Debates of October 28, 2011 (day 2)
QUESTION 6-17(1): RELATIONSHIPS WITH ABORIGINAL GOVERNMENTS
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Premier fielding all these questions today on behalf of Cabinet. I’d like to say, first of all, that I’m pleased that there was a good discussion had with Grand Chief Sam Gargan and I’m wondering if the Premier can share with us either in this format, or Caucus, or committee, what those discussions were and how they were good. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They were very good for me, first of all, because the Dehcho Grand Chief is planning to organize the community feast for me in Fort Providence at some point in November, and he wants me to visit all of the different institutions there and meet all of the people again. So I was happy with that. I’m very pleased to do so. We’re working on a date.
We had a good discussion on where the Dehcho First Nation is at, the Dehcho process and how his views are on the land use planning framework, how the different governments can interact, and we had a discussion on devolution and constitutional development. We did all this in a fairly short time frame, but I think we were both pleased with the meeting. Thank you.
Thank you. I also heard the Premier say that he’d met with most of the other Aboriginal government leaders. Is there anything he can share from discussions with them, too, beyond invitations to feasts and stuff? I’d be interested in how we’re moving forward on some of the key issues that are before us. Thank you.
Thank you. I had the opportunity to either meet or call most of the leaders, and most of them are still in a positive frame, and they’re willing to continue to have discussions on how to find ways to work together and to see if we can set up a process and define common ground. Thank you.
Thank you. It sounds like a good start, a good follow-up to the Friday meeting. I like the positive stuff. I am looking forward to hearing about progress on the real issues. Will the Premier be updating us regularly on these sorts of discussions on relationships with our Aboriginal government partners? Thank you.
Thank you. It was my intention to debrief with the MLAs on the different Aboriginal governments, the regions. I could also do it collectively, if that is the wish of the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Bromley. Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.