Debates of October 21, 2004 (day 25)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to direct my questions today to the Premier of the Northwest Territories, the Honourable Joe Handley. Mr. Speaker, in following up on one of the statements of my colleagues on the subject of leadership, I have already, during this session, briefly touched on this subject with the Premier and asked him some questions. Mr. Speaker, I think this is a very timely discussion with respect to the pipeline. The Premier has heard many Members today refer to some of the frustrations that we feel with the response we have received over the years when dealing with the federal government about the northern agenda. I think this is a very timely matter and I would like to have the Premier, on the eve of his departure to Ottawa again to speak with the powers that be, again share with us why he thinks we, as Members and elected leaders in the Northwest Territories, should feel encouraged and why we should feel that the federal government does understand and hear our issues and has them, in fact, on their agenda. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 272-15(3): Federal Government Understanding Of Northern Issues

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am confident that we have the attention of the federal government. We have the attention of a lot of Canadians as a result of work that the previous Premier has done and work that I’ve done as Premier, as well as Members, the business sector and my colleagues on Cabinet. We have made sure that our issues are on the radar screen across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of signals that I have to read between because we don’t have concrete agreements on a lot of things. But when the Primer Minister appointed the Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister, as the lead on the Mackenzie Valley pipeline file, that sent a strong signal to me that this is a very important issue to him and one that he hopes to achieve success on.

The second one is in the Throne speech and in discussions with me and with others earlier on, the Prime Minister has made a commitment to develop a northern strategy. In fact, our Member of Parliament has been named as the Minister of Northern Development. I think that sends a strong signal, and he has offered to do that in cooperation with northern governments, with ourselves, with aboriginal governments and generally with northerners. It says to me that the federal government is, at least at the political level, paying attention to what is going on in the North and have recognized the huge potential that the Northwest Territories has to contribute to this country of ours.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident we have the attention. Now the challenge before us is how to take that attention, that interest in the North, and translate it into real benefits for us as northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 272-15(3): Federal Government Understanding Of Northern Issues

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to hear that the Premier still feels encouraged by the signals that we receive from Ottawa. I think the Premier is well aware of the fact that I don’t feel as encouraged and I don’t feel as confident and I need to see some concrete evidence of their support for our agenda.

On the subject of leadership again, Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to see us lose anything by default. Again, a Member today referred to the divide-and-conquer approach. When the Premier goes to Ottawa I think very clearly, from today and from other communications, he will know the feelings of the elected leaders in this House. But as we all know, when we’re talking to Ottawa, we’re talking about the Northwest Territories. We are not the only elected leaders. So if not the Premier, then who has the ability or authority or the mandate to rally the troops, to get the aboriginal leadership together so that we have a unified voice in Ottawa? Does the Premier feel that, when he travels to Ottawa to speak to the Ministers and the Prime Minister and the various leaders, he can speak with the voice of not only the leaders in this House, but also the aboriginal leaders? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 272-15(3): Federal Government Understanding Of Northern Issues

Mr. Speaker, I really do appreciate the strong statements that were made here today, the clear statements from the Members. I think that tells me that I do have a good, clear, solid message and solid support from the Members in this House as we go forward to have discussions with the Prime Minister and some of the Ministers in Ottawa. I have had discussions with the aboriginal leaders, as well, and I have to respect their autonomy and their priorities, but I can tell you from a conference call I had a couple of weeks ago that I am confident that the majority of the leaders understand what it is we are doing and why we were doing it and do support our actions.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that they may be at different points in terms of settling aboriginal claims or self-government discussions. I recognize that what they’re doing may not always be exactly the same as ours and they have the right to make independent decisions, but I am comfortable with the support we got at the last Circle of Northern Leaders and the support I’ve heard since. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 272-15(3): Federal Government Understanding Of Northern Issues

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the last government, the federal Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, the Honourable Robert Nault, committed to a process which encompassed the GNWT, the aboriginal governments and the federal government. The federal government subsequently hired David Peterson as a negotiator on behalf of the federal government, to which we were disappointed later to hear that he couldn’t talk money but he could talk devolution. That was a process that was in place. I think we made progress. Now we have a different Minister. What is the process now in place to continue that dialogue amongst northerners and government to government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 272-15(3): Federal Government Understanding Of Northern Issues

Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct; we had a process in the last government and that process is continuing. I have talked to the Minister of DIAND, Minister Scott, about the Aboriginal Summit, about the Intergovernmental Forum, and he has confirmed to me that he wants to continue with those same discussions. The previous Minister of DIAND did appoint David Peterson to negotiate devolution, but he didn’t give them a mandate to negotiate resource revenue sharing. That mandate stayed with Finance Canada.

I am frustrated with Finance Canada because it’s been since the fall of 2003 that we gave them our position and we have never been able to sit down with them since. I’m also disappointed that DIAND and Finance Canada don’t seem to be able to get together and present one position as a government rather than two different positions as two federal departments. Those are issues that I’ve raised with the Prime Minister and I’ll continue to raise with him. I believe that if he really wants to see success with the northern strategy and see success with some of the major economic opportunities, he is going to have to find a way of getting those federal departments to sit down and speak with one voice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Your final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 272-15(3): Federal Government Understanding Of Northern Issues

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again referring to the positive signals that the Premier refers to, the referencing of the Throne speech, the appointment of our federal MP as the Minister of Northern Development, the appointment of Anne McLellan as the chair of a special committee of parliamentarians on the pipeline, when the Premier goes to Ottawa this time, would he endeavour to have a commitment from people like Anne McLellan, our MP and other people who sit on that committee, to come to the Northwest Territories? I know it’s a signal he speaks of, but we have literally not met with or seen these people since their appointment. Would he commit to getting them here, bring them back to the North? Let’s talk to them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Hear! Hear!

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 272-15(3): Federal Government Understanding Of Northern Issues

Mr. Speaker, I also agree that if we’re going to have a northern strategy then we have to have the people who are involved in the northern strategy come to the North and have meetings here, sit down with us as a Caucus and sit down with other northern leaders. I did speak to our MP, the Minister of Northern Development, today and we did have some general discussion about when she might be available to come to the North. I did not ask her specifically about some of the other Ministers, Minister Scott or Minister Efford, but I know that she is working on some agendas and she has told me that as soon as she can confirm some dates then she would like to come and meet with us, along with some of the other main federal Ministers who are involved on this file. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.