Bob McLeod

The portion of the Peel that’s in the Northwest Territories is approximately 11 percent.

In September of 2010, at the request of the Gwich’in Tribal Council leadership, I wrote to the Premier of the Yukon indicating that we supported the call of the Gwich’in. I believe there are a number of options. Obviously we want to re-negotiate the Peel River Watershed and the Yukon/Northwest Territories Transboundary Water Agreement to modernize that agreement. There is a court case that has been filed and, as a government, we will be looking at that to see what kind of a role we should play in that court...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This government was very futuristic when we negotiated a transboundary water agreement with Yukon approximately 15 years ago. We have been making overtures to the Yukon government to modernize it and we are continuing to do so because we recognize the Peel River Watershed is a very important body of water not only for the Yukon but also for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

This government is always interested in improving all of our programs and services, so we’d be very pleased to undertake a review. But just to make sure that everybody understands some of the work that they have done: the results of the K to 12 school programs and pupil-teacher ratio and inclusive schooling; the general office space evaluation; the health programs and services evaluation; the adult and education training programs evaluation; rationalizing phones, faxes and printers; harvesters’ support program review; single-window service centres and I should also indicate that we are...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’m very pleased that the Member has raised the matter of the program review office. They have been very busy working on the priorities that were developed and the projects that were developed in conjunction with committee. Also, I’m very pleased that their recommendations have and will result in this government saving hundreds of millions of dollars. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I truly believe that will be the case. I think we’re seeing evidence of that now, working with the Dehcho First Nation where we’ve been able to work together to resolve some very difficult, complex issues around land on a without prejudice basis. I think the incentive for both of us to do it was devolution. I think that by putting rigour to the process with oversight by myself and the grand chief of the Dehcho First Nations, I think we’ve been able to work together and find some very innovative solutions to long-standing problems, and I’m really looking forward to the...

Aboriginal governments are governments in their own right and it’s not up to me to take away that right for them to legislate as they see fit to do so. That’s part and parcel of being a responsible government. We will continue to work with them and we have five years after devolution whereby we will be reviewing the MVRMA, at which time we can work together during that period to improve the system, and even as we go forward after five years, to develop a system that will work better after that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re working very closely with the Aboriginal governments. We have five out of seven Aboriginal governments that have signed on to devolution. We’re just finalizing signing ceremonies with two more to sign on. We’re working with the Dehcho First Nations. We expect that we’re making good progress on the discussion of land use. We expect that after a short period of consultation, there’s every indication that the Dehcho First Nation will sign on, and we are entering into a similar process with Akaitcho First Nations.

It is our intention to work very closely with the...

We will commit to working with our Aboriginal governments to improve in every area. Thank you.

We’ve had a number of discussions with all the Aboriginal governments that have signed on to devolution and the so-called Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative.

Our government stands by what we negotiated in land claims over 20 years ago. For example, the Gwich’in Agreement, which was signed and negotiated 20 years ago, reads that “Where, by legislation, any other land and water board is established having jurisdiction in an area which includes the settlement area, it shall assume the powers and responsibilities of the land and water board in 24.4.1 and shall become the land and water...

The Jane Glassco Fellowship Program is an initiative from the Walter Gordon Foundation. They have not asked us for any financial participation. Most of these types of charitable foundations prefer to do it on their own because they recognize that if our government became involved and contributed financially, we would obviously want input into the program. Most of the foundations would prefer to do it on their own. Thank you, Madam Speaker.