Mr. Speaker, my questions today are to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment and follow up to my Member’s statement with respect to the Pathways to Mineral Development report. I was very dismayed to see that there were no public meetings and that the process was essentially run by industry reps alone. I have to say I kind of like the guys. They are very personable. They are obviously professionals embedded within the industry, the panel itself. I know a partner was a Chamber of Mines.
I mentioned the need in my statement for a public interest policy review. Perhaps the Minister was just looking for mineral recommendations, but now that the Minister has the recommendations, will he seek the broader advice and see where a mining work panel or a similar group with both mining expertise and a public interest policy lens could be contracted to provide comments and make those commentaries public when they are received? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We want to open new mines here in the Northwest Territories. We have the resources here in the NWT and I know I’ve mentioned it numerous times in speeches I’ve given. I know the Premier mentioned it in a speech he gave yesterday. We’re not going to develop our resources at any cost and I think that has to be said again, Mr. Speaker. It has to be done in a sustainable, environmentally friendly fashion. We’re going to forge ahead. We haven’t opened a new mine, outside of a diamond mine, in the Northwest Territories for almost a quarter of a century and we’re out to try to change that.
I don’t recall saying anything about not opening a new mine, Mr. Speaker. I think that should be clear on the record. I hope the Minister will really listen and try to address my questions.
Consider what happens when you invite public comment when reviewing mining industry performance. The chair of the Minister’s Economic Opportunities Panel, Joe Handley, was on radio this week talking about the feedback he heard in public meetings across the territory. He heard that “socio-economic agreements are almost cancelled agreements.” Then, “we’re going to have to enter into more binding contracts where there are clear penalties.”
Since the Minister has feedback in spades from the Economic Opportunities Strategy recommendations, will he ensure these perspectives make it down the hall of the ITI offices and that this government’s Mineral Development Strategy contains the requirements for enforceable northern benefits? That’s what we’re talking about. I’m not talking against the mines here, Mr. Speaker, for enforcement of northern benefits the publicly so clearly expressed when they were asked. Mahsi.
One of the main pillars of the panel’s report was sustainability and we’re certainly going to work toward that. I agree with the Member that we’re going to have to try to get more benefits for people who live here in the Northwest Territories. When we look at resource development here and specifically mining, I can point directly to the Member’s riding and the success of some companies. The Deton’ Cho run companies that have had a great deal of success from mining here in the Northwest Territories. We believe there are many more opportunities out there. We are going to continue down the path of trying to explore those opportunities. We will continue to advance the Mineral Development Strategy. We hope to have an action plan available sometime this fall, hopefully by October. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’m hoping to contribute to the Minister’s work through these comments here today, and questions. I agree, we have a thriving industry and it’s great. Although we have had some bad performances in the past, we want more. As I pointed out, some of the basic premises of the recommendations are disturbing or even chilling as potential public policy, considering the bland statement casually put that we might allow projects that would result in requirements for perpetual care, perpetual environmental care. Maybe the panel should have taken a tour of the $903 million Giant Mine Remediation Project plus infinite future cost just as a lesson in consequences.
Again, in the interests of balance and as we embark post-devolution on creating our mineral resource management regime, will the Minister commit that the upcoming strategy will contain a firm action item to create mandatory security provisions such as we’ve required for Commissioner’s lands, and a firm statement that if perpetual care is a possible consequence, the answer to the project will be no? Mahsi.
Some of these recommendations include considerations and recommendations about legally enforceable mine reclamation and ensuring security policies are in place. Those are in the panel’s report as well.
I’m not sure if the Member had a chance to go over all those recommendations in there, but we believe this is just the beginning. It’s the beginning of the Northwest Territories getting out, seeking that investment in our territory. We have to get more investment, more exploration dollars here in the Northwest Territories so that companies can come here, find the next mines so that we can employ our residents in the Northwest Territories.
We talked too long about high unemployment rates, especially in our smaller communities. We need to do something about that, Mr. Speaker, and if we don’t do something about it, nobody is going to do that for us. Our belief is this is going to be an action plan with some tangible results, and we look forward to having the Member and the other Members opposite help us in achieving our goal of getting those opportunities for the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I acknowledge there were a few recommendations in this report where it was clearly industry professionals trying to meet sustainability requirements. A treasure chest wish list, though, of subsidies, public funding of staff to assume industry’s responsibility for regulatory engagement, this industry panel really demonstrates how the public can’t do enough to maximize industry profits at public cost, yet our people believe that development should first deliver benefits to them. So my brief question, Mr. Speaker, is: How does the Minister propose to bring the public interest to bear in this strategy? Mahsi.
Again, in the Northwest Territories, we have not opened a mine, outside of a diamond mine, in almost a quarter of a century. We have to change that. We’ve got the resources here. We need the jobs for the people here in the Northwest Territories. It makes sense to develop our resources. This is an effort to get the investment back here, to have the exploration dollars come back here so we can find some more mines and open some more mines so we can get jobs and opportunities for people and local businesses here in the Northwest Territories. We are going to do that and we will continue our efforts to move forward with the Mineral Development Strategy.
Again, the Member and other Members have provided input and we look forward to their continued involvement in the rollout of the action plan this fall. I look forward to meeting with committee again on this as we continue on the path of opening more mines here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
