Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is an agreement to share these and an equal amount from the federal government. The reason it is as it is, is because we are just starting to re-engage, and if we do get to an agreement to fully engage on this, we would be coming forward with an offset, and if it were to kick in quicker than we think right now, we would come through, for example, a supplementary process and identify the matching dollars to the federal government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, joining me at the table is the deputy minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Ms. Gabriela Sparling; and to my right is Mr. Richard Robertson, director of policy and planning. Thank you.

No, Mr. Chairman. The Northern Leaders’ Forum or regional leaders are, in fact, through this process going to help us work together to come with a common vision and understanding of how we can proceed forward.

Before that it was table-by-table or negotiation process by negotiation process. With those groups that have settled claims and self-government, they have a different role and a clear understanding of their way forward. The areas that are in negotiations we’re concerned about. If they sided or did a devolution agreement, would that take away from what they were trying to negotiate? Again...

The record will show that we’re not waiting for a request to do anything about this. In fact, previous governments have been dealing with the issue of the high cost of living in our communities in quite a number of ways. You can look at almost every department within the Northwest Territories where we are taking initiatives to try to help with the cost of living. Whether that is a fuel subsidy for seniors, property tax issues for seniors or income support basket for residents, our housing program helps deal with that. This government itself is looking at alternative energies and investing the...

If I understand the question correctly, the work we’ve done around self-government financing in fact has shown and has been endorsed by the negotiators at the table that are involved in that to help them as we prepare our way forward, and then we’re working on trying to come up with a package of how we would advance this to the federal government. Ultimately, when it comes to the self-government financing, it is the fiduciary responsibility of the federal government. Although, for example, when an agreement is signed and it draws down a certain jurisdiction that we have as a GNWT, whether its...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In fact, it is to ensure there is an accurate count. We had a huge problem in 2001 with that census. We stepped up and did a similar exercise in the 2006 Census and it greatly increased the accuracy, and we are going to ensure that remains the same. The process is the hiring of local people, but they need to come in and do the training, as well, then back to those communities and at times we might have to cover off some of those communities as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present the 2010-2011 Main Estimates for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations.

The department, on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, is responsible for representing the interests of all NWT residents at aboriginal rights tables, and through our intergovernmental relations with aboriginal, provincial, federal and territorial governments.

The core business of the department directly supports the 16th Legislative Assembly’s goal of a strong and independent North built on partnerships. This is evidenced...

I’ll get the information we do have on file. I can’t commit to doing the next piece until we actually know what direction we’re going to take as northern leaders. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Jackson Lafferty will be absent from the House today to attend the federal/provincial/territorial Labour Ministers meeting in Ottawa.

I also wish to advise Members that the Honourable Bob McLeod will be absent from the House today to attend events related to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

I’ll use the regional leaders’ table to pose that type of a question if they want to take part in something like that, but we have to recognize, for example, that these negotiations start at a point, for example, a treaty that’s in place that is defined by the federal government and in their instance, and then defined by the aboriginal group that is negotiating at a different level. At times, there is just not going to be an easy solution, because it is negotiating what that agreement actually is as a starting point and then where it’s being pursued to in improving to a modern-day treaty, as...