Dehcho Grand Chief hopeful for change under Liberal minority government

Dehcho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian struck a hopeful note on Tuesday after Canada elected a Liberal minority government and the Northwest Territories chose Liberal Rebecca Alty to be its next MP.

Norwegian said N.W.T.-born prime minister Mark Carney’s victory speech touched on the themes of humility, sharing, and the importance of working with First Nations.

“I am hoping that now we can start getting back to work and start doing the things that are important to our people,” Norwegian told Cabin Radio.

He believes the new government will succeed in addressing urgent matters affecting the Dehcho. To Norwegian, getting that done can be more challenging under a majority government than when a minority government is in power.

“Things haven’t really changed and I thought that was good because now with the Dehcho, the stuff that we’re doing here, we need to move some big-ticket items really quickly,” he said.

At a Yellowknife https://cabinradio.ca/233630/news/politics/premier-dehcho-leaders-discuss-land-claim-and-community-safety/ meeting with Premier R.J. Simpson last week, Norwegian said he wanted the federal government to speed up the Dehcho Process.

Speaking with Cabin Radio, Norwegian reiterated that negotiators get only roughly 21 days a year to sit down and negotiate. He wants the new government to change that.

“If we can get at least two weeks at a time to just sit down with these guys and hammer at it, that’s where we need to go with this. We need to have them spend more time at the table,” he said.

“We’re a corridor community. We need to get a good agreement so things can open up for the rest of the North. I think that’s a big one for us.”

N.W.T. priorities on national agenda

Both the Liberals and Conservatives devoted parts of their election campaign to mapping out how they’ll approach Arctic sovereignty and increase defence spending in the North.

While campaigning, Mark Carney pledged to make investments in the Canadian Armed Forces, improve defence procurement, invest in new submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy as well as additional heavy icebreakers, and give the Canadian Coast guard a new mandate and equipment to conduct maritime surveillance operations, among other measures to “secure Canadian sovereignty.”

Canada’s military has said investment in northern defence would come with infrastructure spending designed to benefit communities, too.

As a result, Sahtu leaders have characterized the Mackenzie Valley Highway – a proposed all-season road connecting the region to the south – as a project that can benefit Arctic sovereignty while reducing costs for communities that don’t currently have a year-round road.

Ahead of another uncertain barging season, Sahtu MLA Danny McNeely said the Mackenzie Valley Highway tops the region’s list of priorities. He believes all candidates understood the need to push for the highway to be built.

McNeely said he looks forward to working with Alty on other pressing issues affecting the Sahtu like drugs, addiction and a lack of access to aftercare.

“It’s just a matter of getting our priorities put on the forefront of the national agenda,” he said.

Mayor of Inuvik Peter Clarkson said the territory may benefit from having a representative from a party that has formed government. He said that can give better access to the prime minister.

Clarkson said housing, cost of living, Arctic security, and tackling crime in the communities are some of the main issues that need to be immediately dealt with.

“I don’t know any community right now where housing isn’t an issue,” he said.

“I think with the Yukon and the N.W.T. electing Liberal MPs, hopefully we have enough say in Ottawa … You hope that there’s enough interest from the prime minister and all the ministers that the Arctic is still a priority for people.”

‘The message is very clear’

Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart, a Liberal who https://edgenorth.ca/article/kieron-testart-withdraws-from-liberal-nomination-race/ sought to become the party’s N.W.T. candidate in 2015 before withdrawing, said the party had “without a doubt” shown its investment and interest in the people of the territory.

Testart wants the federal government to work in collaboration with the opposition to ensure Canada’s sovereignty is protected by “taking down trade barriers, building homes and bringing economic growth back to the country.”

“Some people want to say that the country is divided after last night. I don’t see that,” he said.

“I think the message is very clear. We all stand united as Canadians for Canada – and Canadians were choosing the best.”

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins said he will make every effort to draw Alty’s attention to the Slave Geological Province highway, Taltson hydro expansion, regulatory issues around mining and the Mackenzie Valley Highway.

“It’s not that healthcare and addictions and justice issues don’t matter. They do. But our economy is on the ropes, as they say,” said Hawkins.

“We need the extra support and focus from the federal government to help process what we need to do, focus where we need to go and certainly in the sense of engagement for getting things done.

“Regardless of how people voted, we have to find a way to get behind our current member – because we only have one member of Parliament – and find a way to get the most for all northerners, and we can only do this working together.”

Related stories from around the North: 

Canada: Will Carney win bring new investment, security to North, or more of the same?, Eye on the Arctic