do you have a question, Mr. Krutko?
I’d like to ask the Premier: are we looking at also promoting other aspects of this government to get capital invested in the North from the federal government, more than the devolution?
Mr. Speaker, absolutely. As I stated in the Budget Address, my focus will now be on getting the message out to the people who need to hear it: about our opportunity, what’s available and what we can do. It’s about getting the tools in the North to make those decisions in the North, and get on with where we think we should be going as a territory and as a people in the Northwest Territories.
Part of the next process is getting that information out there, and getting the message out about the Northwest Territories.
