Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the mandate of the Languages Commissioner is to ensure the recognition of the rights, status and privileges of each of the official languages. The Languages Commissioner ensures compliance with the spirit and intent of the Official Languages Act in the administration of government institutions, including any of their activities relating to the advancement of the aboriginal languages in the territories. The Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, under the Official Languages Act, appoints the Languages Commissioner. The four-year term of the current Languages Commissioner will end on May 31, 2000.

The preservation, promotion and development of aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories are fundamental to the retention of aboriginal cultures. The committee noted that there are a number of northern aboriginal languages that are on the verge of extinction and felt that the government must assume a more proactive approach. With the dissolution of the Language Bureau, there has been a lack of organization and direction in the promotion, development, and preservation of aboriginal languages. The committee Members noted that the disbanding of this unit may have been premature and it may be necessary to revive it. The committee expressed discontent with the lack of consultation between language communities, language services of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Languages Commissioner's Office. This lack of consultation leads to the inefficient use of funds, duplication of roles, and the absence of a cohesive approach for aboriginal languages. The Languages Commissioner presented three initiatives in her 1999-2000 business plan.

The first initiative was the development of a media strategy to link communities with the Office of the Languages Commissioner. The second initiative was to host a languages conference to prepare for the upcoming review of the Official Languages Act. The third initiative was to establish an advisory council to the Office of the Languages Commissioner. In her presentation to the committee during the review of the Main Estimates, the Languages Commissioner reported that she has dropped the first initiative from her agenda but wishes to proceed with the remaining two. Further, in the review of the Main Estimates, the Languages Commissioner readjusted the cost estimates for the conference from $95,000 to $150,000.

The committee acknowledges the value of the remaining two initiatives, however, further planning, intergovernmental consultations, and a more realistic budget must be developed to ensure the success of these initiatives. The committee recommends that the Languages Commissioner and the language services unit of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment meet to collaborate and coordinate efforts in the development of an aboriginal languages advisory council and a conference to prepare by review of the Northwest Territories Official Languages Act. The meeting should occur without delay and a progress report should be presented to the committee.

Mr. Chairman, under financial planning, the committee Members noted incongruities between expenditures and budget allocations of the Office of the Languages Commissioner. The committee acknowledges that financial reporting guidelines are sometimes difficult to fulfil without qualified staff and suggest that the commission better utilize the financial services supplied by the Legislative Assembly. The committee requested the Languages Commissioner to re-examine and further substantiate her office's proposed budget. Under review of the Northwest Territories Official Languages Act, Mr. Chairman, presently the Department of Executive is responsible for the Official Languages Act. Under these auspices, a minister of the Executive Council is assigned the responsibility for overseeing the act. However, the budget of the Languages Commissioner is allocated to the Legislative Assembly. Further, the Legislative Assembly is responsible for review of the act after December 31, 2000.

Currently, one department executive oversees the act. Another department, mainly the Legislative Assembly, is responsible for the delivery of support services to the office. A third department, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is responsible for the promotion of official languages and the employment of language programs. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, in the role as a Member of the Executive Council, has been assigned the responsibility of overseeing the act. As a result, responsibilities are blurred.

One of the responsibilities of the Office of the Languages Commissioner is to ensure compliance of government with the spirit and intent of the act including any activities relating to the advancement of the aboriginal languages in the Territories. This means that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, in his role as Minister responsible for Official Languages, is also responsible for ensuring that his department complies with the spirit of the act. The Northwest Territories Official Languages Act is due to be reviewed in the first session after December 31st, 2000. As part of the review, the committee recommends that the role and mandate of the Languages Commissioner be examined and that the relationship between the Languages Commissioner and the various government departments be clarified.