Devolution debate starts N.W.T. winter session

Northwest Territories Premier Floyd Roland's controversial signing of a devolution deal with the federal government dominated the first day of the legislature's winter session in Yellowknife.

The premier barely got to sit down during the session's first question period Wednesday afternoon, as one MLA after another challenged him to explain how he plans to include aboriginal groups in devolution talks.

The agreement, which Roland signed with federal Indian and Northern Affairs Minister John Duncan on Jan. 26, puts the N.W.T. on track to gain control over Crown lands and resources.

However, most of the territory's aboriginal leaders have opposed the agreement. Some have said it does not provide a big enough share of resource royalties, while others fear their own land claim and self-government negotiations may be jeopardized.

In the legislature, Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley noted that at last week's signing ceremony, Roland was joined by only two of the seven aboriginal groups that were asked to sign the agreement.

Premier 'looked awfully lonely': MLA

"The premier looked awfully lonely, flanked by only two of the seven aboriginal government leaders who are necessary partners in this deal," Bromley said Wednesday.

"We all heard the premier's invitation to aboriginal governments to sign on as partners," Bromley added. "Unfortunately, we also heard that the federal minister responsible for aboriginal people refused to meet with those very same leaders who want their concerns heard before becoming a part of this deal."

Bromley asked Roland to explain "why he agreed to be the 'one-stop shop' for N.W.T. aboriginal concerns on constitutional development and resource management" and elaborate on how he expected aboriginal leaders to go along with the devolution deal.

Roland said he is currently drafting a letter to aboriginal leaders, asking them to meet. He said he hopes to have those leaders on board for a final devolution deal.

"The big question is how we bring the folks back to the table for meaningful involvement in helping set the course of the next months, years of discussion to a final agreement stage," Roland said in the legislature.

Roland said despite the concerns raised by aboriginal leaders, the devolution agreement-in-principle will not affect land claims or aboriginal rights.

Roland said government officials are working on a plain-language summary of the agreement-in-principle that will be sent to every household in the N.W.T.

Budget to be tabled Thursday

Devolution is one of numerous topics MLAs are expected to debate in the six-week winter session, in which the territorial budget will also be tabled.

The budget, which Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger will hand down on Thursday, will be the last budget from the N.W.T.'s 16th legislative assembly.

With a territorial election set for October, this session could also be the last chance MLAs in the assembly have to honour the commitments they made after the last election in 2007.

"We've got to do something to help reign in some costs on health care and create some efficiencies there," Yellowknife Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy told CBC News on Tuesday.

"Those things don't go away because it's an election year. I mean, those things are still things that we need to work on."

Abernethy said he and other non-cabinet MLAs want the territorial budget increase to be limited to three per cent, which is less than in previous years.

"We got to think about the fiscal position of the government," he said. "We don't want to be putting the the 17th assembly in financial harm's way."

N.W.T. MLAs are also expected to debate some proposed legislative changes, such as updates to the Dog Act and a new Wildlife Act.

As well, federal Auditor General Sheila Fraser is expected to release her audit of the controversial Deh Cho Bridge project during the current session.