Debates of October 25, 2006 (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, as well, would like to speak on the issue of resource sharing and the long quest that we have had as a territory. On this file, Mr. Speaker, I consider the Conservative government to be as bad and as slow as the former Liberal government in terms of delivering. Prior to the last federal election there were promises made, commitments made in writing to the people of the Northwest Territories. To date they have not been delivered on. There were commitments made to other jurisdictions, like Newfoundland, where Prime Minister Harper recently went to visit, and the Conservative government down there took great exception and umbrage to the lack of action on their commitments that were made to them.

Mr. Speaker, we’re in the same circumstance. Yes, it is good for us to be united and coordinated and have one voice. It’s critical. But the ones with the levers year after year, the Conservative government, the Liberal government, is the federal government, and they have been very slow. There is no rush for them to solve this issue, to resolve it, to commit to any closure. They are awash in a surplus, it says in the Globe today. A big chunk of that is our cash. They are in no hurry.

My message to the people of the Northwest Territories is very simple. There’s going to be an election coming soon. When that election comes and if the Conservative government has not delivered on these commitments, it’s as simple as ABC -- Anybody But a Conservative -- when you vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause