Good afternoon Premier, Ministers, Members of the Assembly, Elders, Chiefs and honoured guests.
I welcome this opportunity to join you so soon after the opening of the 14th session of the legislature. I would like to congratulate Premier Kakfwi and his Cabinet team as they assume leadership responsibilities and accept the challenges ahead. I'd also like to congratulate both new and returning members of the legislature on their recent election.
This is my second visit to the territories. And again, I'm struck by the excitement and opportunity that is before you here.
There continue to be rapid new developments for the Northwest Territories. New elected representatives. Leading a territory with a new face since April 1 of last year. On the economic side, we are seeing exciting new opportunities unfold. There is new progress in settling of Aboriginal claims in the territory.
The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act is now in place.
In my view, there has been significant change in recent months in all kinds of areas, including even my own appointment as Minister.
And so I thought it would be appropriate to spend some time talking to you about my impressions of the change that's going on and what I think that means for the relationship among the Government of Canada, the territorial government and Aboriginal governments. And I want to talk to you about the role that Canada is prepared to play as that relationship evolves.
The role of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in the North is unique. We are the face of the Government of Canada here, with all of the responsibilities and challenges that brings. And sometimes the competing interests we represent are difficult to reconcile.
For better or for worse, my department is an integral part of the daily lives of northerners. My department is in the business of claims and self-government negotiation and implementation, land use regulation, sustainable development and public service employment. Simply put, the department has a strong role to play in supporting the economic, social and political development of the NWT.
Until fairly recently, departmental involvement has meant departmental control. That's changing. And it needs to continue to change. We've had a variety of experiences over the last 30 years with the management of land and resources in land claim agreements, the transfer of forestry resources, health services and airports, to name a few. However, there remains some unfinished business.
If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that governance, economic development and environmental stewardship in the North should reflect the priorities of all northerners, including of course Aboriginal people.
If there's another thing we can agree on, it's that the concept of more control for northerners over lands and resources has been talked about too much, for too long, with too little to show for it.
It's time that the business of my department became the business of northerners.
We have been talking about devolution for 30 years. And I'm going to talk to you about devolution today. What's different today? The definition of devolution. Today's picture of what devolution can be has evolved. It's better informed, thanks to our past experience in health and forestry. And it's more inclusive, because we know now that's the only way to move forward.
When this discussion started, devolution meant transfer of responsibilities from the federal government to the territorial government. And, along the way, we would negotiate claims and self-government agreements with Aboriginal groups, also transferring jurisdictions to them. And somehow, these parallel and disconnected processes would lead to governance arrangements that met everyone's needs.
We now understand the limitations of that old approach. We need a comprehensive and inclusive approach to developing governance structures, to sharing resources, to building the economy and to managing the environment.
Today, when I say devolution I mean a modern government-to-government-to-government relationship. I envision a relationship that recognizes linkages to lands and resources in land claim and self-government negotiations.
I see Canada transferring responsibilities to appropriate territorial and Aboriginal governments. According to trilateral decisions. Made to reflect everyone's needs.
I think the term devolution has largely been a hollow one. Partly because we didn't know how to go about making devolution real. Partly because we each weren't sure we had the vision right.
Now, I think that both of those things are changing. Plus, we've learned some lessons.
From Canada's perspective, through years of work here, and informed by devolution efforts in the Yukon, we know that certain conditions must be in place for devolution to succeed.
Devolution discussions must complement, not undermine, other negotiations.
Expectations must be realistic.
Time lines must be realistic.
And, there has to be a critical mass of support to get the process off the ground -- understanding that there are no vetos.
In short, all parties must perceive that a win-win-win outcome is possible in order to come to the table and invest their political capital in the process. Our challenge now is to sit down with the territorial and Aboriginal governments to craft a common vision that meets the specific needs of the people of the Northwest Territories.
I believe that's possible now, when it might not have been before. Why? Because I really do believe that the landscape has changed significantly.
We already have three comprehensive land claim agreements covering nearly half of the territories.
We've just signed the Dogrib Comprehensive Land Claim and Self-Government Agreement-in-Principle. This important step brings the Dogrib people closer to self-government and is the foundation for a positive, stable environment for investment in Dogrib communities.
The Dogrib AIP is an excellent example of what can be achieved when the federal, Aboriginal and territorial governments work together. The AIP recognizes the law-making powers of the Dogrib First Nations members living on Dogrib lands. Prior to the signing of the final agreement, an intergovernmental services agreement will be negotiated to jointly deliver key programs and services to the residents of the four Dogrib communities.
I am pleased to say that the Akaitcho Treaty 8 have expressed their desire to move on with negotiations. With the recent appointment of a Chief Federal Negotiator, I am confident that we can make steady progress in these talks.
There has been a re-start of the South Slave Métis process.
Discussions at the Deh Cho table are underway and we are working hard to re-establish a positive working relationship with the Deh Cho First Nations. This progress demonstrates the government's deep commitment to work with Aboriginal groups to implement the inherent right policy and resolve outstanding land claims. It shows the dedication of all parties to work toward agreements and to build new relationships.
As with the Dogrib AIP negotiations, the territorial government is an integral part of these talks, putting government-to-government-to-government principles to work in a very practical manner which will safeguard the rights and concerns of everyone around the table and the people they represent.
Tremendous economic opportunities exist now, with many more possibilities just around the corner. The country, and indeed the world, are watching as national and international companies take a keen interest in pursuing natural resource development in the NWT.
We have seen the recent opening of Canada's first diamond mine. Each day we move closer to realizing the start up of a second mine. Increasing demand and favourable economies are driving the exploration of the North's huge gas potential. In addition, the recoverable conventional oil potential in the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta region alone is equal to that remaining in Alberta.
We are now working towards the long term goal of creating an attractive and stable climate for even more investment in the NWT.
With respect to responsible environmental stewardship, the new Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act ensures that Northerners, and in particular the Aboriginal peoples, of the NWT have key decision-making roles in resource management via an integrated management system which will hopefully be in tune with a wide range of interests, including business and environmental concerns. The Act provides the structure – our challenge now is to make it work.
The bottom line is that all of us involved recognize there are political, economic and social gains to be made. Even more, I think there's greater consensus that it's through devolution that we can reap those benefits.
Of course, it's still very difficult to still talk only in theoretical terms about devolution without knowing for sure where discussions will lead. In my view, Canada has a responsibility to make sure those discussions lead us to where we want to go.
In my view, devolution will round out developments in three priority areas for the NWT: governance, economic development and environmental stewardship.
First of all, devolution will provide teeth to modern governance. It will solidify the structures that reflect priorities of territorial and Aboriginal governments. And clearly define government-to-government-to-government relations. It's my hope that the Intergovernmental Forum and related process will be the vehicle for the discussions that will flesh out this relationship. I think now is the time to confirm our interests through an intergovernmental process.
Even now, the federal, territorial and Aboriginal governments are building stronger and more effective relationships at the regional and local levels through claims and self-government negotiations.
Now, I think there is agreement amongst each of us that we need to move beyond local and regional issues and build a forum to address issues of concern to the whole territory. Where Aboriginal, territorial and federal leaders are together at the table talking about shared aspirations and shared concerns.
As I said, I'm hopeful that the Intergovernmental Forum will be the right table for this kind of discussion. I propose that we all sit down together in the spring to begin this dialogue.
With all of us at the table, we can begin to build consensus and set ourselves the goal of improving the day-to-day lives of Northerners.
We need not always agree, but together we share a responsibility to deliver effective governments at the territorial, regional and community levels —— to exchange views, to keep the dialogue going and to work through our problems — building a foundation for change.
Let me also be clear that, in my view, the Intergovernmental Forum discussions will neither undermine nor overtake the self-government negotiations now underway. In the same vein, we need to ensure all processes are moving ahead together.
The second area where devolution will further solidify and formalize our progress is access to benefits from resource development. The goal is an inclusive approach to resource revenue-sharing to ensure that all people in the North have access to the jobs, investment and other opportunities that development brings. Improving the current resource benefit-sharing relationship is basic to building on the relationship among the three governments.
The riches of the Mackenzie will help drive the territorial economy for years to come. Access to this abundance of natural resources should ultimately be controlled by northerners, for northerners. We can find ways to spread wealth and resources more evenly throughout the territory and to recognize the diversity of its regions and its Aboriginal peoples.
We need to put our heads together to work creatively, in a spirit of give and take, to ensure the current resource revenue sharing regime reflects our ultimate goals.
Environmental stewardship is the third area in which we will see devolution come to life – in a joint approach to protecting and managing the environment that is soundly-based in both traditional and newly-acquired scientific knowledge and a belief that development can happen in a responsible way.
Under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, steps were taken to ensure there is fair representation of federal, territorial and Aboriginal interests by having Aboriginal governments nominate half the board members and the federal and territorial governments the other half. This joint approach is the principle that should continue to guide our efforts in this area.
The nature of the relationship between the Government of Canada and the people of this territory is changing —— it is empowering the people of the North as never before. Our shared goal is devolution, not in the old sense of the federal government transferring its powers to a territorial government. Today, devolution in the new NWT directly involves all governments in a government-to-government-to-government relationship.
In real terms, devolution will fill in the blanks, if you like. It will complete the picture of how all three governments -- federal, territorial and Aboriginal -- work together. The end result: decision-making powers where they belong. Firmly in the hands of northerners themselves.
While some might be intimidated by the scope and pace of change underway in NWT, I think these changes represent the emergence of many opportunities for governments, businesses, communities and individuals to make their mark on the new NWT.
All of us have major roles to play in how this relationship takes shape. With the Intergovernmental Forum, we can begin to shape our government-to-government-to-government relationship. As with the creation of Nunavut, this process promises to prove the flexibility in our federal system and its practical recognition of Aboriginal rights. Now is the time to get on with the process of building the NWT.
This process, to be most effective, must be one that reaches out to all people of the North, and reflects back to us their input.
As we work towards a spring date for a meeting, I encourage every northerner to continue to speak up and speak out. Get in touch with your representative within government, whether Aboriginal, territorial or federal. This is your opportunity to give us our marching orders as we embark on the design phase of our relationship.
I sense a genuine feeling of excitement — a genuine feeling that together, all of us are entering a new kind of relationship. A relationship that begins with a shared vision for this territory and which finds strength in a shared desire to work together to turn the vision into reality.
A relationship that is built on a solid foundation of respect, trust, and mutual responsibility. A relationship that will grow and contribute to a stronger Canada.
There is plenty of work to do. Work that will have a dramatic and lasting impact on the western Arctic and the people who live here for years to come.
We won't get there overnight. But we will get there.
I give you my commitment as Minister, and as a northerner myself, to move discussions forward in a timely manner. To ensure that we do build a strong territory. A thriving economy. And a bright future for the children and youth of the NWT.
I realize you might be rightly sceptical of another Ottawa minister telling you he's committed to making change. But I give you my commitment to be a positive driver of this process. As far and as fast as we are all ready to go.
I believe the time is right. The leadership is in place. And the stage is set for progress.
I look forward to our continuing work together. Thank you.
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