Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question is: What will our role be in land use planning, actual land use planning on the ground under the new auspices of devolution? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I also would like to know exactly what are these new and existing northern tools that we hear referred to explicitly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize David Connelly, a resident of Weledeh, here with his colleagues. I would also like to recognize Peter Redvers here representing Sambaa K’e Dene Band of Trout Lake and Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation of Kakisa and their considerable work on the Protected Areas Strategy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that. The poem contained a person’s first name. I should have caught this and questioned it, but I did not. If in so doing I caused unintended offence to anyone, I apologize to both them and this House. Further, Mr. Speaker, I will be on guard to make sure that I will not do this again. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all I’d like to thank my colleague Ms. Bisaro for assisting with this motion. I’d like to thank the House for the opportunity to bring this proposal for consideration by my colleagues here today.

What is the legal basis for a plebiscite? Our Elections and Plebiscite Act says the Commissioner, on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly, may, by order, direct that a plebiscite be held on any question that is of importance to the people of the Northwest Territories or to the people of one or more electoral districts. It further says a plebiscite is only for...

WHEREAS the Elections and Plebiscites Act provides that the Commissioner may, on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly, direct that a plebiscite be held on any question that is of importance to the people of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories signed the Northwest Territories Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement-in-Principle on January 26, 2011;

AND WHEREAS on March 11, 2013, the Prime Minister of Canada announced that consensus on the terms for achieving devolution of lands and resources to the Northwest Territories had been reached;

AN...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a statistically valid poll of small and large communities, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, male and female residents of the Northwest Territories, sponsored by Alternatives North and entitled EKOS Poll Reveals Groundswell of Support for Plebiscite on Devolution Agreement.

Thanks to the Minister. Some time ago committee commented on the NWT Land Use and Sustainability Framework but it seems to have disappeared into the quagmire. Will the Minister be bringing this forward for consideration by committee before it’s finalized? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on the Minister’s statement earlier today on the update on the Protected Areas Strategy from the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources and see if I can seek some more clarity. He did state we will continue to support the completion of working group reports and the extension of interim land withdrawals for candidate areas, which I really appreciate. He also says we will continue to advance the establishment of core representative areas within each eco-region, which makes sense.

My question is: Are any of the five areas currently scheduled...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What a session, and it’s not over yet. Our second budget, devolution, big infrastructure bucks, Boundaries Commission… It’s kept us busy and consumed our energy and attention. As we reach the pause button and time permits, it may be time to sit back and consider things in a bit more depth.

It’s two out of two. Regular MLAs, through considerable solidarity and belief in priorities, modified the proposed budget once again. True, the modification is slight at half a percent of the budget, but as we all know, the dollars actually available for new initiatives are modest...