Honourable members, thank you for the invitation to address the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. I'm pleased to be here on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories to speak to you about Bill C-15, the Northwest Territories devolution act.
Devolution of responsibility for public lands, resources, and water has been a priority for the people and the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for many years. This is a momentous change for our territory and its people. We are pleased that your committee recognizes the significance of this step and has chosen to hold hearings on Bill C-15 in the north. This bill is a game-changer for northerners, and it is entirely appropriate that you hear directly from them as you review the proposed legislation.
Devolution promises to usher in a new era of prosperity and opportunity for the people of the Northwest Territories. Supported by an efficient, effective, and integrated regulatory regime, devolution will give northerners the necessary tools and authorities to responsibly develop the Territories' significant natural resource potential, promote investment and economic development, and manage the land and environment sustainably.
The north wants devolution. In a vote last June, members of the legislative assembly voted 17 to 1 in favour of the devolution agreement. The Government of the Northwest Territories and our five partner aboriginal governments have worked together to negotiate a deal that is in the best interests of all of our residents. After years of hard work, we are almost there, but we need to stay focused if we want to cross the finish line.
I want to thank all those who have worked with us to make the dream of a strong and autonomous Northwest Territories a reality: the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, the Gwich’in Tribal Council, the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, and the Tlicho government.
Interest in being a part of devolution and enjoying the benefits it will bring to the people of the Northwest Territories is strong. Recent talks with the Akaitcho Dene First Nation and the Deninu K'ue First Nation look to be clearing the way for them to become signatories to the devolution agreement. We also continue to work with the Dehcho First Nations and the Akaitcho Treaty 8 Tribal Corporation, the remaining two regional aboriginal governments. We are hopeful that they will eventually sign on to devolution as well.
You will hear some alternative and maybe even opposing viewpoints on Bill C-15 while you are here in Yellowknife. Some of these are based on inaccurate or incorrect information. Some reflect different governance philosophies. Some simply reflect partisan viewpoints.
Whatever their views on this specific legislation, I hope that everybody in the Northwest Territories supports its basic premise: that decisions about the north should be made as close to home as possible. We want enhanced authority and self-determination for the people of the Northwest Territories and their elected representatives in the Northwest Territories legislative assembly.
Some people have asked whether the legislative powers and authorities of the Government of the Northwest Territories will really be expanded by devolution.
They will. As a result of devolution and Bill C-15, authority for 26 federal acts and regulations will be transferred to the Government of the Northwest Territories. Through devolution, members of the legislative assembly will gain the authority to make laws that they cannot make now. That is power that they do not have today but will have on April 1, 2014.
Some people have asked whether our government will be exercising independent authority when powers are delegated to us under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.
We will. The Government of the Northwest Territories already has responsibility for environmental management and regulation delegated to it under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, and we have been exercising it for years. We will have more responsibilities after devolution.
These new powers and authorities are outlined in the negotiated and legally binding devolution agreement. I am confident that Canada intends to honour it. Some people point to the fact that the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act will continue to be federal legislation as a sign that Canada is trying to withhold powers from northerners or retain an ability to control and direct our government's decisions. That is simply untrue. We understand that the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act is a unique piece of legislation required by the land claims and providing for integrated environmental regulation on all lands in the Mackenzie Valley including federal and territorial lands, settlement lands, and private lands. Its continuation as federal law for the next five years reflects its unique nature, and we are satisfied with the provisions and the devolution agreement to review the status and potential power of these delegated powers to our government within five years.
I would also like to note that there is nothing to prevent us from initiating those discussions earlier. Some point to language in the bill allowing the federal government to disallow territorial legislation as an opportunistic expansion of federal powers in the Northwest Territories. This is a specious argument. There are comparable clauses in the 1867 Constitution Act that apply to all provinces and territories. This is not a new power and it does not diminish the authority of our government.
You will hear witnesses today express concerns about some of the changes to the Northwest Territories regulatory system that are being proposed as part of Bill C-15. Some northerners will find these changes difficult to accept, and that is what is behind some of the opposition you will encounter today. We need to be clear that devolution and regulatory reform are two different initiatives. Our government understands that regulatory improvement is a national priority that Canada is committed to pursuing. We recognize that the Northwest Territories does not exist in a vacuum and that there are national interests at play in this initiative. We respect that people are worried about the proposed regulatory improvements but we do not believe that is a reason to delay the devolution we have been seeking for so long.
As we consider Bill C-15, I want to urge the committee and the people of the Northwest Territories to not confuse the two initiatives. We need to focus on devolution and the ultimate goal we have been pursuing as a territory for decades: to enhance authority and autonomy for the people of the Northwest Territories. We need an efficient and effective regulatory system in the Northwest Territories that protects the public interest, allows us to manage our land and environment, and promotes responsible development.
I have always said that we would devolve and then evolve, and that continues to be our approach. The system that will be in place on the effective day will not be chiselled in stone. Our territory will continue to grow and evolve as we work with Canada and our aboriginal government partners to implement devolution in a way that respects the values and interests of all residents. Many of the proposed regulatory changes will be phased in over time. The proposed amalgamation of the land and water boards in the Mackenzie Valley will not take place until April 1, 2015, a year after the effective date for devolution.
We, the Government of the Northwest Territories, aboriginal governments, and Canada, will continue to work together to develop a regulatory system that will work for all of us, one that includes important features like retained regional capacity.
Decision-making closer to home has been our goal, and it is almost here. April 1, 2014, marks the beginning of a new chapter for our territory, one in which northern governments work together to create the kind of future we see for ourselves. Never before can I recall such a time of potential and future prosperity facing the people of our territory.
Soon the Government of the Northwest Territories will go from administering surface rights for only 1% of the Northwest Territories' land mass to being responsible for surface and subsurface rights on approximately 80%. We are the stewards of a great expanse of Canada's land mass. We look forward to a future where northern priorities are reflected in resource development and environmental management decisions.
We know our land. We know what matters to us. We have a vested interest in ensuring the long-term sustainability of our land. Our integrated co-management system will protect the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all of our people. Our time has come. It is time for northerners to make our own decisions about our economy, our environment, and our society.
Devolution is critical to the long-term well-being and prosperity of the people of the Northwest Territories and of Canada. The Government of the Northwest Territories supports the timely passage of this bill.
Thank you.
