Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think our colleague, Mr. Krutko, eloquently talked about the relationship of the aboriginal people in this country and also with another country, in this case, the United States, in Alaska. I believe that to be true. We have met with our relatives many times during many meetings in this country at a circumpolar conference, for that matter, Mr. Chairman. Quebec talks about separation many times in the past. The uncertainty of Quebec being part of Canada allows myself and the people of the Nunavut area, the eastern Arctic in this case, to think about our relatives in northern Quebec. I do not believe that northern Quebec Inuit want to be part of a separate Quebec. They have let us know about that concern, Mr. Chairman. I believe we had the opportunity at this time and in the past, a responsibility of ensuring that our brothers, our relatives in northern Quebec are accommodated in their wish to be part of Nunavut should Quebec separate or should they not have their own land recognized to be distinctly Inuit land.

Has the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs had any indication from the Inuit of northern Quebec? They wish to be heard about their concern that they do not want to be part of Quebec when it separates. Has the Minister had any discussions, any correspondence with the Inuit people of northern Quebec or from the government, for that matter, about what I have just stated? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Part of the responsibility of Aboriginal Affairs is to deal with land claims and self-government negotiations. The First Nations living within my constituency are the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. They, of course, were included in the Dene/Metis discussions for many, many years which finally fell apart somewhere around 1991, or something. Following that, a year or so later, they began discussions with the federal government. Later on it began to include the territorial government representatives as well. Mr. Speaker, the Yellowknives First Nations have been trying to resolve their land disputes with the federal government for many, many years. I suppose you could say decades. They are now involved in the First Nations in Akaitcho territory, as they call it.

Mr. Chairman, there are other aboriginal governments that have finalized their claims and these First Nations are now able to move ahead with economic development. They have a lot more to say on the lands within their traditional areas. They have a lot more influence on what occurs in their traditional area as well as on their selected lands. They are able to concentrate on other things rather than trying to settle their outstanding claims. That is not so with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. They are still struggling to settle their outstanding claims which, for the last while, they have been trying to do through the treaty entitlement process. I understand that they are trying to do some sort of an amalgamated claim which includes comprehensive claim and treaty entitlement.

It has been a long, drawn-out process, Mr. Chairman, and it does take a lot of time and energy of the leadership so that they are not totally able to concentrate on other economic and social ventures that they would otherwise be able to for the betterment of their membership. Mr. Chairman, what I am trying to lead up to is that this government, part of its responsibilities is to participate in these discussions with the Akaitcho First Nations. I am trying to urge the department to assist the Akaitcho First Nations, not only the Akaitcho First Nations but the Deh Cho and the Dogrib First Nations, so that they can complete their respective land negotiations so that all three of these groups can get past this hurdle and on to the next stage which is to start getting into economic ventures and concentrate on other problems that their memberships have such as social problems. We all know that we have horrendous social problems as well as a burgeoning birth rate. Those types of things we have to tackle. When the leadership is taking a lot of their time in trying to finalize land claim negotiations which seem to have the rules of the game changed periodically by whichever government happens to be in power in Ottawa, it takes a lot out of the leadership. I would like to urge the Minister and his staff to do everything within their power and abilities to help the groups that have not finalized their land claims negotiations and treaty entitlement negotiations to finalize or at least come very, very close within the lifetime of this government. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, with regard to the honourable Member, Mr. Krutko's comments on the concerns of finding resources and finding someone in the department to bring groups together, we have not really received anything formal from the Inuvialuit and the Gwich'in to do this work. These groups are strong-minded First Nations on their own, wanting to handle their internal affairs and their relationship with their relatives in Alaska with the Inuvialuit and the Gwich'in. I have attended the Fort MacPherson Gwich'in gathering two years ago where the Gwich'in of Yukon and Alaska got together. There is a strong sense of community where they wanted to handle this internally. If there is a formal request from these First Nations then certainly, we will take a look at it. Thank you.

With regard to the honourable Member, Mr. Ningark, if there were any requests from the Inuit in Quebec, we have not heard anything officially from them requesting closer ties between the Inuit of northern Quebec and of Nunavut. We have not discussed this. There is a circumpolar initiative which is this government's initiative as well. There is a certain polar initiative that deals with all the northern parts of this continent as well as Europe, Greenland, Alaska and Russia that have met occasionally. We encourage that. Thank you.

Agreed.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Do we have a quorum?

In the Formula Financing Agreement, that is true. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in the negotiations it is true the negotiations that we arrive with costs for the programs and services. The GNWT will be paying our share for the programs and services. Part of the negotiation is the incremental cost which this ministry has been working with the federal government to try to determine what this is going to be. We are pretty close to an arrangement with them to determine what this incremental cost is going to be. Yes, the funding for the programs and services has been negotiated. Some of it will be coming from the Formula Financing Agreement.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Beaufort Delta self-government are negotiations the first of its kind. It has not been done in any other place before. It is a historic process. We are breaking new ground in this area here. That is what the negotiations are all about is trying to determine how to come out with a figure to provide the programs and services that the Beaufort Delta First Nations have put on the table for negotiations. Thank you.