Floyd Roland

Mr. Chairman, that direct question hasn’t been put to the organizations, but through just the negotiation process there are different avenues taken at times when it’s felt that negotiations have gone as far as they can and then it’s time for the political masters to sit in a room and iron out the rest of the process and details. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the National Aboriginal Summit was because under the Executive we have the native women’s and our women’s groups and support through the Department of Executive. An agreement was entered into to host a second conference. The contract, as highlighted, would have been for the whole series of meals provided through that conference. It wasn’t just one or two meals, but it wrapped up with a feast. So it was, I believe, in total would have been about three days for arrivals and then departures and supporting that conference. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have had no one from the public contact me or my office specifically; the issue has come from the Assembly here. We continue to use the policies that are in place. Any change in policy, we have a process where we go back to Members of the Assembly. If there’s a request by committee to look at that, we’ll take a look at that, as I responded earlier in an earlier question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome Ms. Weslosky to the House. Ms. Weslosky is the executive producer of CNBC weblog DealFlow that has a viewership of 88 million people. She is in the capital working on a series which will focus on the aboriginal business partnerships. She is joined by Mr. David Connelly, president of Ile Royale Inc., a management consultancy firm in Yellowknife. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is NWT Day at the Vancouver Olympics and the beginning of Northern Weekend. It will also mark the culmination of our participation and investment as a government in these Winter Games.

Our goal was to build an awareness of our NWT identity, to encourage healthy choices among our people and to promote and advance the development of a diversified economy. We wanted Canada and the world to know that the Northwest Territories is a dynamic Territory with immense economic potential, diverse cultures, world-class art and fine crafts, unique tourism...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The question about the Taltson River hydroelectric facility, the project, as it is right now, has gone through its environmental work, the regulatory piece. In fact, they’re looking at the transmission line and adjustment there. The work around the partnership agreement as well as the power purchase agreements is ongoing. The work that is involved in this, as Members are aware, is taking quite some time to come up with the project as it is. We have entered in and are working on a partnership with, as Members are aware, Deze with the NWT Metis and the Akaitcho, as well...

We’ll be able to put a package together on the timelines and commitments that are required of everybody that stepped into this process and will be able to do that with committee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Ministers responsible for this area are working to secure time with the committee to go over the process that we’re involved with and the steps that we’ll be required to take. We’ll get that meeting together and we can talk about the process forward.

One of the main reasons to get together with members of committees with ourselves is to clearly establish the process forward with information that can be shared. Those type of commitments, input into how we go forward in developing our responses and those areas where we’re, as well, not just solely responsible for area but where other governments are involved. We’ll have to establish that. I understand that we’ll have both a law clerk as well as a justice to help us navigate those waters.