Question Period Note: Nunavut Devolution

•Devolution is a long-standing federal policy objective which seeks to ensure greater local control and accountability for decisions.

•The Government of Canada, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. continue to negotiate towards a final Nunavut Land and Resources Devolution Agreement targeted for completion in 2023.

•The Government of Canada remains committed to working with the interested partners to support the people of Nunavut to make decisions over land and resources that affect their communities, culture, and well-being.

BACKGROUND
The devolution of province-like responsibilities to the territories is a long-standing federal policy objective. It seeks to ensure greater local control and accountability for decisions, and helps facilitate Crown reconciliation with northern Indigenous peoples. Nunavut is the last jurisdiction in the country remaining without responsibilities for public lands and resources. The Parties negotiating this transfer are the Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and the Government of Canada.
Under the current Chief Federal Negotiator, Mr. Fred Caron, an Agreement-in-Principle was signed on August 15, 2019. The Agreement-in-Principle commits the Parties to develop a Transitional Human Resources Development Strategy, which was made available to the public on September 23, 2020. . The Strategy objectives are to support capacity development within the Government of Nunavut, ensuring a viable workforce on the transfer date when devolution will take effect.
Negotiations on a Final Agreement are ongoing and targeted for completion in 2023. The details of negotiations remain confidential until a Final Agreement has been reached. Negotiations on offshore oil and gas will begin after the Final Agreement will be signed.
Departmental officials are consulting with Indigenous groups as part of Canada's Section 35 legal obligations throughout the Nunavut Devolution Final Agreement negotiations. Consultation Protocols with the Ghotelnene K’odtineh Dene and Athabasca Dene were signed on April 22, 2021, which sets out the process of consultation and possible accommodation between Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene/ Athabasca Denesuline and Canada, related to the proposed Final Agreement and potential impacts to the Indigenous groups’ rights. Consultations between Canada and the remaining 11 Indigenous groups that have asserted or established Aboriginal or treaty rights in Nunavut began in January 2022.

If pressed on legislative authorities

• Nunavut is the last jurisdiction in the country remaining without responsibilities for public lands and resources.

• The Government of Canada is currently negotiating Nunavut devolution which will include legislative amendments so that the authorities and self-determination of lands and resources fall under the purview of the Government of Nunavut.

If pressed on reconciliation

• Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated is engaged as a negotiation party to represent the priority interests of Inuit in the territory.

• Section 35 consultations with Indigenous partners with asserted or established Aboriginal or treaty rights within Nunavut continue to inform this process.