Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Environment and Natural Resources Minister about the environmental regulatory reform issues that I raised in the previous session. The point was that we could improve the regulatory processes by ensuring that board appointments are not allowed to lapse. The Minister replied to my request for information on which of our appointed seats were vacant and his information shows we have been diligent. I then asked what efforts are being made to see that our federal and First Nations partners are keeping their appointments up to date. Part of my previous question, as well, dealt with putting measures in place to begin confirming new appointments in expectation of their coming vacancy. Can the Minister tell me what measures are now in place to ensure that there are timely appointments made? I will leave it at that for now, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of board appointments ties clearly into the issue of regulatory reform and the challenge… There are two pieces, the challenge of making sure our appointments are up to date and then through the existing process, and we have a system in place to track that and we use lead time to consult the appropriate parties. But the bigger issue is the consistent demand we have made and are continuing to make to the federal government, that simple regulatory reform can start immediately by giving the Northwest Territories government the authority to make the board appointments for the positions that they are eligible to do so. That would avoid all the issues of quorum. It would give northern control over a very fundamental issue and would help speed up the efficiency of the regulatory process. That is the message we have been taking to the federal government. Thank you.
I appreciate that response from the Minister. I do agree with him. What progress is being made? What is the response that we are hearing back on that? I know that has been something we have been raising even probably in the previous Assemblies. I know it is getting additional attention here. What is the status? What is our progress? What can be done to expedite that? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has followed up in writing on the McCrank report. A number of weeks ago we were in Ottawa. We met with Minister Strahl to talk about the issue of regulatory reform. We talked about the board appointments, a clear definition of mandates, clearing up policy overlap. Where there are grey areas, we avoid things like the Giant Mine. We met again in Calgary a week or so ago. We raised the same issue very well and passionately by myself, by Minister McLeod, by other northern folks that were there. It is a political issue. The federal government could make the decision tomorrow. They are not yet ready to act on regulatory reform. For us the plan is clear. That is the plan we laid out for them. Thank you.
Again, I appreciate those comments and the update. Mr. Speaker, I feel strongly that this is the same issue. The other aspect of regulatory reform was the appropriate level of funding provided to our regulatory agencies. It was acknowledged that that was insufficient. What progress is being made on that front? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, in the position put forward by other governments and put forward by all the Ministers and the Premier when we meet with the federal Ministers, there is the issue of board appointments. There is the issue of land use frameworks. There is the issue of clarification and fixing up of the current process and adequately funding the system that is now in place, which is still a relatively young system. There is a package that we put forward that we think will help us move on regulatory reform that won’t require any legislative change. It won’t require the reopening of land claims. It could be done immediately. That is one of the issues that we put on the table to the Minister. Thank you.
Again, I agree with the approach being taken as stated by the Minister. What progress is being made here? Obviously, I am assuming from the responses, that we have not increased resources to these agencies. There has been no increase by the federal government. Is that the situation? Is there an expectation on when we might expect to see that? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has not officially responded to the McCrank report yet. We are using, and are continuing to use, every opportunity to press the case more and more for the need for regulatory reform. We are doing a lot of other things to get ready to take over, devolve authorities to us, our planning on water, the planning on our land use framework. Let’s get the regulatory reform done. We tell the federal government that regulatory reform as we are putting it out can be done now. It will move us very clearly down the path towards a more efficient system, provide certainty in the industry. We are doing what we can.
The federal government wants to make a decision. They haven’t decided exactly what decision they are going to make. But we are continuing to push our case at every table we have access to. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
