Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on June 9th, 2009

[Neil McCrank]

Absolutely. What I am trying to do is move up the local influence to an earlier point in time, and not at the regulatory stage but at the land use planning stage, which I think is where you should make those policy decisions, and local people should have a huge input in that respect.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Finally, in light of the topic we have at hand here, and as I alluded to in my opening remarks, the committee is considering a broader study of northern economic development. If you were to provide some guidance, what would you suggest in terms of the area this committee could best be tasked to concentrate on in terms of an effective contribution to advancing northern economic development? If you had a suggestion, what gap or what area would we be best to concentrate on?

[Neil McCrank]

The easy answer for me would be to say you should choose the Mackenzie Valley, as I did. In retrospect, if I were to do it again, I would have spent a lot more time in the Yukon right at the outset, because they seem to be able to make it work, and what is it there that is different from that and NWT and Nunavut? So I think I'd try to go to some success points first and see how that occurred and then move on to some of the weaker areas after that. That's the only guidance I could give, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Okay, thank you very much.

Now we'll go to Mr. Bagnell.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you. I just have one short question. It's partly to get it on the record and partly to ask the question.

Someone approached me, and I don't even know where in Canada they live, but they said there was an issue related to the ongoing review of the environmental assessment processes both in Nunavut and the Yukon. The problem was intervenor funding. I've approached the deputy minister of INAC, and he said he would follow up on this. So I'm sure we'll hear back from him. But I'm curious about whether you have heard about any issues at all with intervenor funding.

[Neil McCrank]

Well, I certainly heard comments about intervenor funding in the course of my review, leaving aside the reviews they're having in the Yukon and in Nunavut, though I didn't know about the latter specifically.

I did not address that issue in my document. It's a minefield when we talk about intervenor funding, as we all know. The only similar comment I made was that if we were to release some of the local leaders from responsibility for these boards, they could provide information from the community level. And I think I said something to the effect that there would have to be some support, because obviously nobody wants to continue to do this for nothing.

Specifically, I know that the review of the YESAA legislation, the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act, is ongoing. I think I heard at the time I was talking with some of the environmental groups in Whitehorse that there was a concern about funding, but I can't be more specific than that, Mr. Bagnell.

It's important that we get the right information in front of these reviews. And if that requires some intervenor funding, I'm supportive of that, if it helps this process.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Okay, thank you very much.

On behalf of the members, I would like to thank you for your presentation.

As a reminder to members, there is not a meeting on Thursday morning, June 11, as it's the first anniversary of the residential school apology. We'll reconvene back here this time next week, when we will have a panel of representatives from the non-renewable resource sector in the north considering same topic as today.

Again, enjoy your day.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Duncan, on a point of order.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Well, it may be a point of interjection. I just wanted to talk for a minute about June 11, which is Thursday.

All of you may have received some information about Thursday. There is a ceremony that starts at 5:15 in the morning at Victoria Island. I plan to be there. I think the smudging ceremony is at 5:30. But more importantly, the minister would like to invite all members of the committee to join him on the bridge at 10:30. There's going to be some kind of handshaking ceremony with the first nations leadership and members of Parliament, the minister, and others.

I thought it would be worthwhile to convey that to the committee. It would be on the bridge, while they march towards the Hill.

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

That would be at 5:15?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

No, it would be about 10:30 or 10:45.

There's also a pancake breakfast down there for you at 7:30.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Okay. Did everyone hear that? Does everyone know where Victoria Island is in proximity to...?

Is that it, Mr. Duncan?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

No, the place is a five-minute walk from the Hill.

The other thing I wanted to offer is that the McIvor decision is a huge decision of the Supreme Court on first nations membership issues. We don't have any free meetings between now and the break, but I was wondering about the appetite for a briefing from the department on the McIvor decision. It would be voluntary. What would the appetite be for that?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

There's seems to be a consensus on that. So Mr. Duncan, if the department can perhaps set a time before the break so that members might be able to attend that all-party briefing, it would be—

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Are there any suggestions on a time?

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Yes, I think that would be quite helpful and certainly appreciated.

On the Maa-nulth treaty, they have been calling my office, and I'm just wondering if there's going to be legislation this spring. My understanding was that there was going to be legislation, then there was not going to be legislation. Which is it?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

I can't give you a comprehensive answer, but we are looking at it very seriously. It's on our agenda. We're getting the calls too.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Mr. McCrank, did you have a point?

[Neil McCrank]

Mr. Chairman, just very briefly, I really appreciate the opportunity to appear before your committee. I didn't say this at the outset because people would think you're backing down from your recommendation, but the purpose of my report was to generate some discussion. If that's what it has done and, from that, opportunities arise and improvements can be made, then I think we've accomplished our goal. It was for the purpose of trying to ensure that the issues were on the table and that they were discussed properly.

Thank you very much for the opportunity.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

And we thank you.

There being nothing else, the meeting is adjourned. I'll see you next Tuesday.