Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Dec. 10th, 2013

[Alison Lobsinger]

I think the first point I would want to make is that there are many federal ministers with jurisdiction for developments, not just the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. There's the Minister of the Environment, and the Minister of Natural Resources Canada, for example. Those ministers are all represented at the table in the decision-making process.

The Government of the Northwest Territories will be taking on a more significant role post-devolution. If you look at chapter 3.17 of the devolution agreement, it sets out various delegations from the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs to the Government of the Northwest Territories with respect to environmental assessment. That includes receipt of environmental assessment reports from the MVRB, participation in the decision, and then distribution of the decision, which is an acknowledgement of the bigger role that the Government of the Northwest Territories will be playing for developments on lands they will be responsible for.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Are there any provisions in this act such that there needs to be a consensus arrangement between the minister and the Government of the Northwest Territories with regard to the policy directions the minister is applying to these boards?

[Tara Shannon]

The minister would be required to consult with the Government of the Northwest Territories and with the boards themselves—and in the case of the Tlicho, with the Tlicho—before issuing policy direction.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

It doesn't say that in the legislation though.

[Tara Shannon]

Sorry, I have just been corrected. He does not have to consult with the Government of the Northwest Territories. It's not in the legislation itself. However, it's a matter of good government practice for the minister to consult with his territorial counterpart.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

The law is one thing; practice is another, Mr. Chair. I think the witnesses have to make that separation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Mr. Bevington, you have an answer. I think if you propose an amendment that will be discussed at a different time. There would be other witnesses who would answer.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Thanks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Thank you.

Ms. Hughes.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Just briefly, through you, Mr. Chair, regarding the information that was provided with respect to some of the sites that need to be cleaned up, I'm wondering if you could ask the witnesses to table—not right now if there's not enough time—exactly how many sites...and I think you may have mentioned that—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Actually you have this.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Is there a list of what the contaminants are and how much it costs to clean those sites? If there's a schedule to get them done, that would be of interest.

Could you also ask them why the Mackenzie Valley piece was put into the devolution agreement? Because initially they weren't together. What was the reasoning for that? Was it a condition of it having to move forward? Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Thank you.

I think the second question is absolutely one that would be directed to the minister. That was a question that the minister did answer.

In terms of the inventory of sites, schedule 7 actually has a listing of those sites, so you can look at those in schedule 7.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

But there was additional information I was requesting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

If you're looking for a list of the contaminants, I'm not sure that one is available. However, it—

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

It must be available.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

—isn't something that would necessarily pertain to this legislation, but I'm certain that if it's available, they'll make it available to us. We'll probably have the officials back. I assume the committee would like to have the officials back when we move to clause-by-clause. So if there is additional information required at that time, I'm certain the officials will be able to answer.

Folks, we want to thank you for being here. We certainly appreciate that this is a very busy time for you as you're moving into the next stages of this legislation. We know you've done a lot of work to get to this point and we congratulate you for that. Thank you for being here.

Committee members, we will now adjourn, and the subcommittee will follow almost immediately.

Oh, pardon me. We do have some committee business. We'll allow our witnesses to go and we'll have everyone hold here.

So I'll simply suspend, and we'll go in camera, deal with that, and then go into subcommittee.

[Proceedings continue in camera]