Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess the main change is that the Government of the Northwest Territories is now responsible for management of Crown lands, which formerly was under the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada. That will take effect on the transfer date of April 1, 2014, but through you, Mr. Chair, I will ask Mr. Goldney to go into more detail.

That’s all part of doing business. We have to get the money for houses first. In the past, every time we talked about decentralization, we said, well, we don’t have housing in the communities, we don’t have office space, so we can’t have decentralization. What we’re saying now is we’re not going to hide behind those standards of lack of housing, lack of office space. We’re going to have a plan that will tell you where we’re going to build those houses, and we’ll be able to tell you what positions and programs will be decentralized. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is no provision for cost of living increases. It’s approved on an annual basis.

Those positions were already in Yellowknife, so that’s why they’re here. The federal government, in negotiating the Devolution Agreement, required that those positions would have to stay where they are for at least two years, so that was the deal.

Now, as part of the business planning process going forward, we expect to have a plan within the next six months. Through the business planning process, we will identify what positions and where they will go. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Chair, I think there’s another section coming up that provides for it, but as far as the position, it was already dealt with, but I will leave it to you, Mr. Chair, to make the determination.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Member based his case on Thursday about the fact on how we did not raise it at the earliest opportunity. He just stated that he stands by his comments and that he waited until he read Hansard before he raised it, so I’m wondering what side of the argument he’s taking.

He’s also said that he stands by his remarks. So, I think I was justified in saying that for the Member to suggest that because in previous rulings the Speaker said he didn’t raise it at the first opportunity, it was not a point of order. I think rather than addressing comments where he was calling...

As we are in the process of starting to proceed with phase 3 of decentralization, as part of that we can look at it. In the past it was deemed more effective and efficient to keep the Department of Aboriginal Affairs’ positions here in Yellowknife because it’s a very small department. We need to make sure we’re well coordinated. We also have to share very limited resources. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are five vacant positions as of October 31st. Since that time we have staffed all of them except for one, which there is a job offer in progress, and another that is staffed on an acting basis. So, we’re pleased to say that we’ve staffed all five. Thank you.

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

I think, as a government, we see land use plans as the way of the future and we are certainly supportive and we would like to get the land use planning process in the Dehcho moving forward. On every occasion I have asked the federal minister to appoint a federal member to the land use planning process and also to identify a Minister’s special representative to that negotiating process, and also I have facilitated, whenever it was possible, for the Minister and the grand chief to get together, although obviously, the grand chief has been able to make his own arrangements with the federal...