Floyd Roland

Mr. Speaker, I think this is a prime example of what happens when the authorities for decisions of land and environment and resources are made in other capitals across this country and being the capital of Canada. This is a prime example of what happens when you don’t have authority to make decisions. In fact, through this process for 12 years, the GNWT has been working alongside our aboriginal partners. In fact, it put resources on the table to help with these areas. Again, it came as quite a surprise to us that the announcement was made that they are withdrawing from them. The letter has...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No doubt, as the Premier of the Northwest Territories, as the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, yes, I know just exactly how important this agreement is to the Northwest Territories, to the GNWT, to aboriginal governments and to the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government has worked alongside of aboriginal groups when it comes to the Protected Areas Strategy, the interim measures agreements that are put in place and working towards bringing those to successful conclusion. It came as quite a surprise, a shock, that it was announced that the measures were being withdrawn and, in fact, it was shortly after that that the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger, was directed to write a letter to the Minister of INAC in the response and concern to extend that agreement so that it would remain in place...

Mr. Speaker, I think the Member is probing to see if I will give him information as to what might become a response to a question, or an issue that may get raised this evening or as we go forward into making a decision on this AIP as the GNWT. The simple fact, again, of honouring the process, wanting to sit down with the regional leadership and hear from them directly on some of the major issues, what can we address through an AIP and what is more important, I guess, addressed through the self-government process. Again, the AIP is a devolution of authorities over public lands. It is Crown...

I’m aware in communities and trying to strengthen the role of the volunteer organizations and those organizations serving our communities in a very, I guess it would be a supportive capacity. I know the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is working through the Volunteer Organization Development Contribution Policy. As well, we continue to do, through MACA, the Outstanding Volunteer Awards Program that they continue to help.

I know that there has been call for establishing of an office within Executive. We have not been able to get there at this point, as we have gone through our business planning to look at what options are there. I’d have to get back to see what the request was from committee in this area and then be able to provide a better response.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess we need some clarification on this. We have a couple of areas we work in that we would determine, and through the Executive, the NGO, non-government organizations who deliver programs through department initiatives, and then we have the volunteer sector that the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs is involved in.

On the NGO side, the funding stabilization side, multi-year funding process, that work has been ongoing and we have put in a funding package to try to help stabilize on the NGO side. Thank you.

As I’ve said many times, any new initiatives that we would look at putting in place or expanding the role of within departments, we go through our business planning process and look to Members when they make recommendations on any potential changes or new initiatives we’d like to see put in our business plan. So for us, we look at key areas during the budget development process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Letter of Instruction to Commissioner George Tuccaro. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The agreement-in-principle that is before the regional leadership for their comment and feedback as well as that is before the federal government and ourselves, allows for that government-to-government bilateral process to proceed once an agreement is signed. There is a process built in to have the bilaterals with each group as we progress, if that is the decision made.