Mr. Speaker, the working paper was developed from a lot of different areas, including suggestions from the Strength at Two Levels report. From the very beginning this government and myself have stated that we have to approach government in trying to change the way we do business. It was no secret that we had to get on with that kind of job. But first of all we had to set up a process so the job could be done. That is the idea of what is in the documents now, the process and what has to be done within the scope of what is in Strength at Two Levels, within an awful lot of other discussion that has gone on.
Right now, Mr. Speaker, we have many proposals out there. For example, the communities are asking where they fit into this process. They want to know where they make their decisions. That is the most important area that we stop at with local government when we gave them only so much responsibility. Now they are asking where the rest of it fits in. This discussion has been going on forever.
At the same time, and I say again, there is great concern on how this government operates at a central level as well. It appears there are too many decisions here, there is too heavy a structure here, and people can take more authority and responsibility at other levels. We have numerous boards and agencies, and people are wondering where to go. All these things are mixed up as to where we go as a government. We are merely trying to put in place a process where we can deal with those issues; and while we are dealing with those issues, a committee will look at it and put it to the various committees of this Legislative Assembly and that will go on.
So on behalf of the people at the community level, I hope that we will respect what they want to do. There are other areas where we have to consider that the Minister responsible for aboriginal rights is dealing with, in terms of what people want to do under their claims. These are all a mix of different ways of how government best serves a people. And if we do not begin to address it at a community level, then we are the only ones that are going to be talking about it. The communities will know no more or no different than what they do today. So we have to put that discussion at a point where it is begun at a community level.
In terms of the regional concept of the Gwich'in, I am quite familiar, and I think everyone here is quite aware, that the Gwich'in can deal unilaterally with the Government of Canada without even going through this territorial government. We are aware of that. They have that in their claim. If the Gwich'in want to pick up right now and say they do not want to deal with the territorial government, within their claim they can go directly to the federal government.
However, where we will be involved is that some of those resources that would go directly to the Gwich'in are sitting here in the territorial government. So whatever is taken away from the budget, that we have, to go to the Gwich'in, we would have to concede that it would have to be passed on. Because they do have that right within their claim.
So in the end, either we do it together and recognize those rights and those agreements or we will sit back and we will let those discussions go directly between the federal government and the aboriginal groups. And right now I think if we work together to do that, it will give them a better deal. That is what we are setting out to do. Where does the rest of the Territories sit; that is, those that are not negotiating specifically for their group? So all I am saying is, let us get it together or else we will be left out. Thank you.