Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the chief negotiator is responsible for the overall negotiations of each table. The mandate comes from the different policies that have been developed over the years through the government with the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs taking the lead in coordinating the development of a position. In the land claims area, it has been there for quite a number of years through the different claims that have been settled. Recently, with the self-government negotiations with the Dogrib and the Beaufort Delta, it is a whole new area of negotiations, which we are undertaking. It has not been done before anywhere in Canada. As a result, the mandate is developed as we have been going along in these cases.
The different departments that are involved play a role as well in coordinating and developing the mandate. In different specific instances, if we are dealing with municipal lands, then the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs plays a key role in that area, the expertise in the department as well as the knowledge that is there. The understanding of the legislation that is applicable to the municipality, so there is a role that Municipal and Community Affairs plays.
There is the aspect of finances involved as well. Of course, the Department of Finance has to be involved in that area, the legislation as well as the expertise and the knowledge that exists in that area.
You go into Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, that is another department that plays a key role. For each table, as we tackle the different items on the table, a set of negotiations is then developed. As different items are placed on the table by the different parties, the aboriginal governments put an item on the table which is something, for example, regarding wildlife, the federal government also has a position and we have a position.
At the table, these items are discussed. The mandate of the chief negotiator is to play a coordinating role in this instance. In specific cases, the department which is responsible for the item on the table plays a crucial role in the development of a position to be brought to the table. Thank you.