Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee recommends that the committee continue to review Bill 1 with the conclusion of the Department of Public works and Services, Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and the Executive offices. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Did the Minister imply that these were negotiated contracts?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee met with the Minister on February 17, 2004 to review the draft 2004-2005 main estimates for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. The ministry is proposing a $48,000 decrease in operations and expenses from the 2003-2004 main estimate. The committee is concerned about the slow implementation of land claims agreements and hopes to see considerable progress during the term of the 15th Assembly. Despite the considerable number of years since the signing of the agreement with the Inuvialuit, Gwich’in and Sahtu people, there are still numerous issues...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends the government continue to hold to its position that incremental self-government costs are the responsibility of the federal government. And further, that the government maintains a strong position with respect to self-government implementation costs in order to ensure the GNWT does not pay costs that are the responsibility of the federal government.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the recognition of the clock and allowing me to finish my questions. Mr. Speaker, under section five -- and I’m still concerned with the waiving of the BIP and understanding how it’s meeting our goals -- number one under general points out that the authority to make exemptions and approval revisions to the policy rests with the Executive Council. Now, I won’t argue with that, but how are we to translate when we waive and don’t waive and how is the Premier supposed to get that communicated out to the general public as we’re trying to meet our policy goals...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just find it an administrative anomaly. It could just be me, though. That’s fine.

Just expanding a little further on the travel issue, which I will leave as a comment, I find it an exceptionally large travel budget for such a small department. It just seems perplexing at this stage why we have more than $750,000 in the travel money there. It just seems insane. I am still having a difficult time seeing the reduction. I have to admit when the Minister had indicated earlier that we took a three-year travel average of $700,000 and I still find growth in that, maybe it...

No further questions at this time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to move that the committee recommends that the government prepare and make public a formal response to the Auditor General's observations in findings on land claims implementation within 60 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Premier, for that answer. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to now proceed not far down that page and read under number two called principles. Item number one under principles says to provide existing northern businesses with a level of incentive that compensates for the higher costs of operating businesses in the Northwest Territories, this business incentive will allow for northern businesses to compete successfully with southern businesses. I think that’s been the crux of all our concern here. Can the Premier answer how this statement is being realized? Thank you...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I could just pick up a little further again on this travel question. When the Minister provides us with that spreadsheet on travel, if he could break out the size of average entourages that travel, give us an example of how much the cost of that is. What I mean by that is how many days they travel and typically how many people travel together. Can the Minister supply that information?