Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I was talking about the Arctic Policy Framework and that the federal government is replacing the Northern Strategy with the new Arctic Policy Framework. My questions today are for the Premier. While I appreciate, Mr. Speaker, that there is work being done, I am a little bit concerned that the framework doesn't really align or isn't balanced with the territory's goal and objectives. I would like to start by asking the Premier: can the Premier, first of all, tell Northerners what our government is doing to guarantee that our needs are being met in the development of the Arctic Policy Framework? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, the Arctic Policy Framework is a federal policy. There are no guarantees, because it will be developed by the federal government. Having said that, the federal government has seen fit, in their definition of "Arctic," to include not only Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, but have also included Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Manitoba, and, of course, Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Metis National Council. As I said, this is the federal government.
Nonetheless, we are working very hard to include all sectors, all stakeholders, all governments in developing a Northwest Territories chapter. Obviously, the federal government will have the overarching document. There will be chapters for NWT, Nunavut, Yukon. There will be chapters for the three provinces. There will be chapters for AFN, ITK, and MNC.
We are holding round tables to ensure that we get as much input as possible. The only guarantee I wouldn't say is a guarantee. I wrote to the Prime Minister. He wrote back that he welcomed our input, that we will have our own NWT chapter, and if we didn't like what was written in a draft, he would be pleased to meet to talk about how we could improve the policy framework for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Premier for the details that he shared in the reply. Just for a little bit of clarification, I would like to ask the Premier: I recognize that we are undergoing efforts on our part to make a contribution to the chapter in the Arctic Policy Framework. I just want to get confirmation again from the Premier: are we consulting with Indigenous governments here in our territory for a contribution to that chapter?
As part of the overall framework, our government has the opportunity to develop a chapter. We have begun that process with a series of round tables with Indigenous governments, industry, and non-government organizations to identify key issues to include in the NWT chapter. I should point out that Indigenous governments certainly have other opportunities. The Inuit can have input into the ITK chapter. They have alliances with Nunavut, so they could have input in the Nunavut chapter. The federal government is holding parallel round tables throughout the North with the same people. They will be very well represented and have a lot of input into this document.
Thanks again to the Premier for his reply. Last year, at roundup, not the most recent one but the one before, the Premier along with our sister territories announced the Pan-Territorial Vision for Sustainable Development. Is it the Premier's position that the Government of the Northwest Territories, a significant part of our chapter in the Arctic Policy Framework will stem from the Pan-Territorial Vision for Sustainable Development?
As the Member knows, the Minister of Indigenous Affairs Canada appointed a Ministerial Special Representative to consult across northern Canada about the Arctic Policy Framework. Mary Simon was the MSR, and the three Northern Premiers felt that her report was too focused on conservation. I think it would be hard for us to find the words "sustainable development" any place in that report, and we felt that we needed to have some balance. The three Premiers of the three northern territories developed the PanTerritorial Vision for Sustainable Development that we submitted, and submitted it to the Prime Minister, and that is one aspect of it. In writing the chapter, as I said, we will be consulting across the territory, and this will provide input into the development of the Northwest Territories chapter.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Premier's reply. There have been some concerns, I suppose, that have been raised about the PanTerritorial Vision for Sustainable Development in the sense that some folks are concerned about the balance that it might have within itself.
I would just like to ask the Premier: as much as it does focus on economic development, and frankly, I agree that that is a focus that we need to have, does the Premier feel that our goals to diversify the economy, mitigate climate change, and educate our people will also be met within the PanTerritorial Vision for Sustainable Development? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We support balance, sustainable development, and we believe that with the PanTerritorial Vision for Sustainable Development, at least in the Northwest Territories chapter, we will have some balance between conservation and development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
