Debates of October 21, 2004 (day 25)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, 28 years ago, when the first plan was being made to build the Mackenzie Valley pipeline, Judge Thomas Berger was asked to review the socioeconomic impacts the project would have on the people of the North. After hearing all the facts, Justice Berger recommended that the project be postponed and that a 10-year moratorium on all pipeline construction be put into place. He recommended the moratorium because he recognized the fact that northern aboriginal peoples were not ready to engage the pipeline project. They were not in a position to derive any meaningful benefits from it. He felt, after 10 years, that it would be sufficient time to settle all outstanding aboriginal land claims in the Mackenzie Valley, thereby ensuring aboriginal people a meaningful role in the project when it eventually went ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I regret to inform the House that our federal government has fallen far short of Mr. Berger’s recommendation. We have had three times the amount of time Berger gave us and still not all land claims in the Mackenzie Valley have been settled. In that time, we did build a pipeline, the Norman Wells pipeline. As a member of the Liidlii Kue Band Council and a councillor at that time, I remember the experience very well. The Deh Cho Dene didn’t have a settled land claim then either, and the projects happened, just like Justice Berger said it would, without meaningful benefits accruing to aboriginal people.

There were promises of benefits, but none of those promises were ever met. First Nations yet again had to deal with broken promises. This must not be allowed to happen again, and I will do everything I can to ensure that this will not happen again. All aboriginal and northern people must receive direct long-term benefits from the construction of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline and access and benefit agreements that are clearly defined in writing, if not cast in stone. Nothing else will do. This is very imperative. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Menicoche.

Honourable colleagues, mahsi cho for allowing me to conclude my Member’s statement. I just want to point out that the North was born on hunting and trapping, and the land provided for us. The animals provided for us and the furs provided us cash. In this modern day and age, the land is still giving us an opportunity to take care of us through the gas, oil and all the resources that are in the North. Here is our opportunity for the land to continue to take care of us, but today we call it resource revenue sharing. I believe firmly that our government has to urge the federal government to say this is a priority for the northern governments. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the pipeline we are talking about today must benefit all of us. I firmly believe that. Nothing else is acceptable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause