Madame Speaker, today I am pleased to announce the membership of the Round Table on Land Use and Stewardship. The establishment of the Round Table, under the Chairmanship of Elmer MacDonald, was announced in the Speech from the Throne. I had the opportunity to attend the first meeting yesterday morning and I am proud and pleased with the knowledge, experience and dedication of the people who have agreed to serve as members of this important new initiative.
The members of the Round Table represent a broad cross-section of our Province. They represent the agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and tourism industries; municipalities, environmental interests and rural non-farm residents. They bring a variety of perspectives on how our land resources can best be used to contribute to our economy.
The members of the Round Table who will be joining Mr. MacDonald are as follows:
Barry Cudmore; Brackley; Rena Thompson, Dunstaffnage, Darlene Arsenault, Wellington; Elwood Ching, Souris; David Harris, Springfield West; Ian Dennison, Victoria and Arnold Croken, Georgetown Timber; Gary Schneider, Cardigan; Faye Pound, Summerside; Todd Dupuis, Charlottetown; Daphne MacAdam, Morell; Willard MacPhail, Cornwall; Jane Brewster, Sherwood; and Denny Hopping, Hamilton.
Madame Speaker, the Round Table is being asked to come up with a strategy to ensure that our most important natural resource - the land - can be used in a sustainable manner in such a way that it can best contribute to our economic growth. Our land resources are both finite and fragile, and as you are well aware, they are coming under increasing pressure.
At the same time, they are fundamental to the future wealth and prosperity of our Province, and that means we must develop an overall strategy to make certain they are being used in the most productive manner.
My colleagues and I see the Round Table as one of the most important and significant undertakings of this Government. Because our land is so important, because it's use so affects every Islander and because it so much defines this Province and its people, decisions about the future of the land will in a very real sense determine the future of our Province.
The members of the Round Table have been given a major challenge, and the results of their efforts will have major and long-lasting implications for all Islanders.
Ever since this Province was first settled, land issues have preoccupied every generation of Islanders. Issues of land ownership, issues of non-resident ownership, issues of individual versus community property rights, issues of land use have been difficult, if not impossible, to resolve. It is perhaps fair to suggest that land issues have been, and remain, one of the most intractable issues of public policy facing Islanders. The fact that so many of these issues remain unresolved is evidence of the difficulty surrounding them.
I do believe, however, there is a growing recognition - perhaps even an emerging consensus - of the need and importance of dealing with these issues. Quite simply, they are too important, and we ignore them at our peril. As the Royal Commission of the Land suggested, there is "Everything Before Us."
We cannot afford to make decisions about our land resources which will be, in many cases, irrevocable, and which can threaten the very future of this Province. Good stewardship of our land resources must be a priority for present and future generations.
The establishment of this Round Table demonstrates the commitment of Government to the development of a strategy on sustainable land use. We recognize the fact that if our Province is to become more self-reliant and self-sustaining, we need to make the best economic use of our resources. Our primary industries have enormous potential and the achievement of that potential is firmly rooted in making the best use of our land.
There have been some criticisms directed against the establishment of this Round Table. Let me assure you that, notwithstanding those comments, we attach upmost importance to its work. We are serious, we mean business and we look forward to getting on with this major initiative.
I'm not going to belabour the points about "Why a Round Table?" or "Wasn't this done before" or "Why not just implement the Royal Commission report?" but, I believe it's important for all members of the Legislative Assembly to be clear on this.
First, the Royal Commission was a commission. It heard, and it listened, to many, many submissions about a wide variety of land issues in this Province - including resource land use. There were many contrasting and conflicting points of view, and there was little opportunity for dialogue.
While some recommendations regarding land use were made, there was no comprehensive research or evaluation of the solutions among those involved.
Secondly, implementing a series of laws and regulations regarding land use without agreeing, as Islanders, on what our goals are, specifically, and what are the best means to achieve them, would result in a sure failure. Laws and regulation should be statements of the accepted norms and values of a society. If they do not reflect a consensus, they cannot be enforced effectively.
I have no sense that we have an agreement on what the accepted norms and values are with respect to land use. I also suspect that in many cases we are not even close to an agreement about what may constitute a problem, let alone a solution. That's why we established this Round Table.
And third, I believe I reflect the views of my colleagues in Government when I say that if landowners and land users in our Province accept their responsibilities with respect to land use and stewardship, and maintain acceptable results in those areas, then they should retain the authority to make land use decisions.
This Round Table can be most effective if it can define and develop, in a quantifiable way, the standards we want to achieve with respect to resource land use.
So it's an education process, a growing process, a negotiation process, an ideas process, a process to which all members of the Round Table are looking forward.
Although it has been given a broad mandate, and a huge challenge, I am very confident about the success of the Round Table.
I do not underestimate the difficulties, but at the same time I do not overstate the importance of getting the kinds of results we need. I am certain that in the course of its deliberations and discussions that a consensus will emerge.
As a Government, we have deliberately left decisions about the nature and scope of its work for the members of the Round Table themselves to decide. We have given them a free hand because we believe it is important that this process be as open and wide-ranging as possible. We also believe it is important that they be able to proceed with their work without constraints or pre-conceived expectations.
Again, I want to thank the members of the Round Table for agreeing to serve on this most important initiative. I have every confidence the Round Table will provide a strategy which will guide the future of land and the economy of our Province.