Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, there is money for the Hanging Ice Bison Ranch in the department's budget, but not for this particular purpose. The reason that it hasn't been established formally is we're awaiting the northern buffalo management program report from the federal government. So, until such time as we get that particular report and know how we're going to deal with these diseased animals in the south Mackenzie, from year to year the department just monitors the movement of those animals between those two locations. Hopefully, once that report comes out from the federal government and there's a plan set in place, something more concrete can be done in this area, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you. Wildlife management, special warrants, $90,000.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Wildlife management, not previously authorized, $128,000. The honourable Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. This $128,000, according to the substantiation, is to fund Inuvialuit participation in committees established by their final agreement. Are there existing funds in place already to do this or is this an addition to an existing source of funding? Thank you.

The honourable Minister.

Mr. Chairman, we're not getting anything from the federal government for this particular project. I think both governments and the Inuvialuit recognize that it needs to be done. The federal government has some money in its budget in DIAND to pay these costs. We're hopefully in the final stages of negotiating an agreement with the federal government that would allow the Inuvialuit participation costs to flow through the Government of the Northwest Territories or through some other agreement to the Inuvialuit. I would hope we will be able to conclude this issue in the coming fiscal year, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Nahendeh.

I take it that there is no existing funding at this time and place for the Inuvialuit participation. Their agreement was concluded a number of years ago. I would like to ask the Minister, if there's no funding in place at this point in time, has the government been funding Inuvialuit participation in these committees over the years, from the time their final agreement was concluded up to this point? Have we been funding them every year?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, yes we have been funding this area since the claim was settled. We have spent about $500,000 so far in this area. The federal government is refusing to provide the funding that they have in their budget until the IFA is amended to specifically address this

responsibility. In other words, they are saying that they believe that the responsibility rests with the Government of the Northwest Territories. And, of course, we maintain that this is an agreement between an aboriginal group and the federal government. Those are the issues that we are trying to wrestle down right now and we have been working hard on it for the last four months, Mr. Chairman. I am hoping that with the health billings out of the way now I can spend more time on it and perhaps bring this to a conclusion. Thank you.

Qujannamiik. Wildlife management, not previously authorized. Mr. Antoine.

I take it that this particular amount of funding, once the agreement has been raised with the federal government, that the territorial government will be no longer funding this particular arrangement. Or are we going to be seeing this again in the future? Thank you.

The honourable Minister for Finance.

Yes, Mr. Chairman, if we are able to conclude the arrangement with DIAND then we would not be...If the agreement works out that we are the funnel for the money, you would still see the money going through here, but it would be money coming from the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Wildlife management, not previously authorized, $128,000. Do you agree than?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Conservation, education and resource development, not previously authorized, $2.181 million. Agreed. Merci. Mr. Antoine.

The trappers' incentive subsidy program and the prime fur program, is there an exchange from one program to another in this particular situation. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Yes, Mr. Chairman, the prime fur program will replace the trappers' incentive subsidy. This is a one-time payment to compensate for the overlap of the two programs. So, this $381,000 is merely to cover the jump from one program to the next. Thank you.

Thank you. Conservation, education and resource development. Mr. Antoine.

Yes, I think maybe Mr. Patterson will probably be asking the same questions on the Workers' Compensation benefit. Just for the record, Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister about the Workers' Compensation benefit for renewable resource harvesters; during 1994 there is $1.8 million that is not previously authorized here and was spent by this government. If the Minister could give us some details of this amount. Thank you.