Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of the wind turbines is one that we’ve been watching as the discussions have been ongoing about purchasing power back through to the Power Corporation. We will continue to monitor that. If the requirement is if there’s call about providing additional information, we will commit to doing that and see what we can do to help have all the appropriate information so that the community can make the right decision. Thank you.

We do, indeed, want to receive feedback from the constituents of the Northwest Territories on our program delivery, whether it be medical travel, student financial assistance, transportation, licensing and so on. There are so many areas we are involved in that, it is difficult to keep the pulse on all of it all the time. That’s why it’s important that we look at how we deliver that program or the many programs we’re involved with, and that is why, through our Strategic Initiative committee Refocusing Government, we’ve started a program so far, as well as Public Works and the Minister of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That does get into the AIP itself. We’re waiting for the response from the chief negotiators’ letter that went to the aboriginal governments and their representatives to provide a response that would see them continue in those discussions. As I was saying earlier, there is a process in that agreement that has bilaterals, and that subject matter would be discussed through those processes.

The process, the questions that were raised in there at one time or another have been discussed and some of these are the fact that they will fall into the bilateral discussions we will have government to government between the GNWT and aboriginal governments. So that’s the process that it would fall under and it would be addressed through that manner. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Liquor Act to add a provision authorizing an inspector or a peace officer to seize and remove anything referred to in a warrant for the search of a dwelling-house. The use of force will not be permitted in searching a dwelling-house unless specifically authorized in the warrant. Minor amendments are also made to ensure consistency of terminology.

Once again, we are awaiting the response from the chief negotiators’ letter to the regional governments, aboriginal governments and organizations to seek their continued involvement in the final phase of negotiations. At that point there will be a decision as to whether there’s a go forward. So this is all hypothetical about what may or may not happen. We’re waiting and we’re honouring the process and waiting for the response of the regional organizations and governments. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been no decision on our part to exclude anyone. In fact, the process that we’ve entered into through the regional leaders table is to set up a regional leaders table specifically. So the Sahtu has been included. We don’t go to the Sahtu to say how they then work from the region down to their community levels, like we don’t do with the Gwich’in or the Inuvialuit or the Dehcho or any of the groups. We worked at that table to have the regional leaders bring their issues to the table.

This agreement that is out there has been worked on since 2001. We realize that...

Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned earlier during our process, the program review office, we have begun that task of looking at specific program areas. As we get through the initial work of that group, we will go to committee and ask for additional information where we can target certain areas as well. That is one of the avenues we could do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we go through our process of budgeting and business plan development throughout departments and we go through a process of receiving feedback, we try to address the concerns that come up on areas of shortfall or requests for change in that planning, and we’d be prepared to do the same if Members and committees were to recommend some changes or development of new initiatives within our processes. The area of the ombudsman has not been a part of Executive’s business plan. I know it’s come up in discussion with a number of departments but, again, we haven’t had a formal...

In fact, through this process we have looked closely at the Yukon agreement and that process, and have ensured and worked at the table with the aboriginal governments and representatives on ensuring that this process we’re involved with to a much greater extent involves aboriginal governments in the future of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.