Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier. They get back to my Member’s statement from earlier, where I spoke of the Premiers’ meeting in Montreal that took place yesterday.
As I mentioned, the Northwest Territories has fought long and hard to actually get a seat at the national table with the other Premiers from around the country. I believe it was in 1992 when former Premier Nellie Cournoyea became the first Premier of the Northwest Territories to actually sit with the other Premiers.
I was listening, like many Northerners, to Northbeat last night. The Premier was interviewed on why he chose to stay here in Yellowknife and not attend the meeting that took place in Montreal. The first question I have for the Premier today is: why was he not at this important meeting in Montreal?
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Hon. Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Member for that question. In fact, it gives me an opportunity to speak about the call I made to Premier Charest when the idea of the meeting first came together. I followed up with him yesterday after the meeting again to discuss some of the events that occurred and a direction being set and the call, in agreement with the Prime Minister, to hold a First Ministers’ meeting before Christmas. We’re hoping to get the dates on that soon.
The reason I didn’t make the trip initially…. As I’ve said, I confirmed with Premier Charest that I was hoping to make attendance at that conference depending on, of course, what happens in the House. As we know, in a consensus style of government, the Cabinet’s in a minority situation, and we must always weigh carefully the actions that are happening within the House. At that point, I decided my time would be best served here in our Legislature.
I thank the Premier for that. I’m glad he did get in touch with Premier Charest on the results of that meeting.
Like I said earlier, I think there is a good possibility that if the federal government starts running deficits, they’ll start choosing between deep program cuts and…. I’d hazard a guess that they would also take a look at axing programs. Possibly equalization might be included in that. Again, I want to make sure that the Premier understands the gravity of not being at this meeting.
I want to ask him again: what exactly warranted his presence in the House yesterday so that he couldn’t be in Montreal to discuss these key issues?
Mr. Speaker, I think the Member can answer that question by looking at the Hansard that was taking place, printed in this House, and what was happening. The fact is, in operating as we do, in a consensus style government we have to weigh the options of where we go and the influence we may have at a certain meeting. I kept in touch with the Chair of the Council of the Federation, Premier Charest, and followed up with him and will look to have another meeting with him directly in the weeks coming.
Mr. Speaker, I just want, maybe, to get the Premier to state on record: what exactly is his first priority? Is it the people of the Northwest Territories and the future of the Northwest Territories, or is it his constituents back in Inuvik?
Mr. Speaker, we know that once a Regular Member is elected to Cabinet, their constituents lose a certain amount of representation because of the new role that Ministers, including myself, play in representing the territory. The budget is a territorial document, and this House decides on that.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question. Given the gravity of the situation, the financial meltdown globally and the possibility that the federal government may look at cuts to equalization going forward, I’m wondering: why wouldn’t the Premier come to Members of the House and tell us, “I have to go to this meeting; I have to be at this meeting”? Why wasn’t that quoted to us? Why does the Premier make that decision on his own to stay in the House and not attend this meeting?
Mr. Speaker, in making a decision as to whether to go to any meeting, whether it’s provincial/territorial or FPT, in this situation one weighs all the options and tries to get as much information as possible. I was aware that there is going to be a First Ministers’ meeting with the same subject matter: the economy and the impact it will have on Canada. At that next meeting we will have the Prime Minister there, and that would lead to a more fulsome discussion about the initiatives that may be taken or may not be taken. That’s what I weighed.
In fact, as well, we had communications go down the hall to let Members know that I was intending to go to that conference. But again, Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, in weighing the actions that were happening within this Assembly, I had to make a decision as to whether to go or stay, and my decision was to stay.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
