Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Devolution has been an ongoing file for the Government of the Northwest Territories. In the early part of the winter, we had meetings with our MP for the western Arctic, Ethel Blondin-Andrew and we started developing a strategy on devolution and the devolution of responsibilities from Ottawa. It made clear sense to us as a government that one of the first things we should proceed on was the devolution of federal employees that have responsibilities to things that are happening in the Northwest Territories. There are approximately one hundred positions. At that time, we started working with our MP and with the Ministers involved in developing a strategy, to talk to the federal government on transferring those people to the Northwest Territories so that we can at least gain the economics of them purchasing housing units, spending their money living in the north, where decisions that they make affect northerners. They should be living here.

After that, we did go into Caucus of the whole, where the whole 24 Members were present, and Mr. Kakfwi and I had made a presentation on devolution. We let Members know at that time that we were proceeding with this issue and this initiative. It was after that Mr. Ootes raised it in a Member's statement in the House, as well as made a motion in the House, to encourage us to continue moving ahead on this issue. This is one of the major issues we spoke of with Ms. Stewart this summer when we met with her on the whole issue of devolution. Mr. Kakfwi is putting together a plan so that we can present it to Minister Stewart, as well as get the assistance of our two MPs from Nunavut and the western Arctic, to work with us on this issue. Thank you.