Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. As I was stating, Mr. Speaker, there has to be a new way of dealing with government. What I see happening is we are developing more public institutions in light of existing institutions that were in place long before the Government of the Northwest Territories established the NWT Act, in which there are institutions that aboriginal people fully support and recognize in our communities. Band councils, Metis locals and tribal councils that presently exist. Yet, somehow we cannot get ourselves to see the light at the end of the tunnel and realize those institutions are alive. They are recognized in the Indian Act, established through elections. They are also a recognized body by delivering programs and services from Ottawa. If Ottawa is able to carry these activities out, why is this government not in support of recognizing public institutions and band councils today? We have to somehow change the concept of looking at municipal councils as the only level of government in the Northwest Territories. In order to get past that hurdle, we have to change the legislation to enact legislation to allow band councils, Metis locals, tribal councils, public institutions which are recognized as aboriginal institutions to be enacted in this House.

We talk about sharing our lands and resources and benefiting from those lands and resources. Those same lands and resources we are talking about as a government to get royalties, getting monies and getting revenues from the forestry products, minerals or whatnot from Ottawa, is the same item you are dealing with when you talk about land claims. There is a process that is in here called the Northern Accord process. This government is obligated to sit down with the aboriginal organizations and negotiate, once and for all, how resources are going to be dealt with in the Northwest Territories and how aboriginal organizations and people will benefit from those resources. Since we have been elected, that has been one of the priorities of this government, yet today nothing has happened in that area.

When the Minister of Finance stands up and he says we have to go to Ottawa and get more control of our resources, he forgets there is a fundamental principle and process that has to be completed before we get to that stage. Unless we sit down with aboriginal people and treat them on the same basis as we treat any business person or business sector in this economy and that we have to treat them as equals, I believe in that. With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to have an opportunity to deal with this statement, either in committee of the whole or through another public process so that we can enlighten ourselves on exactly how we intend to complete those negotiations with the aboriginal organizations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause