Thank you, Madam Chairperson. This ministry is at the officials' level. It is involved in other departments. Whenever there is an initiative that is taken by other departments, then as Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs we are called to attend officials' meetings to look at changes to the way programs and services may be suggested for changing. The whole area, the treaty and fiduciary responsibility to aboriginal people, is taken into consideration at that level. So there is input by the officials in the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs at that level. There is a standing offer by different departments to make sure the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs is involved in any decisions that may be developed that will have an effect on aboriginal people.

In regard to some of the comments that the honourable Member made in regard to responsibilities in the other departments like the student financial assistance, I know there has been no reductions in the Student Financial Assistance Program. I think there was some on the travel. The rules on the travel had been tightened up. I know that has happened. Other than that, there has been no drastic reduction in the student financial assistance. In regard to community empowerment, there too there is a question in the Western Territory here, especially in First Nations' communities where people are pursuing self-government arrangements. There is inter-departmentally a lot of concentration on looking at community empowerment and seeing whether it is conflicting or it is complimenting self-government arrangements. So in that area we are monitoring that as well.

Then again, the biggest one of the bigger tasks of this ministry is that we have negotiators at the negotiating table especially in programs and services for self-government arrangements. Where there are negotiations going on, again specifically as an example in the Beaufort Delta, we are specifically negotiating with the federal government and the Beaufort Delta group programs and services, specifically like education, health and housing. So we are dealing in these areas at the table negotiating with First Nations on how these programs and services are going to be delivered. We are at the table and in terms of monitoring it, I think we are trying to come to an arrangement with the Beaufort Delta to come up with the best way they see to deliver programs and services at that level.

In all the areas we are, this ministry, quite involved directing and negotiating at a community level and regional level. At the officials level we are also monitoring how our programs and services may be changing by the departments. Thank you.