Mr. Speaker, I first of all thank my colleague for his speech.
My first comment is that I am sure he did not read the bill. He is talking about the criteria for naming the people to the board. There is just one criteria for naming people to boards, and that is competence. I hope by raising this question in the House he does not feel it means the First Nations are not competent.
Second, the member talks about court, about delay and about frustration. We are just replacing what we are doing now. We are devolving. We are giving back to the people living in the Mackenzie Valley what they should have had long ago.
The member said that the boards are not integrated. It is totally the opposite. This system is integrated because the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board will end those issues relating to the valley. It is integrated, totally integrated. One thing is that the GNWT supports this bill because it is integrated valley wide. It is for the people living there.
My question is quite simple. Why does the member of the Reform Party want to impose her view and not take into consideration the remarks, the views of the people, the wishes of the people living in that area?
We told that to the premier of the Northwest Territories and he agreed. The bands living there agree. The minister of renewable resources agrees. The people and the Government of the Northwest Territories agree.
Why does the member not take this into consideration? Why does she always want to impose her view and not take the views of the First Nations?