Debates of October 21, 2004 (day 25)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, I now know the uncertainties that come with the financial dependencies on the federal government. This hinders our ability to secure well-funded programs and services for our people, and to control our rich territory.

The size of the government cheques that are given to us can only be seen as the stick and the carrot approach to keep the residents in the North and create a deeply-rooted state of dependency on the federal government. With this kind of attitudinal mind of the feds, it is difficult to plan for the years ahead, let alone for the long term. Do we want to cut programs to be fiscally responsible, or do we want to make investments for the future?

Mr. Speaker, the aboriginal self-governments are going to have the same problems. Our people have invested in the land claim process and the self-government framework agreements. Like everyone else, we like to secure long-lasting agreements for our children, that finally recognize our aboriginal rights to our land.

Mr. Speaker, it will be a huge disappointment if our new governments do not have the financial resources to do their job. The GNWT has some ability to absorb sudden adjustments, but this is not without some pain to the regions. How are smaller regions going to be able to cope? The only answer I can see, Mr. Speaker, is for northern governments to have our own sustainable revenue service charge. Yes, impact and benefits agreements, land access fees and equity ownership in the pipeline will provide our own-source revenues and benefits, but the real security can only come from resource royalties.

---Applause

So I tell the federal government, quit robbing from us. How long…

Quit robbing, quit robbing.

---Applause

How long are we going to allow this to happen, to continue?

Mr. Speaker, it is a critical time for our precious territory. We have big problems on the radar screen, a pipeline, more diamond mines, and who knows what next. But we only have one chance to get it right, or before we know it our resources will be gone for good. Our land will be scarred, and all the royalties will be in Ottawa, paying for gun registries and sponsorship scandals, while we beg for a few dollars to teach our children…

Shame.

…heal our cuts and look after our elders. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member’s statement.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, honourable colleagues. It is no secret, Mr. Speaker, I want to see the Mackenzie Valley pipeline happen. I am happy for the Tlicho and the Akaitcho people for having diamonds on their land. Mr. Speaker, I have to wonder sometimes if these resource development projects go ahead and we do not have a royalty sharing deal, who will really benefit and is it worth it.

Do the honourable thing, Mr. Premier, and put the Crown on notice that the stakes are high in the Northwest Territories and we want a share, a fair share of those stakes. Mr. Speaker, resource revenue sharing has been happening a long time in our country, since the 1800s. It's now high time that we get our fair share deal for the Northwest Territories, period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause