Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We were participants in the negotiation of land claim agreements and we certainly stand by what was negotiated. The Devolution Final Agreement provides for non-abrogation of treaties or land claims. We have that language throughout the Devolution Final Agreement where there will be no negative impacts on those areas. Where or if it ever happens then what’s in the land claim would trump what’s in the Devolution Agreement. Thank you.

If ratified by the parties, a signing ceremony will be held possibly this summer of 2014 or maybe sooner. We see an effective date for the final agreement occurring in 2016. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to recognize all GNWT employees who worked on the devolution file that are here in the gallery. There are too many to name, but I’ll ask them to stand up and be recognized and also accept our thanks. Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 16, Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 14, Waters Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Kam Lake, that Bill 11, Petroleum Resources Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I believe we’re already seeing that happen and I think that we will continue to work with the Sahtu leadership to try to work with what the people in the region want to see happen. I think that’s the way we will approach and that’s the way the land claims have been negotiated and settled on a regional basis. Thank you.

Thank you. That’s the whole premise of the agreement under the Intergovernmental Council that the Aboriginal governments that have land claims, who are the largest land holders in the Northwest Territories – I think together they hold about 193,000 square kilometres of freehold land – the way we see it, the management regime is that each Aboriginal government would manage their own land that they own and we would work together to provide for best practices and some consistency across the Northwest Territories. Together we’ll all manage the land in the best interests of all the people of the...

The GNWT is a signatory to these agreements and there are programs and services and assets that the Deline community will be taking over, so we will be participating in all aspects of those arrangements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we’re all waiting with great anticipation for the results of the ratification vote tonight. Once we get the results, we’ll proceed with the next steps. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.