Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In looking at some of the numbers outlined for the budgets and comparing what the department required last year from the main estimates, and what the target is for this year, I see that they are looking for an increase from $3.7 million from the main estimates last year to a preliminary target of $4.6 million. That is about a $900,000 difference.
I can see this reflected in the job the department is doing and is mandated to do. One way I can measure this, is that we are going from five negotiating tables to seven in the coming fiscal year. The workload is increasing and therefore the resources have to increase as well. I am okay with that.
I would reflect on something that my colleague, Mr. Lafferty, talked about, which was the idea that as we go through the various negotiations, what are we learning? And with how much more we find, can we streamline the process?
I do not get too much of a sense here that the department is able to apply what it has learned in other processes to upcoming processes. We really almost seem to have to re-invent the wheel each time a new claims process comes to the table.
Another aspect of the escalating cost here is not only that Aboriginal Affairs is seeking new dollars, but in the Executive, there is growth in the area they want to create called regional community relations, which has as one of its major initiatives, looking at transition as land claims and self-government institutions are established.
Also, under the Executive is the start up of the intergovernmental forum. I know there is not a direct relationship with claims negotiations, but there is a lot of similarity between the people and the agendas involved in the long-term goals.
We also know the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and Justice have very specific roles in here. Bear with me, I will get to a question in a moment. I see five different departments very closely involved in essentially aboriginal agendas.
My question is, does the Minister see in the reasonably near future that some of these can be merged? That there may be some efficiencies and economies in bringing what now seems to be some fairly widespread camps into some kind of amalgamation? Maybe use that as a way of curbing some of the growth in this very expensive and fast growing sector of our cost? Thank you.