Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague from Nahendeh indicated the Constitutional Working Group met recently in Yellowknife on May 14th and 15th to consider the results of its first round of consultations and to plan for the future. Aboriginal Summit representatives included George Kurszewski, Bob Simpson, Bill Erasmus and James Wah-Shee. The Western Caucus was represented by myself and Roy Erasmus. Jim Antoine and Charles Dent participated on behalf of western Ministers. Officials representing the Status of Women, the NWT Native Women's Association and the federal government were also in attendance. The Northwest Territories Association of Municipalities was unable to attend the workshop. Minister Antoine has provided you with a summary of the decisions made. In addition, the workshop provided representatives from the summit and the Western Caucus with an opportunity to confirm the following:
- That the constitutional working group will remain as a forum to manage the western constitutional process;
- That the constitutional working group continues to be a partnership between the aboriginal summit and the Western Caucus of this Assembly;
- That the western constitutional package will include a new NWT Act and a companion self-government agreement;
- That the Constitutional Working Group will continue to be the lead on development of a new act while the Aboriginal Summit will be responsible for the companion self-government agreement;
- That concerns raised in the first round of public consultations must be taken into account if the final package is to be acceptable to western NWT residents; and
- That federal concerns and interests must be taken into account if the final package is to receive federal approval.
Mr. Speaker, the Constitutional Working Group's Aboriginal Summit, Western Caucus partnership is key to reaching acceptable and workable constitutional arrangements for the west following division. We also look forward to continuing federal participation during the remainder of the process along with input from ex officio members representing women's organizations and the Association of Municipalities.
Moreover, the Constitutional Working Group is hopeful that opening its meetings to the public, western Arctic residents, organizations and media will gain a better understanding of our process, including the development of constitutional options for consideration by the public.
The Western Caucus remains firmly committed to the Constitutional Working Group process. Members will take a more active role in their communities and other constituencies to help reach a consensus which will eventually be submitted for ratification in the future plebiscite.