Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister further questions on the issue I just spoke about. Mr. Speaker, I live on the Mackenzie River. A lot of my people also live on the river and live in areas where water is their source of life. The Auditor General report from 2010 states that water quality monitoring in the North is not adequate. The federal government signed a Water Stewardship Strategy with the GNWT that talks about improving the water quality monitoring in the Northwest Territories. In closing, Mr. Speaker, the federal government signed a land claim agreement within the...

The Government of the Northwest Territories is actively engaged in negotiations with the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle. In there it states 23 monitoring stations. Right now we’re reduced to two. What is it going to cost us? Even in the list here, there are parks in the Northwest Territories that are not going to have any type of monitoring station there. What is it going to cost our government if we want to continue with all these 23 that the federal government is only going to fund two stations? The federal government totally disrespects the people of the North and the land claims...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of ENR. We heard through the grapevine and have been notified that the federal government, through Environment Canada, has suspended 21 of the 23 water quality monitoring stations in the Northwest Territories. I want to ask the Minister what his assessment is of how long Environment Canada would be suspending these operations, and does the federal government acknowledge their signed commitments under the Water Strategy agreements with our government.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I table a document of the land rovers that drove on the proposed CANOL Heritage Trail and the damage they have done by the use of their vehicle. Shame.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister makes a good point. Maybe it’s about time that we get our act together, as they’ve been saying, and work on this, because the federal government sure ain’t taking care of us in the North, and it shows right now, it’s black and white with red all over that they are going to do things for us that are not good. I think what I want to ask the Minister in regard to devolution is why are we going to talk about only two monitoring stations that are right now in the federal government’s responsibility when we want all 21 more. The federal government is killing us...

I look forward to that letter being sent to the Members for their follow up.

Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie River three stations that were under the suspension are Strong Point, Norman Wells and Arctic Red River. The Mackenzie River has been identified as one of the only few critical river systems at risk in Canada by the World Wildlife Fund that’s not being monitored currently. The Mackenzie River should be considered international transboundary water because it flows into the Arctic Ocean, or a heritage river given its significance to Canada and the world.

I want to ask the Minister who today is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister, does the Water Stewardship Strategy or any transboundary agreement include the provision that can be done if a responsible authority like the federal government does not uphold their commitments to protect water for the people of the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The way I understood and the way I’ve seen devolution unfold, it’s like the birthing of a new nation. Any transition to a new form of life, there’s growing pains. The birthing of a new nation is through the devolution process.

When there are time constraints put on negotiations or time pressures, decisions have to be made. I agree that decisions possibly had to be made. I’m not too aware of what type of decisions that needed to be made because we weren’t part to the actual negotiations or the meetings with the federal government. I understand that some of the Aboriginal...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 on the orders of the day, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

---Unanimous consent granted