Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Member for his very positive comments in regard to the possibility that these functions within Executive for regional community affairs may lead to duplication in what is happening in Municipal and Community Affairs.
The Department of the Executive always provides overall co-ordination for all departments. We know that in the Beaufort Delta, the Deh Cho, and the Sahtu, there is no overall coordination capacity available at this time.
When a person goes to the Sahtu, for instance, you cannot go to one person that can give you an overall view of what is happening across departments within the Sahtu. You have to go to Yellowknife to really get that. Even then, you would have to go to each individual department to do it. It addresses a real need for and the vacuum left by the elimination of the regional director positions a few years ago.
We know that as the Executive, we need to provide overall coordination. We have the Beaufort Delta that is negotiating for a regional form of government. We have the Dogrib self-government negotiations preparing to see established a regional form of government and operation. We know the Deh Cho is speaking of a regional form of government. The Sahtu has asked for regional autonomy for some years. All these things tell us as a Cabinet, as a government, not only as Ministers but I think as Members of the legislature as well, we require a paper at some time that would scope out what is happening out there right now, and some considerations we should be taking note of that will compel us to say we need to do something.
Perhaps a paper will outline some ways in which we could support and prepare for these eventual realities. If it did not, that is what I see these positions being assigned to do.
I was part of the former Cabinet, but I do not recall exactly what was intended for these people. I do know that is what we intend to do. It is a major piece of work that we are going to be undertaking here. Thank you.