Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the areas I have concerns, especially in regard to Justice, is the whole area of aboriginal policing and the agreement that is in place between the federal government and ourselves. Are we carrying out the criteria for that program? Especially when it comes to aboriginal policing in aboriginal communities, it seems like it is administered by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who are actually delivering the concepts of aboriginal policing like we see in southern Canada on the reserves and what not. We have to re-look at that agreement to see if the intent of the agreement strictly to train special constables through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police program was the intent to deliver aboriginal policing through aboriginal bands or organizations within communities where there are no Royal Canadian Mounted Police located.

The concern I have is that there has been a lot of money put aside for this, but it has not really been spent in the area of aboriginal policing and aboriginal police forces in aboriginal communities. It has been used strictly in the area of Royal Canadian Mounted Police recruiting of special constables in regard to that area. The area of concern I have is that I have had the opportunity to look at the agreement in other jurisdictions in Canada. For example, in Saskatchewan, they put right into the agreements actual percentages that they are trying to meet within outlying areas in Saskatchewan that have majority aboriginal communities.

I would like to ask the Minister, have you looked at the agreement and have you done a review to see if it has met the goals that were set? We do not seem to have any aboriginal policing per se in aboriginal communities. We have a lot of special constables working through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but no real policing in the context of southern institutions like I imagine on reserves. I would like to ask the Minister, what are they doing in light of that, and where are they going in regard to that agreement?