Floyd Roland

Yes, Mr. Chairman. The 2011-2012 main estimates for the Department of Executive. The goals for the Department of Executive are centred on our role in ensuring effective coordination of government activities, supporting informed decision-making related to policies and programming, and coordinating implementation of strategic initiatives that advance priorities of the 16th Legislative Assembly.

The overall proposed budget for the department is $15.07 million for 2011-2012, which is an increase of $764,000, or 5.3 percent, from the 2010-2011 main estimates. The overall increase since the last...

Thank you. Again, the current services available are still there in the interim until we find out the funding and the funding levels that will flow out of the federal budget. Again, in the interim, the victims services are available out of the Inuvik office. Thank you.

Thank you. The review that’s ongoing and the funds that flowed affected a number of communities around the Northwest Territories, and again, the work that’s been going on to seek a renewal from the federal government, we’re expecting a decision on that in the near future and I believe it’s tied to the federal budget process. Thank you.

Thank you. My understanding is the Victim Services Program is delivered in the Nunakput region tied to the Inuvik office. There are three positions; two out of Inuvik and one part-time out of Paulatuk. The work that’s ongoing to renew the funding at this point, the victims can access a support through the Inuvik office in the interim. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m informed that the victims services work that was done was in conjunction with federal funding that is due to lapse, but the Department of Justice and the Minister have been working with the agencies to seek a renewal of that funding. Thank you.

We do have a policy within the Government of the Northwest Territories on consultation. All departments have that and we ensure that we work with departments in fulfilling our commitments. As well, this Assembly has a process of doing that. Once legislation is introduced, there is a whole different forum for public consultation on that and bringing the bills back to this Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories does have a consultation package in place. We worked through in Intergovernmental Affairs and the intergovernmental group as well as Aboriginal Affairs and Executive and Justice to look at a number of agreements around the country to inform all departments of our consultation requirements for our policies and legislation. Thank you.

Well, how to put this in a way that is respectful of all the processes that we’ve been a part of since 2001 when the discussion of devolution began to take hold through the Intergovernmental Forum. Through that time since 2002 from a framework to where we are today between the federal government and ourselves, we’ve put almost, I think, I’ll have to get the accurate figure but I know we’ve put, between the federal government and ourselves, almost $8 million on the table to work with the groups around the agreement-in-principle. I’ll get the accurate information from a GNWT perspective.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of the agreement-in-principle and trying to get the information out on top of the years of discussions around the negotiation of the agreement-in-principle piece we’ve looked at and sent letters out to the regional leadership and invited them to contact us to go over the agreement-in-principle and the issues they may have out of that and look at sharing in the funding of those meetings.

We do have staff throughout a number of departments, Executive, we do have people who share the workload and help us in dealing with the issue of gender-based analysis.