Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister indicated what occurred at the last meeting. Could he indicate when this last meeting occurred?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister had also indicated that there is no consensus among the aboriginal governments involved in the discussions in the past. Could the Minister indicate what the federal government's position is on this particular matter? Is there a requirement for an aboriginal consensus on this particular matter before it can move forward?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It almost sounds as though the federal government wants this initiative to fail so things will remain the way they are. Mr. Chairman, I do not have any further questions at this time, but it is just an observation that without having a reasonable answer as to why you are against something. Anybody can be against anything for some reason that perhaps might not even make sense. It is difficult to rationalize the federal government's position. Thank you.

Thank you. That was an opinion. There was no question. On the list I have Mr. Picco and Mr. Henry. Mr. Picco, we are dealing with resource management and economic development. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, under Fisheries, I raise some concerns with the allocation for the shrimp quota and some other areas concerning the quotas of fish. The situation is that, indeed, the federal Fisheries department has been allocating more fish per quota in straddling areas and stocks adjacent to Baffin Island and Nunavut region. Our concern, Mr. Chairman, is indeed to make sure that fish, which is located in our waters, is allocated to our fishermen. Can the Minister at this time update us on the status of the fisheries' quotas? Did we get the quota that we had asked for? Is the Minister lobbying the Department of Fisheries to make sure the Nunavut fishing interests are represented at the federal table? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Minister.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have to thank the Minister for following up on my concerns with the allocation of the shrimp stocks and the fishing stocks off of Baffin Island and the Nunavut settlement region. Has the Department of Fisheries, responded to the Minister? I know the Minister has said we have made our points to them to take our points into consideration. That happened last year, Mr. Chairman, and indeed Nunavut Tungavik Incorporated actually had to take the Department of Federal Fisheries to court and actually won a decision because they had not taken into consideration NTI's position. Has the Department of Fisheries come back with a positive response to the conversations and the contact that the Minister's department has had with our federal counterparts? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. The honourable Minister, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I know they are all doing a lot of work on the file, I am not saying they are not. What I was asking at the time was that, indeed, we have contacted Federal Fisheries, and you have made our concerns known but have they come back with any type of positive response? Have they said, yes, indeed when the quota is allocated, you will know? Did they ask for more scientific information or data from the department? I believe a couple of months ago, Mr. Kakfwi was telling me the federal and territorial fisheries Ministers had requested a meeting maybe in Nunavut or in Iqaluit itself or somewhere in the Northwest Territories. Could we get an update on that to the federal and territorial fisheries Ministers meeting? I believe there was one going to be held in Nunavut. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you. Mr. Henry. We are dealing with considering resource management and economic development, page 11-10. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Following up on questions raised by Mr. Erasmus regarding the Northern Accord. I have also heard from senior officials of DIAND that the department would not consider any discussions or negotiations on the Northern Accord without 100 percent concurrence of the aboriginal groups. As Mr. Erasmus has stated, this is a way the federal government says we do not want to negotiate if they put that initial requirement to commence negotiations. We hear about the Aboriginal Summit not getting 100 percent unanimous consent to proceed with negotiations. My question to the Minister is, how does the department or the Minister ascertain how the rest of the population of the Northwest Territories feel in regard to negotiating a Northern Accord? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.