I make a motion to report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The motion is in order. It is not debatable. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is defeated. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Ootes.

That we continue with Aboriginal Affairs, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Does the committee agree?

Page 2-40. Minister Antoine, do you have opening remarks? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Would the Member of the Infrastructure Committee bring the committee's report and recommendations on Aboriginal Affairs? Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Madam Chairperson, the Minister informed the committee he had met with the Honourable Jane Stewart, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and had negotiated a federal contribution of $500,000 to fund the Constitutional Working Group for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

Funding allocations to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs: the Minister indicated that his ministry requires additional operating funds and staff to effectively represent the Government of the Northwest Territories at a large number of land claim and self-government negotiations. The committee encourages the Minister to quantify the Minister's resource needs and to pursue this matter with the Financial Management Board.

Overlapping claims: the committee is concerned with the potential overlapping of claims as this will slow the claim settlement process. At the request of the committee, the Minister provided additional information on the Makavik Offshore Land Claim negotiations and agreed to continue to provide updates on the developments related to the Makavik claim and the James Bay overlap negotiations. The committee anticipates similar updates will be provided as negotiations warrant. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Would the Minister like to bring in witnesses and does the committee agree to have the Minister take the chair at the witness table?

Agreed. Thank you. Mr. Antoine, could you please introduce your witnesses for the record?

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Are there any general comments on the departmental main estimates for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs? General comments. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. In regard to the comments on the overall Report from the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples where there is a lot of recommendations in regard to the whole area of delivery of programs and services to aboriginal people to ensure the aboriginal people extend themselves which presently had been delivered by government to ensure there are employment opportunities and programs to fit the needs of the aboriginal people, the whole area of the aboriginal people treaty rights, the report identified in a lot of areas the condition aboriginal people find themselves in Canada. I think a lot of those problems originate in the Northwest Territories, especially when it comes to the aspirations of aboriginal people to be successful in regard to job opportunities, education and the social health conditions our people live in, in regard to alcoholism, drug abuse and also, in regard to the opportunities for them to get that job and improve the quality of life for themselves.

It still seems to be a real problem, especially in a lot of the smaller aboriginal communities where there are few jobs, few opportunities and high dropout rates. Decisions made by other governments and this government affect the rights of aboriginal people, especially in the context of cuts we made for aboriginal people where before they thought they had certain rights protected under treaties especially in the area of education and health. In regard to this department which has the responsibility of aboriginal people, of ensuring the well-being of aboriginal people, what has this department done to look at the whole impact of decisions of this government in regard to cuts we have made, especially regarding the area of health and education, where people feel they have whole rights, which they thought were protected under the constitution regarding treaties, now being slowly eroded away by decisions of governments and this government? Has this department looked at that whole area of evaluation of the whole treaty rights and questioned the program cuts and delivery to those rights to aboriginal people?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Would the Minister like to respond? Minister Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. In regard to the whole area of programs and service delivery, I am also talking about this government in regard to the cuts we have made and the effects that it has had on aboriginal people especially in regard to student financial assistance and the area of looking at the whole aboriginal justice committees that aboriginal groups were looking forward to being established in the community. It is a great idea, but there are limited funds to do it and carry it out. A lot of times we give the notion to aboriginal groups that we are on side, we are supporting them and everything else, but at the end of the day there are no financial resources there to do an adequate job to fulfil that obligation that we say we are giving them, especially where you talk about community empowerment regarding transferring authorities to communities.

I raised a question today in the House about the whole area of income support where a lot of bands have taken on that responsibility where at the end of the day it is costing them more to administer that program and they have to pay these extra costs which were not part of these agreements. They are finding themselves having problems keeping individuals because of the amount of work that these people have to take on and the amount of stress that these people are under. This job does not just stop after you work for hours. You go home. You get phone calls. People are threatening you on the street and what not because of decisions you have to make. With the limited resources to find somebody who can do an adequate job where you are seeing 40 to 50 people a day helping them fill out applications, reviewing people's reports, it is a stressful job as it is, but then the communities are left with a notion what did we get ourselves into. I think it is important that there is a watch dog within this government that ensures that for any programs and services that affect aboriginal people, there has to be a system in place, especially from this department, that monitors and ensures that it is carried out to be properly implemented with adequate resources.

I think a lot of times we find ourselves building up expectations especially in the aboriginal communities just to find out later that they fumbled because they basically were led to believe something and then, at the end of the day, they find out that the adequate resources are not there. I would like to ask the Minister what his department is doing to ensure that this injustice to aboriginal people is clarified and that when any programs are implemented, there is adequate resources there to carry them out.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Krutko, I believe that was ten minutes. I do have Mr. Picco, but I will ask him if in view of the clock he wants to proceed with his general comments.

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Picco, are you moving a motion to report progress.