Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The transfer of authority for public lands and resources to the Government of the Northwest Territories will create major benefits and opportunities for our people.
Approval of the proposed AIP will be a critical step in our negotiations with Canada, but it is just another step. It is not the final agreement and it will not be legally binding.
Throughout our negotiations, there have been other times when the parties have signed agreements confirming their plans and intentions. We saw this when Canada, the GNWT and aboriginal governments endorsed the Memorandum of Intent in 2001. We saw it again when the Devolution Framework Agreement was signed in 2004. These earlier agreements confirmed the intentions of the parties to work towards a final devolution agreement, set out a process and timeline for negotiations and identified the subjects to be negotiated. Entering into these agreements helped keep negotiations moving forward.
Like earlier agreements, the proposed AIP confirms the intentions of the parties to negotiate a final agreement, sets out the subjects for negotiations and describes the process. It does not answer all the questions or settle all the outstanding issues, but it isn’t supposed to. We are in the process of negotiations and many of the issues that have yet to be decided are precisely the things we will negotiate before reaching a final agreement. The AIP is the roadmap for future negotiations. It was never meant to be the final deal. But we will not
even get to begin these future negotiations if we don’t agree to an AIP first.
Mr. Speaker, aboriginal governments are major land and resource owners in the Northwest Territories and have an important interest in devolution. The GNWT and Canada have funded their participation in negotiations and there has always been a seat for them at the table. We have heard the issues and concerns expressed by aboriginal governments at the negotiating table and we have made every effort to accommodate them.
I know that they still have concerns and I respect that. Some of those concerns can be solved through further devolution negotiations, but some of them are well beyond the scope of devolution. Devolution is about transferring the administration and control of public lands and resources to the GNWT. It is a program transfer between public governments like the ones we have seen before involving health, highways, airports and forestry management.
Mr. Speaker, several leaders have asked for a meeting before we make any decisions on the AIP. I would like to advise Members that tonight I will be meeting with leadership from all the regional aboriginal governments to discuss their issues and concerns with the proposed agreement. I don’t know that we will be able to resolve all those issues this evening, but I do hope that we are able to arrive at an understanding about a way forward that will allow us to keep talking and working together toward devolution.
Mr. Speaker, devolution and resource revenue sharing has been a goal for the NWT for nearly as long as I can remember and it is one of the priorities of this Assembly. For too long, decisions about our public lands and resources have been made in Ottawa. Over the past five years we have missed out an estimated $208 million in resource revenues and we will continue to miss out until we have devolution. It is time that we brought that decision-making power and those revenues home to the GNWT. Getting control over our lands and resources -- and the revenues associated with them -- will be a key to unlocking a prosperous new future for all NWT residents; a more prosperous future that should be shared by all NWT governments.
Northern leaders have an historic decision to make over the coming weeks. A final devolution agreement will put the people of the Northwest Territories in charge of their land and resources and will create real economic and political benefits for us all. But it starts with this AIP. Without it, we cannot move forward.
Northerners know that we are stronger when we work together. As we consider the AIP that is before us, I call on all Northerners to find the common ground we need to carry on with this process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, a significant priority of the 16th Assembly is an environment that will sustain present and future generations. Climate change remains a serious issue for the people of the Northwest Territories.
The warming of our climate as a result of the release of greenhouse gases has broad implications to our environment and the potential to impact the social, cultural and economic well-being of NWT residents. Our government has taken broad action to support, investigate and implement initiatives to help residents, communities, industry and government departments reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and their reliance on imported fossil fuels.
These actions were laid out in the NWT Greenhouse Gas Strategy released in 2007. The 2007 strategy outlines 39 actions aimed at controlling greenhouse gas emissions and included the goal of reducing emissions from GNWT operations by 10 percent below 2001 levels, by 2011. Actions were shared between Environment and Natural Resources, the Arctic Energy Alliance and other government departments and agencies. Working with our partners, progress has been made on all 39 actions and we are on track to meet, or better, the GNWT emissions reduction target.
Mr. Speaker, it is now time to build upon this success. We must maintain the long-term commitment to reduce our carbon footprint, to reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels and to expand the use of alternative energy sources. To map the route forward to a low-carbon future, Environment and Natural Resources is leading an initiative to prepare a revised Greenhouse Gas Strategy for 2011 to 2015.
This government is committed to broadening the application of greenhouse gas reduction measures on a territory-wide basis which includes government, business, industry and communities. The strategy will include a complete assessment of current activities and identify new actions we need to take to move forward in our efforts towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Based on this assessment, the strategy will set targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions across the NWT.
The preparation of a broad strategy requires discussion and input from a range of stakeholders including other departments, communities, residents, businesses, industry and aboriginal governments.
We will be seeking input on the goals, objectives and principles that drive the strategy, on how to improve existing actions so they work better for residents, communities, businesses and industry and on new actions we should be taking.
Initial input has already been obtained from the Joint Climate Change Committee, GNWT departments and the Finance roundtable.
Between now and February, meetings will be arranged across the NWT to coincide with meetings of regional and community boards and councils and business and industry associations. I will provide standing committee with an update on progress on these consultations in February. Once stakeholder input has been received, a draft strategy will be developed and circulated for broad stakeholder and public review. It is our intention to have a revised Greenhouse Gas Strategy available for Executive Council and standing committee review in May 2011 and to release the revised strategy by next summer.
Mr. Speaker, the issue of climate change and greenhouse gases is a complex issue requiring smart, efficient and affordable solutions to help protect our environment for future generations. It is important we continue to demonstrate to our residents and all Canadians that we are taking this threat seriously. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The possibility of this government signing an agreement-in-principle on land and resource devolution with the federal government is indeed exciting, but for the Premier to sign without the support of our aboriginal government partners would not bode well. Surely he realizes we will require willing and collaborative partners for our future success and that to proceed without them risks starting a long and contentious road indeed.
The Premier has assured us that this agreement completely addresses aboriginal concerns, that it will not affect existing or future arrangements, negotiations and agreements. If true, the Premier should be able to demonstrate the support of a majority of our aboriginal partners. I await that confirmation and so should he. Time apparently permits good discussion towards this end.
The Premier complains about having talked about devolution for his whole political career. Northerners have high standards, including cooperation and collaboration and a commitment to truly sustainable development. It would serve this government well to adhere to these principles in this process.
Northerners are also patient, but they don’t stand around in the meantime. We have waited for the Mackenzie Gas Project for 35 years, with another decade to go. Let’s look at what has happened in the intervening 35 years: Inuvialuit, Gwich’in, Sahtu and Tlicho land claims have been settled, with significant progress on others. With those settlements have come co-management processes, legislation and environmental review processes that benefit all residents of the Northwest Territories. A new commitment to integrated resource management, although not yet perfect, has raised the bar considerably in how and when resources are developed and to what degree they benefit our residents. We have new economic engines that have developed resulting from these settlements, including aboriginal corporations that are significant on a national scale. And today we enjoy a territorial GNWT budget of more than $1.3 billion for 41,000 people. The cost of waiting may be portrayed as huge by the Premier, but I suggest that cost has been small and perhaps even a net gain.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Equally important is that we have not finished building our unique northern vision for a land and resource management regime that reflects our values, our aspirations and our potential. I’m excited about an AIP, yes, but only if it brings our aboriginal partners to the table and if it is accompanied by a serious, comprehensive, timely and inclusive public consultation on how we want to cooperatively manage our lands and resources in an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable way.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to give some public profile to a nationwide campaign recently re-established here in Yellowknife. Viewers and visitors in the gallery may have noticed that some of us today are wearing a white ribbon on our lapel. The White Ribbon Campaign began in Canada in 1991 when a handful of men decided that they have the responsibility to urge men to speak out about violence against women. They used a white ribbon to symbolize men’s opposition to violence against women.
In its first year, 100,000 men across Canada wore a white ribbon while countless others were drawn into discussions and debate. The White Ribbon Campaign now operates in over 50 countries across the globe.
We all know that our Territory struggles with a significant amount of family violence, one aspect of which is violence against women. It exists in every one of our communities. We hear far too many news stories about women who have been injured or killed due to violence. The NWT is lucky to have a number of shelters for women and families fleeing violence, but the preference would be that we don’t have to have any.
A promotional campaign such as the White Ribbon Campaign can only add to the public awareness and education that is so necessary to fight violence against women in the Northwest Territories. Recently a group of courageous men formed a White Ribbon Campaign here in Yellowknife, focusing on educating young men, raising awareness, opening discussion and attempting to redefine men’s values. The campaign is set to run between November 25th, which is the International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women, and December 6th, Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
I urge men everywhere to take the White Ribbon Pledge to never commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to address the Government of the Northwest Territories’ maturation process and its borrowing limit.
First, I must say that I’m surprised that our Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic is down in Ottawa trumpeting Bill C-530, which would see our Territory’s debt limit raised to 70 percent of our expenditures, which last year, at just over $1.3 billion, would result in a corresponding debt limit of somewhere in the neighbourhood of $900 million.
The big question, Mr. Speaker, is does our Member of Parliament have the blessing of this Cabinet? How about the Finance Minister or the government? The residents of this Territory would like to know who gave him his marching orders or, Mr. Speaker, is he marching to the beat of his own drummer? Certainly meetings would have taken place where the proposed Bill C-530 would have to have been discussed with this government. To my knowledge, our government has never talked about a percentage of expenditures as a debt limit. Perhaps in Mr. Bevington’s and the NDP’s world, money really does grow on trees, Mr. Speaker.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. We have so much on our plate with the AIP on devolution and resource revenue sharing that we need to stay focused. I firmly believe that this Territory should continue to pursue the AIP with our partners, the aboriginal governments.
Mr. Speaker, the federal government is currently analyzing and reviewing the debt limits of all three northern territories. Please, let’s let them do that work. Mr. Speaker, should the AIP advance, we will still be two to three years away while we work out a final agreement. At this present juncture, it would seem to me to be premature and irresponsible to add to our debt limit.
Mr. Speaker, we still do not know what the Deh Cho Bridge will end up costing this government, but, Mr. Speaker, you can mark my words again today, it will be much more than $182 million. Why are we in such a rush to get more credit when reality would indicate this government only has 10 months left to go before residents elect another government? It would only stand to reason the larger the debt, the larger the debt servicing, which, Mr. Speaker, would drastically reduce our ability to fund programs and services for our residents.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Colleen Sayine-Burke of Fort Resolution. She was born on September 30, 1968, and passed away on October 25, 2010.
Colleen was a loving mother and daughter, who lived in Fort Resolution most of her life with the exception of the last 10 years during which she lived in Alberta with her husband, Tom Burke.
Mr. Speaker, Colleen was the only daughter of Mae and Robert Sayine, a former MLA in this Legislative Assembly. She was the mother of three: Stephanie, Raymond and Cameron. She was a loving grandmother to her grandchildren: Dakota, Emerence and Sarah. Family always came first for Colleen. Her way was to put others before herself.
Mr. Speaker, Colleen was an active volunteer with many community events and she held many jobs in the community, even working in her father’s water truck service. It was there that she dreamt one day of becoming a truck driver. She worked in the kitchen at BHP and recently achieved her lifelong dream when she became a triple 7 rock truck driver at the diamond mine.
Mr. Speaker, Colleen was raised in a traditional manner. She was kind, honest and respectful, and had a strong work ethic. I was honoured to be asked to do the eulogy in Chipewyan in Fort Resolution at her funeral. People arrived to Fort Resolution from all over the NWT and Alberta to show their respect and love for her. Colleen was only 42 years old but will live on in the hearts of her husband, father, mother, brothers, children, grandchildren, many relatives and friends.
I’d like to thank the family for allowing me to do this. Colleen will be dearly missed but will never be forgotten. Her legacy lives on in the many lives that she’s touched. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, Canada has terminated the protection of the ecologically sensitive Edhezhie/Horn Plateau area. Those lands had protection from development since 2002 under an interim agreement between Canada, the Dehcho First Nations and other partners. That agreement is a critical step in the Dehcho First Nations’ negotiations towards resolving the Dehcho land claim.
The Dehcho lands have been blessed by great national resources and the Dehcho First Nations would like to see them preserved as long as the grass grows and the water runs. They work long and hard on the Dehcho Land Use Plan which includes the protection of the Edhezhie area. As a concession to the expansion of the Nahanni National Park Reserve, they were aware that the Edhezhie area would be reduced in size and that also the remaining area would be established as a national wildlife area to give permanent protection from mining and exploration. The Dehcho First Nations learned last Friday that INAC has decided to terminate the interim protection of the subsurface rights in the Edhezhie and grant only a one-year extension, opening the sensitive cultural and environmental area to mineral exploration and development. The Dehcho First Nations were never consulted on this matter. This issue is so important to the Dehcho, they are willing to risk ceasing further negotiations by launching a court case with Canada. They feel backed into a corner. The Dehcho First Nations have always been solid in their resolve to honour the directives of the elders and their people. They want to protect their traditional lands and waters for the well-being of future generations.
As an MLA from the Deh Cho, I have to question where is our government on this important issue. How is the government going to defend the rights and interests of my constituents, Mr. Speaker? Why has this government not spoken up and demanded answers from the federal government?
We are talking about an AIP and devolution, which means we are grown up enough to decide for ourselves. Here is a good opportunity for us to show how independent we are. It is time this government stood up, spoke up and defended the people of the Deh Cho. All stakeholders in the NWT are befuddled by Ottawa’s decision, so this is a win-win situation where our government has nothing to lose by backing the Dehcho First Nations on the issue of Edhezhie.
I urge the Premier and our Cabinet demand that Canada alter the Order-in-Council to include...
Mr. Menicoche. Your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my fiery statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, all stakeholders in the NWT are befuddled by Ottawa’s decision, so this is a win-win situation wherein our government has nothing to lose by backing the Dehcho First Nations on the issue of Edhezhie.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the Premier and our Cabinet demand that Canada alter the Order-in-Council to include subsurface protection in the proposed Edhezhie protected area. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleagues tell me I have been far too nice to the Cabinet Ministers lately.
---Laughter
I would like to respond to Minister Miltenberger’s Minister’s statement here today.
Mr. Speaker, are we growing strategies or are we doing something about greenhouse gas emissions? Mr. Speaker, I had a chance to just go over this document here and circle every place where it says, “has taken broad action to implement initiatives,” “these actions,” “the greenhouse gas strategy,” “2007 strategy,” “outlining 39 actions.” Mr. Speaker, it goes on and on. I circled them all. There are only four sentences left in the whole Minister’s statement. By the time you take out every reference to an action or a strategy or implementation or consultation, there is nothing left. There is no meat in this strategy, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to suggest to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources that, yes, the warming of our climate as a result of the release of greenhouse gases has brought implications to our environment and the potential to impact the social, cultural and economic well-being of NWT residents. Mr. Speaker, if the Minister wants to burn up good air time and use good paper to put out Minister’s statements, I suggest he tell us what those actions are. Where’s the meat? Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The people of Paulatuk are sick and tired of problems they are having with the Housing Corporation. I am really wondering if the Minister is going to get to the bottom of it. Come to the community with the housing officials and get the job done.
Right now things are simply a mess. People make payments, but those payments get reported on the rent statements that come from Inuvik. People complain about it, they’re treated poorly by Housing staff or get no answers at all. There’s no excuse for this, Mr. Speaker.
Most of the problems started at Education, Culture and Employment when they took over housing. Rent income assessments are slow to get done, people are getting the rent shock of their lives when the rent was set to the maximum. They could only fall behind and in a few months they’re thousands of dollars in arrears. So what happened? People tried to correct the problem, they’d get nowhere. Next they got discouraged and now they ignore the problem. Eventually some of them had to turn to income support, where the system forced people to go to income support who had never had income support in their lives. No wonder they’re upset, Mr. Speaker.
Now the assessments and record collection are controlled by the Housing Corporation. I expected to see things change for the better. I thought the LHOs would be able to straighten out the arrears and I hoped the Housing Corporation would reach the tenants and do the right thing. So far nothing has happened, Mr. Speaker.
I want the Minister to come back to Paulatuk with his staff and get down to work and get the answers from our last visit. They need to be answered, Mr. Speaker. All the questions that the community asked have to get answered.
Mr. Speaker, I’ll be asking the Minister questions at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on the ground on the faith of my people. For the last three weeks my mind and heart have been gone from time to time as to the fate of how we will be shaping our land and our relationships with aboriginal governments. We are beginning to see what it may look like. There’s an interesting saying in the Chinese culture that goes something like this: May you live in interesting times. Certainly we’re in those times with the draft devolution agreement-in-principle. Advice I’m getting from my elders and the leaders in the Sahtu give me strength to carry on with my voice on this draft document before us.
I want to go back to three years ago at the beginning of this Assembly. The Premier, earlier on, said devolution is on the backburner. I recall we pretty much all agreed with that sentiment. However, later on we asked that devolution be put back on the table with all the aboriginal governments as equal owners of this land and as governments. We had important things to do and one thing was how we would work with each other and break away from dependency on the federal government and become unique partners in the Constitution of Canada. We want to dance to our own drum, be it Dene, Metis, Inuvialuit or as Northerners.
Three weeks ago, out of the blue, we found out a draft AIP had been reached between the GNWT and the feds on devolution; only between the two governments and not the aboriginal governments. Would you want all governments to sign this document? Besides, aren’t our communities negotiating their styles of governments? The draft AIP did not come before this House or the people of the Northwest Territories whom we work for. Months earlier we said we need to discuss devolution openly with the public. This is the basis of democracy.
Mr. Speaker, the feds are trying to download costs. That’s what I firmly believe is happening here in the Northwest Territories. Nothing more, nothing less. We’ve all received copies of letters from the vast majority of aboriginal leaders saying they’re not on side. These leaders represent 29 communities in the Northwest Territories. That is a significant number that are telling us we’re not in the place for the things that are proceeding. This thing is like a runaway freight train.
We need a meaningful consultation process. We need to understand why the feds want this to happen. They’re not doing this because they’re nice guys. We need to know their agenda. We need to know what our agenda is. What is the agenda of the Northwest Territories? Is it money? Is it control? Is it fear? Is the world ending tomorrow?
Last week in the House the Premier said there was no impact from devolution on land claims and self-government agreements.
Mr. Yakeleya. Your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member’s statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Then why are the aboriginal leaders not standing side by side with our Premier saying this is a good thing? Why are we trying to force the deal?
We need to do this right and we need to take the time to do it right. Our elders know very well how agreements like this will have an impact on us and our lives and the fallout interpretations between governments. Just look up the amount of court cases that we’ve had to deal with in our time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad that the Premier has finally seen the light to meet with the aboriginal leaders and for those groups that have been raising issues for some six or seven months regarding a letter he received from the Gwich’in Tribal Council on areas they had concerns about on the devolution process with no response to date.
Under the Northern Accord Agreement it’s clear that aboriginal rights are clearly defined in the agreement. It says none of the agreements that abrogate, derogate from any of the provisions included in the aboriginal land claims settlement, including the following: land use plans, environmental assessments, land and water responsibilities, wildlife management, surface rights, subsurface rights, benefit agreements, establishment of national parks, territorial parks, conservation areas, and the last thing on the list is resource royalty sharing.
I was totally amazed to hear the Premier make reference that the Gwich’in gave up that right in their land claim and they’re not going to get any more rights. The land claims agreements are not concluded. The land claims agreements have areas that still need to be negotiated, the surface rights provisions, the royalties provisions and our opportunity to negotiate and participate in agreements which are already in existing land claims agreements with respect to the Inuvialuit and agreements over in Nunavut. Those arrangements were not going to be part of the Dene-Metis claim and the Dene-Metis made it clear that they were going to have a share of royalties throughout the Mackenzie Valley for the Dene-Metis people.
It’s very important to realize that these agreements are pretty clear. The agreement also clearly stipulates that, for greater certainty, oil and gas management requirements established pursuant to the agreements shall be compatible with wildlife, environment and land management requirements established through settlement of land claims agreements.
It also clearly states that in the event of inconsistency between legislative establishment pursuant to the agreement, that the aboriginal land claims agreements and treaties in the Northwest Territories shall basically have paramountcy or precedence over other legislation.
I think the agreement speaks for itself with regard to where this government stands. For the government to assume they can go ahead and negotiate without the aboriginal people at the table is totally unaccommodating in regard to constitutional land claims rights that presently exist.
Mr. Krutko, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
There are constitutional cases under Section 35 rights in the Constitution where there are land claims agreements that are settled in the Northwest Territories which specifically state that the Government of the Northwest Territories shall negotiate with those organizations. It’s in our land claims agreements. Yet this government is totally missing the boat when they figure they can sign an agreement between themselves and the federal government and not have aboriginal involvement. That for me is the problem with this agreement. The way it’s being handled is the lack of aboriginal involvement in negotiating a devolution accord for the Northwest Territories and then go to the federal government in regard to that agreement. That was the understanding we had through the Dene-Metis process and the settlement of our land claims agreements.
With that, I will have questions for the Premier on this matter later.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House to discuss in a similar form the House of Commons Bill C-530, which is a bill to discuss the borrowing limit of the Northwest Territories. Slightly different approach than my colleague Mr. Ramsay has. I respect the spirit and intent that our Member of Parliament has on this particular issue. I believe that the internalistic approach that Ottawa has continued to enforce on the Government of the Northwest Territories and its people needs to end.
I do not necessarily fear the approach the Member of Parliament has been taking, however, I do think there are a number of concerns that need to be aired and answered at the same time. The concerns are certainly made up as perhaps my colleague put it: Who had given the Member of Parliament marching orders to act on our behalf?
The direction of the bill states that 70 percent of revenues should be our borrowing limit. That is up to $950 million, as approximated. My issue with that particular case is: Who has he talked to in this particular government? My concern is, of course, he has not talked to me and I’ve looked around and only heard of one person he has specifically spoken to, and I’m not sure if that was any more than water-cooler talk at the time.
This is a serious trek forward to change the borrowing limit of the Government of the Northwest Territories without a Cabinet directive. Has the Member of Parliament spoken with this Cabinet? Has he spoken with the Assembly in any form? I’m certainly not aware of that. Does he have a Cabinet position that reflects the Finance Minister’s hard work in discussing this issue with his colleagues? Again, I speak with caution and concern. I’m not against the proposal provided by the Member of Parliament, but I do want to exercise concern as to whether he’s doing this alone or if he’s doing it without support.
I agree with many of the comments in yesterday’s discussion in the House of Parliament that emphasized one size does not fit all three territories. Mr. Larry Bagnell, the MP for the Yukon, spoke quite strongly about the Northwest Territories and its abilities. I also want to acknowledge the Bloc, who actually spoke, as well, and said that there was great fiscal management of this Territory and the fact that they can certainly support the direction it’s presently proceeding on.
During question period I will have questions for the Minister of Finance to seek clarity on who gave our MP direction on this endeavour and if it has the support of this government.
I’d like to acknowledge my constituency assistant up in the gallery: Madelaine Pasquayak.
Also Verna for her hard work over the years since I came on board as a rookie.
I’d also like to acknowledge a couple of Pages here, acknowledging all the Pages who have been doing great work. Most importantly are my Pages: Magdalene Steinwand and Sharon Lafferty, who are here with us doing awesome work.
The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
