Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Community organizations play an essential role in preserving, portraying and promoting the heritage of the Northwest Territories. To ensure that assistance is provided to community heritage groups in a consistent, fair and equitable manner, and to help maintain the cultural heritage of the Northwest Territories, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has recently developed four policies.
The heritage services policy defines the heritage programs administered by Education, Culture and Employment and the relationship between the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and community-based heritage programs.
The Northwest Territories archives policy provides direction for the administration of the NWT archives, particularly the management of non-government records.
The collections disposal policy allows for appropriate and sensitive disposal of government-owned library and heritage collections, including disposal through repatriation. The heritage grants and contributions policy establishes the criteria and standards necessary to assess applications for financial assistance, equitably.
Mr. Speaker, these four policies have recently been approved by Cabinet and I am providing Members of the Assembly with copies for their information. I believe these policies provide a clear public statement of government's commitment to heritage in the Northwest Territories.
In concluding, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Standing Committee on Finance for raising the matter of the policies. I hope the new policies will be responsive to their concerns about a lack of policy to respond to the matter of heritage in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.