Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We said two years ago, the most important issue to the Northwest

Territories is the bread and butter issues, jobs. In order for us to create that atmosphere, create the proper ability for our private sector to invest and to attract investment; we had to create the right atmosphere and that was balancing our budget. Making the Northwest Territories look like an attractive place to invest. We have also, in doing that accomplished many other things. We were also able to amalgamate the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development that is pretty well through the amalgamation process and ready now to go into the communities and work with the communities like I had just previously told Mr. Krutko, the MLA for Mackenzie Delta. We go out to the community, economic or community development workshops, especially level two and three communities. So, we can work with those communities to develop the renewable resources.

We are also very active in working to ensure that the Northwest Territories benefits from the mineral exploration that is happening, the diamond mines. There is no way that this government will lay down and allow diamonds to fly over and our resources to leave this country without us benefiting.

Like Mr. Todd says, he will tax them and tax them until we do get their attention, but we will get their attention and benefit as northerners from that resource. We do have great development in the Sahtu region, in the Liard area, the potential for not only logging but for oil and gas. I just came back from the Beaufort area, there is great potential up there as well. What we have to do and are doing, is moving ahead on some initiatives to enable us to have the tools ourselves in order to move ahead, and those initiatives are the bill that Mr. Todd is coming forward with pretty soon, An Amendment to the Financial Administration Act. Also, the new partnership with the private sector, where we can hopefully develop a vehicle in partnership with the private sector so we can build more infrastructure, whether it be highways, schools, hospitals or whatever, in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We have been working with BHP and on the valuation side of the equation of this mine. It seems that we may be able to come to some agreements. BHP has done a reasonable job of hiring northerners on the construction end of it. It is a major project, and I would not worry one bit about whether or not they are through community agreements that they are going to hire the Dogrib Nation first, and Treaty 8 together, their peoples first, then it moves out from there. We are able for the first time in history of this government, and the mining industry of the Northwest Territories, to get a socio-economic agreement that also, Hay River, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Inuvik, Cambridge Bay will be pick up points, Coppermine, for employment at that mine. That will mean the mining will pick up employees at those communities and fly them back. I believe we are talking about 800 people in total. I believe there is enough work out there to employ people who want to work, that are available for work, from all those regions including the Beaufort. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Arctic College students, the Department of Education, is working with BHP to develop training initiatives so that our people can be employed. There is no way, if you have people available and trained in the Northwest Territories go to work. Those are the people that should be hired from those communities. I do not have any specific cases that I can refer to.

The Department of Education is going to have a representative at the mine, on a training committee and possibly we have talked to the Minister of Education and looked at making sure that we work in partnership with BHP to develop training initiatives and strategies on how to make sure northerners are hired. So far, that work, I understand, from the Minister, is going quite well.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We are working right now on public/private partnership policy for the government. We are looking at what they have done in other jurisdictions so that we can include it, so that everyone knows that dollars are scarce in 1997, and they may be more scarce further. Hopefully by November 15, 1997, we will have that policy done so we can move ahead and create opportunities for northerners. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. At this time the government is working on protocol agreements with the Interim Commissioner on the whole contract initiative and we are close to finalizing that. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am not aware of any Interim Regional Government Funding request out of Inuvik. We do not have any money in our budget for regional governments or interim regional governments.

At the present time, through aboriginal Affairs, I know that the federal government is negotiating with Inuvialuit/Beaufort region on regional government issues. We are also dealing with the federal government with an MOU to make sure that the federal government is responsible for any transitional incremental costs to deal with self-government. We have not finished those negotiations as of yet, but we will not move ahead on self-government until we get a commitment from the federal government that they are going to pay. Thank you.