Wendy Bisaro

Question is being called.

---Carried

Thank you to the Premier. I’ve very glad to hear that we will be talking about implementation. I hope that’s a very large focus of the public engagement process.

With regard to implementation, our government has already done a great deal of work. They’ve been working on implementation for probably a year or more. I’d like to know, to date, what steps the government has taken to inform the public, to advise the public of what this new GNWT will look like after April 1st.

Thank you, committee. Committee, we are waiting on a bit of paperwork, so we’ll take a five minute break.

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Minister Abernethy.

Mr. Bromley.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to ask a question here. The description indicates that this is a department over-expenditure, but then it also says it doesn’t represent an additional outlay of cash. Could I just get a bit of an explanation as to why we have an over-expenditure that doesn’t actually affect our bottom line, from the sounds of things? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier. That’s a good expectation. I expect that we won’t have a groundswell of support against devolution. I think there is general acceptance and people are very happy about devolution. I guess if there’s no opportunity for people to suggest changes to the agreement and if the Premier is willing to put it to a vote for Members, can I ask the Premier why he was not willing to put it to a vote through a plebiscite to the general public?

So just to follow up, this is not activity. I gather this is, I think this is in the Sahtu area or from Wrigley and up, but I gather that this is not an activity or the activity in that area could not be foreseen when we were doing the budget. Is that correct?

I want to thank the Premier for that very thorough response. I would hope that might maybe be posted somewhere so that people will be able to go and read it, if they haven’t heard it here.

The Premier has been very clear. Several times he has said it’s a done deal. I think that’s where I am finding it a bit conflicting. If it is a done deal, why are we bothering to go out and consult?

I’d like to know from the Minister, then, just for clarification, for those people who are not represented by an Aboriginal government, there’s public engagement. If I have a conflicting opinion, if I wish to see...

That’s good. Thanks, Mr. Chair.