Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My first question to the Minister is in regard to his portfolio as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. It is in regard to a section of a land claim agreement in regard to aboriginal rights and treaty rights that people have, especially regarding the constitutional protection of land claim agreements. The Minister's portfolio is Aboriginal Affairs, is to ensure those rights are protected as part of your portfolio. It is in regard to the whole idea of the Northern Accord and the whole area of rights that presently fall in place. I mentioned a letter that was sent to the president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council, August 23, 1991, signed by Tom Siddon. It states, "in order to overcome the difficulties in support requirements that are needed to reach with the Government of Canada, undertake to incorporate into the Northern Accord an arrangement transferring legislation authority to the Government of the Northwest Territories to provide for aboriginal subsurface benefit agreements on settlement lands with respect to oil, gas and minerals." It goes on to state, "with the transfer of the legislative authority over oil, gas and minerals under the Northern Accord, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to introduce legislation based on the Canadian Petroleum Resources Act, and the Oil and Gas Production and Convention Act, and will include provisions for aboriginal surface benefits on settlement lands."
As the Minister who is obligated under these agreements and as the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, I would like to ask the Minister, what has he done to ensure that aboriginal rights are being adhered to and that they are looked at either whenever policy is being changed or regulations in regard to the cuts that were made in this government, in regard to the whole area of health and education cuts that affect aboriginal rights? Is there someone in your department who ensures these things are looked at whenever legislation is being drafted or cuts are made that will effect those rights to be carried out? In which, a lot of aboriginal people today feel that their rights are being jeopardized by these cuts and also the rights that they have under constitutionally protected agreements. What have you done in regard to ensure that their rights are being protected, as Minister?