Thank you. If the honourable Member wants a legal opinion, then we will get a legal opinion. I just want to say in response to the general comments there, in this line of work I hear a lot of criticism of this government and I have to stand up for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs when we are accused of slowing down the process. I would like to know specifically in which area we are slowing down the process. I want to know. This is what I tell the leadership of the aboriginal governments. You throw that out, and then we are working hard, the negotiators are working very hard for the people of the North and for this government and this Legislature, and then we are accused of slowing down the process. We want to know specifically where.
In many times, almost all of the times, there was no specific explanation of what they are saying when it comes down to we are slowing down the process. We could say that for the other parties as well in many instances when the process is stalled for one reason or another, but we do not go accusing other people of slowing down the process. We have to respect each other and honour each other. There are some areas where we have to work things out.
I think we have come a long way in the Dogrib claim. We are more than 90 percent done. We have come a long way to accommodate and deal with all the issues. We have some big issues still left. In the Beaufort Delta, they are pretty close to an AIP, so we are making progress. At the end of the day, there is going to be some benefits. The Deh Cho have approved the initialling of the framework agreement and they also agreed for their negotiators to initial their interim measures agreement.
I understand that the Akaitcho Territory is looking at an interim agreement as well. What this interim measures agreement would do is protect the Deh Cho lands that they want to get protected while they are negotiating so that their lands will not get alienated. I understand the Akaitcho leadership is also thinking in those terms as well. There are different ways of doing it. The work is complicated and difficult at times. We have people in the Ministry that are capable of doing the work and we are making progress. I just have to say that.
I think it is important to say that because there are some time lines that we put in place and this year we are going to see some conclusions of some of these tables. It has come a long way to get this far. The other process, that is just starting up, there is still some work to be done. I think what we have to do and try the best we can to represent this government, represent the Legislative Assembly and ultimately represent the people in the Northwest Territories is to try to conclude some of these negotiations. Thank you.