Floyd Roland

Mr. Speaker, much of the work that we do do feeds the system that we operate under and that’s a budget system. So, as the Member stated, she’s aware of the budget process and has that information. Ongoing work in the Strategic Initiatives committees, there’s some of the program review areas that are still needing to be completed and done. So as I stated, I will get that information to the Member.

As well, the Member, in her Member’s statement, talked about it seems like we’ve slowed down, there’s nobody in the offices to do the work. Well, simply, the fact is that not all work gets done behind...

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of processes that we would inform the public for a change in direction that we would do. For example, we would incorporate many of our initiatives into the budget process. Members are aware that budget items that are brought forward feed that system. Our energy work that’s been done is fed through that system. The work that we have then approved as an Assembly gets put onto our website, either policy changes, program changes and updated in that manner as well. So we can look at how to expand that. But simply and first, those Strategic Initiatives committees are...

Thank you. The ongoing budget program initiatives of the Government of the Northwest Territories are something that we continue to do. The program review office has taken the initiative to look at those areas that we see the highest growth in as a Government of the Northwest Territories, it is reviewing that information. So the initial work had to be pooling the information together, then looking at it to see what those initiatives had accomplished and from there going forward. The initiatives underway, aside from the one that has been mentioned on the office review, is the work that is going...

Mr. Speaker, I am always prepared to update meetings we have had with federal Ministers on a whole number of issues that we have discussions on. As I said, this will be one of the areas. There is not much time to talk about it, but it is informing him of the steps we have taken. When we talk about what we have tried to do as the Government of the Northwest Territories through the Minister of ENR, his staff, it is to, again, put the conservation of the caribou first and foremost that we have caribou for the first generation. Let’s not lose sight of that. It is important we set up a process...

Mr. Speaker, we have these discussions as we go forward as the Government of the Northwest Territories in the 16th Legislative Assembly. We have shown, and I can show Members, the amount of times we have gone and met with aboriginal leadership across the Northwest Territories.

On the issue of caribou, we have agreements of co-management boards with the aboriginal leadership across the Territories that have settled areas that have co-management boards in place. The one place we don’t have is the area of the Akaitcho. That is an area where the Minister and the department have met with their...

Mr. Speaker, the program review office has not had an impact on this budget that the Finance Minister introduced yesterday. The work that the program review office is doing needs to go through the regular system. That is, once Refocusing Government committee has done their work, it will come to Cabinet. It will go to members of the standing committee. We will have some dialogue on that work and pick areas where we think we can get best results and do a finer focus so to say, Mr. Speaker. The one piece of work that has had an effect has been the general office space review and that work has...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the work that the program review office has identified and will feed through our system, and our system being that of our planning and financial work that we do in preparation for budgets, our program review and development as we look at those areas. So that work will be used by us as Members of the Legislative Assembly to look at how we can, and make sure that the dollars we used are being used most efficiently. The areas, the inventory that was being done have been our health care provisions, looking at our education, adult education and training, as well...

I would like to recognize two individuals in the gallery. First, the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council, Mr. Richard Nerysoo, as well as the president of the Northwest Territories Métis, Ms. Betty Villebrun.

Thank you. Instead of getting into, it’s a large volume of work and trying to respond in answer here, the Minister has got time with committee, will present the work that’s being done and start the dialogue in that fashion as we go forward. So I would say that that is the avenue that we should continue to honour and work with, otherwise I’ll give a little snippet here and cause concern to people out there without full information. So again, I would say let’s defer it to the meetings that have been set up and the full information will be provided to Members at that time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to be clear, the Members were involved in the refocusing initiative, but then decided that they did not want to take part in that process. So we’ve gone back to our traditional way of doing things. As we collect the information we will present to standing committee, with a dialogue in committee to look at what initiatives go forward.

Specifically in the area of inclusive schooling, the program review office has been involved with that area, but none of the information has affected the development of this budget that’s in front of the Assembly today. The work that is...