Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke on the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous People. My questions are to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. In the past the GNWT has played the key role in terms of the national and international levels. I wanted to ask the Minister what ways, in his view, is the GNWT going to continue working to uphold the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples? Mahsi.
Masi. The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In response to previous questions, I indicated that we were waiting for the Government of Canada to determine how they would approach their endorsement of UNDRIP. As the Member stated, in the United Nations, Minister Bennett indicated that Canada was going to unequivocally endorse the UNDRIP provisions. Subsequent to that, the federal Minister of Justice qualified that statement because we all wondered exactly what the Government of Canada meant. The federal Minister of Justice qualified that to indicate that they endorse the UNDRIP, subject to the Constitution of Canada. That allows us to proceed on that basis. Certainly we will recognize and conduct ourselves accordingly when we work with UNDRIP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In light of the negotiations that are currently going on, or in terms of some of the outstanding regions that still have to get to the table, the observations from parties has been the land claim policy, which could be perhaps problematic from the parties' perspectives, it depends on what side of the table you are on, but basically the land claims model that the federal Government of Canada is upholding is based on the United States' model, which basically was following the first achievement of a land claim agreement with First Nation people in Alaska then. My question is, in the eyes of the international states, how does the GNWT view a fair and just settlement of land and resource rights for the people in the NWT?
As we have indicated, we have a ministerial special representative that is working on behalf of the federal government and our government to have in-depth review of the process that we have been using to negotiate the land claims. Some of these land claims, negotiations, have been long-standing, as long as 25 years. Our expectation is that the ministerial special representatives will identify or have been tasked with looking at what the major roadblocks and issues are that are preventing us from moving forward and to make some recommendations that will allow us to move forward.
Thank you to the Minister for answering the few questions that I had. It is true that the ministerial special reporter has met with all parties and will be more likely tabling the report to the parties, including the GNWT and the federal government. Could the Minister explain just the key steps of the go-forward work plan that he anticipates will follow once the reports have been received by the parties?
The way I see it is both the federal government and ourselves will receive the report from the ministerial special representatives. We expect to have it, we said, by the end of February. I expect that within the next couple of weeks we will have it. I will be meeting with Minister Bennett to determine a path forward, and once we determine the path forward we will take action. My expectation is that at some point we will work with our joint Cabinet and special committee. We will also work with the Aboriginal governments that are involved in the negotiations.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is that it seems that, you know, there is a waiting game at this point in terms of when the reports will be received and then there is a contemplation of the next steps, and it seems very clear that, of course, within the framework of the federal government, including the GNWT or the Northwest Territories, it is almost that we have to wait for the lead of the federal government. One of the points that have been made by the parties is that there has to be a new mandate from the federal government including the GNWT. Is that the case, Mr. Speaker?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is our expectation that the Ministerial Special Representatives Report will look at all of the challenges and issues that have prevented us from getting an agreement by now. So if that is part of the problem, I expect the ministerial special representatives will identify it and make some recommendations. Certainly before we went with the ministerial representative, we certainly felt or indicated that perhaps part of the problem was the mandates that we were working with.
So I am looking forward to receiving the report of ministerial special representatives, and I fully expect that they will make some reference to the mandate issues as well.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
