Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is with regard to a question of aboriginal rights, treaty rights, programs and services being transferred from the federal government to the Government of the Northwest Territories, as well as regarding other treaty rights that have been signed in the past and new treaties, which are now called land claims agreements.

Under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, it clearly identifies aboriginal people having distinct rights. It seems through the transfers that have taken place and the downsizing of government, there is a fundamental problem in how people are recognized. We have band members who are registered Indians, under the Indian Act, in bands in the Northwest Territories, yet may live in southern Canada for medical, personal or family reasons. Those people have rights to only one band in Canada and that's the band with whom they're registered. The same thing applies to Metis organizations and people registered in land claims settlements.

It seems like we are spending a lot of time talking about devolving programs and services to communities, and also cuts in delivery of programs and services; yet, when it comes to the principle of individual rights, the whole question about who has authority over aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories, they are played off as pawns by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and also this government. We have to identify the exact right we're talking about, in the context of the right to programs and services which have been transferred from Indian Affairs to this government, by way of contribution agreement or block funding.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.