Debates of May 17, 2007 (day 9)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I read an article that said that there is a meeting going on today between the proponents of the pipeline and the Government of Canada. I got to thinking when they mentioned some of the players that were going to be at the meeting, where was the GNWT in this picture, Mr. Speaker? It is happening too much lately that, with all the talk going on with the pipeline, the GNWT continues to be left out of the picture. I read further on in the article that a document was filed with the National Energy Board. They talk about Alberta will be the main beneficiary from the project; 10,245 jobs to Alberta, 3,200 jobs to the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, where is the NWT in all of this? Thanks to the Aboriginal Pipeline Group, we have some stake in it.

Hear! Hear!

Thirty years ago, Thomas Berger put a moratorium on pipeline development. That was the best thing he ever did, I think, for the people of the Northwest Territories. It gave us an opportunity to get into the picture, take advantage of some of the opportunities. The Inuvialuit, the Gwich’in and the people of the Sahtu have seized that opportunity and put themselves in a position where they could see some benefit from the pipeline for them and the people that they represent.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions later on for the Minister of ITI or the Premier. I am going to need to know where we are at the table, if we are at the table. Mr. Speaker, this pipeline talk and all of the politics surrounding it across the Northwest Territories is just getting a little out of hand. This pipeline is being used as leverage in land claims talks and it is not acceptable. We could stay at home, sit on our hands and wait for money to fall from the skies, but no. There are people out there. I represent a lot of them that do plan on going out there, seizing the opportunity, seeing what they can benefit out of this pipeline. I want to make sure that the people that I represent and people in the Northwest Territories, as a whole, benefit from the construction of this pipeline. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause