Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the implementation process is one where once an agreement is signed, then each party then establishes or puts their folks on the implementation committee. From the information I have, there are three meetings a year set out and those are usually established in the agreement initially; how often they would meet and so on. So there are three meetings per year and outstanding issues are addressed through that if there are issues that come forward. They could be specifically identified, for example, if the area of responsibility lies within the federal...

Mr. Chairman, that is one of the areas that would find itself under the eligible criteria, organizational development costs, for example, in governance costs. So that would help in that management side of it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Member. He is consistent on this issue. The Member is right; on an annual basis, core funding is provided to Metis organizations that are eligible for $13,235 and the total amount we have set aside is in the neighbourhood of $225,000. What Metis organizations need to do is to qualify for that by having their registries in good standing. That’s the only requirement we have. We’ve been working with the NWT Metis in this area. We’ve had discussions. It hasn’t progressed at this point, but we’ve had discussions that they may be interested in taking over the...

It sounds like an easy question to ask, but it is a rather loaded one when you look at the complexities and the environment we work at here in the Northwest Territories. Previous Governments of the Northwest Territories have worked with the federal government and Indian and Northern Affairs and Development Canada to come up with a position that… No one has a veto, but we fully recognize, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, we need to work in partnership with our aboriginal groups in the North to come up with the best plan for ourselves. That is ourselves as the North. Thank you.

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. 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.

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.

As I’ve stated, with that briefing to committee, the information that we’ll be able to share on timelines, if that is one of the things we need to nail down is that process and information available to share at that time, I’m sure the Ministers will be prepared to do that.

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.