Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will start with, with Footprints 2 and I will cover that area first. Yesterday, I spoke about my concerns regarding the staff. I have a couple of questions in that regard.
I think this is a good opportunity to present our view point to the cabinet who will be formulating the reply to Footprints, and I appreciate Mr. Todd's comments that we will have further input into that, which I think is necessary for all to pay attention to. I appreciate that this has to be done certainly by the end of December, and I think, initially the cabinet was hoping to have that out of the way by mid-December. I feel very strongly that the members do need to, at this particular time, put forward their viewpoints because the division issue is the most important issue facing the Northwest Territories. It is an extremely important one. The creation of the two territories changes the whole face of the territory in many ways, and the area that it has the most dramatic impact on is the staff. We have people that have been with the territory government for 5, 10, 15, 20 and some more years.
They have provided a lot of good service and are continuing to provide that good service. They have experience to be able to help both governments. But they have no job security. There are no assurances from what Mr. Todd said in either case in east or west. That has to be an area which I am certainly very concerned about. I wonder, if the minister, as Chairman of the Transition Committee, could perhaps answer, or address or respond to the following question for me. Will the Government of the Northwest Territories consider negotiating a comprehensive personnel agreement?
I know he mentioned they are working on a comprehensive staff transition plan, but would he look at doing a personnel agreement with the interim commissioner of Nunavut which would provide the existing government employees whose jobs are entirely or in part transferred to Nunavut to have the first priority for employment? And that similarly the staff at the regional and community levels in Nunavut will be offered appointment to comparable positions with Nunavut?
Further, that those employees whose jobs are eliminated because of the creation of the two territories, that priority status be given to those to be given comparable public service opportunities with our government. That is my first question. I will lead into a second question after, or do you wish me to carry on with my second question?