Natural Resources Committee on Nov. 2nd, 2011

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

On June 9, 2009, the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development heard from Neil McCrank. He came before the committee as an individual. The report he presented suggested steps for simplifying regulations, especially in order to facilitate obtaining an operating licence.

Mr. McCrank also recommended—and this is important for my questions that will follow—that the MacKenzie Valley Land and Water Board be the sole authority in charge of decisions. According to him, that would put an end to there being different regional boards, including those in Sahtu, Wek'eezhii and Gwich'in.

In the 2009 annual report by the Mining Association of Canada, the section on the diamond committee says the following:In October 2009 Minister Chuck Strahl referred to the creation of the new Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and the Northern Projects Management Office as the department’s main initiatives so far. However, as important as these new agencies are, neither has the mandate or the resources to implement the major components of the McCrank report.

It can therefore be concluded that the Canadian Mining Association would go ahead with that recommendation.

However, several aboriginal chiefs spoke out against the idea of restructuring proposed in the report. They pointed out that land and water boards in Sahtu, Wek'eezhii and Gwich'in, in the Northwest Territories, are protected by land claims agreements, so as to ensure that aboriginals can keep control of their land.

Mr. Gratton, does your association worry that this disagreement with aboriginals will cause problems? Could those problems affect mining projects?

Mr. Hart, what would be the potential consequences of those agreement problems between the organizations and the aboriginal groups?

[Rick Meyers]

First of all, the Mining Association, in collaboration with the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, was consulted and had some input when Mr. McCrank was carrying out his study, and ultimately when he produced his report.

We supported most of the recommendations because they pointed towards streamlining the regulatory process, but the fact that he talked about restructuring boards took us a little bit by surprise. We really didn't expect that to happen. In fact, I was at a meeting last week in Yellowknife that was held by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, looking at the possibility of making some amendments to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. The restructuring you're referring to would come under that legislation.

If you had asked us 10 years ago whether we thought the boards needed restructuring and other streamlining, if you like, we would have said yes. But in the last decade or so, the boards have taken a much more professional approach. They've improved their capacity technically and professionally; they've developed environmental policies and guidelines for industry that have helped industry; and they've worked with industry, government, and the aboriginal groups. And you understand that the boards have been established out of land claims agreements. We understand that.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

So, you agree that land and water boards would be protected under land claim agreements.

Do you agree with the aboriginal chiefs on that matter?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

It will have to be a very brief answer.

[Rick Meyers]

We agree that the land claims and what has come out in the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act is fundamental to the land claims agreements. Yes, we do.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you, Mr. Lapointe.

Thank you all for coming here today and giving us information that is very helpful to our study. Mr. Hart, with MiningWatch Canada, and Mr. Gratton and Mr. Meyers, from the Mining Association of Canada, thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.