Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think it is a
question of large urban centres such as Inuvik, Hay River and Fort Smith, where basically you have a large aboriginal population which consists of three different groups. You might have the Inuvialuit, the Gwich'in, the Dogrib and other groups within large centres, but I think that clients who the municipality serves and the programs that are delivered for aboriginal people, especially when you talk about the whole motion of healing people and trying to be self-sufficient and improving the lives of people, it seems like it is always the aboriginal people who are the ones who find themselves at the bottom of the list in regard to how they are able to take responsibilities for themselves. We are always putting the onus on the government to do things, but when aboriginal organizations ask to take on these responsibilities, they are always put in the notion, well, we know what is best for you and basically, we will do it with the government structure that is in place. There is also another level of government structure that has been in communities since the treaties were signed, which are aboriginal bands, Metis locals, Inuit organizations have been here, in some cases, hundreds of years. Yet, we do not today, recognize those groups as an institution in regard to how they are able to govern themselves. Yet the federal government is able to give them millions of dollars to run programs and services from the federal government, no problem at all. When it comes to this government, it seems like it is the last group that they can trust to do anything for themselves. Yet, they will pour the money into the municipalities, but when it comes to aboriginal groups, they seem to have the toughest time to get any money to deliver programs on behalf of their membership. With those comments, is there a policy in place that streamlines exactly what role this government, is there a different policy for every department or is it the same policy right through this government? That flows right from the Premier's office to the Executive to Cabinet and then into this Legislature. Why in one group they have no problem dealing with aboriginal groups and yet through another group, like this department, it seems like it is a can do where they cannot do it. They already have a regime in place, but they will not recognize aboriginal institutions. Is there a policy that will streamline this so that they are recognized in all departments?