Good morning, I am, pleased to be here to speak to you today. I was wondering what kind of turnout we’d get this morning, as we’ve been to Inuvik several times lately, most notably for the signing of the final Devolution Agreement last June. I was also here last January with the Prime Minister to mark the beginning of construction for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway. It’s nice to see that you still want to hear me speak.
Our visits here reflect the importance of this community and this region to the Northwest Territories, particularly from an economic perspective. It also reflects the leadership this region has demonstrated in helping us advance initiatives – like devolution and the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway – that are laying the foundation for a prosperous and environmentally sustainable territory for generations to come.
A little over a month ago, the Northwest Territories underwent one of the most significant steps in its political evolution in decades. The devolution of responsibility for public lands, resources and water had been a priority of the Government and Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for many years. I am proud to say that I was part of the 17th Legislative Assembly that made it a reality.
I have said many times that the North is the future of Canada, that this century belongs to us. Canada’s relative economic performance has been the envy of the industrialized world for the past five years. What has been the basis – the foundation – of that strength? Natural resources, particularly energy and minerals.
I do not have to tell you that natural resources are something the Northwest Territories has in abundance. Nobody is better positioned to know what kind of potential this territory has than the people and businesses of Inuvik. The oil and gas reserves here in the Mackenzie Delta and Beaufort Sea, as well as the potentially world-class resources in the Sahtu and Dehcho, can help to fuel economic growth and prosperity here at home and outside our borders.
I also do not have to tell the people of Inuvik about the challenges we can face in trying to capitalize on that wealth. You have seen it firsthand. You know that we can not take economic growth for granted, that we have to work at it in a planned and sustainable way.
Transforming the potential of this region and this territory into prosperity for residents and businesses has been, and will continue to be, a major focus for this government. Gaining northern decision making authority over northern land, resources and waters will allow us to achieve this goal.
Northerners know this land and its resources best and want to enjoy the benefits of responsible balanced development. We do not want to see growth stifled and are tired of seeing our resources stranded. We want to put people to work and support the growth of a strong, diversified economy. Letting the people who live here and who stand to benefit make the decisions is one of the best ways to meet this goal. With new powers and new resources flowing from devolution we will be better placed than ever to support the long term economic growth and health of the territory. It also means that our government has the tools it needs to better manage the environment, ensuring that development decisions reflect northern priorities and values.
Aboriginal governments were important partners in helping us secure devolution and they will continue to be critical partners for the future. We welcome the opportunity to work more closely with them through the Intergovernmental Council as we collaborate to create benefits for all the people of the Northwest Territories.
For the business community, devolution means working with a local, more responsive government. It means a shared commitment to responsible development that creates local and territorial benefits and opportunities. It means faster decision making by people who know and understand the issues at play in our unique part of the world.
Decentralization is an important part of that. We want to support decision making that is informed by regional perspectives and that is why we are looking to build capacity in communities outside of Yellowknife. Inuvik is already benefitting from that with the recent move of Industry, Tourism and Investment’s Petroleum Resources office here. Our government will continue to look for ways to ensure that communities and regions across the Northwest Territories share the benefits of devolution and economic growth going forward.
Our approach to devolution was to devolve and evolve. We know there are still things to learn about the new programs and services we have taken responsibility for. We know that there will be future opportunities to refine and improve how we do things to better reflect Northern priorities and values.
One of the things we – and you – will have to learn is how to manage the relationship between government and industry. For many years the Government of the Northwest Territories has been an active and visible promoter of development in our territory. That has often included lending our voices in support of particular projects that we believed to be of potential benefit to the territory and its people.
That was an appropriate role for a government that did not carry the responsibility of decision making and regulatory authority. With devolution, our responsibilities have changed and so has our duty to the people of the Northwest Territories. As decision makers, we are now the stewards of the land and its resources, called upon to uphold the public interest in the development decisions we will be making. We have to respect that new role and ensure all our decisions are fair and unbiased and that the public has confidence in that fact.
That may mean some changes to how we do things together, but we continue to support responsible balanced development any less. We understand that resource development will continue to be a major component of our GDP and we will continue to support and encourage it and all sectors of our economy. Devolution was all about creating a positive environment for responsible balanced development that respects our land and environment and creates new benefits and opportunities for our people.
Devolution has been a long time coming and there have been challenges and difficulties along the way. But we kept the faith, convinced that bringing decision making authority home was critical for the future of this territory. I am pleased to say that we and our partners overcame those challenges together and devolution is here. Our future is bright and the opportunities for all of us to succeed are almost boundless.
The people of the Inuvik region have always been resourceful and creative. I know that if anybody can help us make this a prosperous, sustainable territory, it is you. I look forward to working with the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce and the people of this region to turn the potential we know the Northwest Territories has into prosperity that will benefit our territory for generations to come.
Thank you.