Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since the money is here for Maximizing Northern Employment, can we ask questions? For example, I have a concern about how some parts of that program have been promoted in the North. I am interested in following up on that. Is this the proper area? Or do we have to talk to different departments about where the money is going to show up?

My other question is since we are showing $4.6 million here for Maximizing Northern Employment, and I know the Executive does not actually administer the programs directly, in other departments, how do we see where that money comes in? Is it shown as revenue in the other departments?

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask Ms. Snider to answer that.

The deputy minister, Ms. Snider.

Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is it the intention of the Executive to continue to administer programs like the Northern Graduate Employment Program or the Northern Student Employment Program? I am sure that must take some coordination with other departments. There may be some argument for it, but I would have thought that something like that would normally be handled by Education, Culture and Employment. Why was the choice made to keep it at the Executive?

Mr. Premier.

Ms. Snider will answer that question as well.

The deputy minister, Ms. Snider.

Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have to agree with Ms. Snider. I have heard good things about the programs from northern graduates, in particular. I think it is a useful and worthwhile program.

My concern is that we have the Executive branch of government, which is typically not a program-oriented area. They have corporate human resource services, for instance. That is more of a program area, as far as I am concerned. It is something like the Department of Personnel used to handle in the previous structure of government. The Energy Secretariat -- I know the Premier has committed to take a look at moving that out of the Executive. We have Maximizing Northern Employment -- these are all programs now.

We have a body that is designed to provide executive support to the government now getting off into the program areas. You know, I am not even sure that the establishment policy for the Executive even contemplates that kind of activity.

Specifically, I am having a problem with the philosophical approach of having the Executive take on programs. I am just wondering, has the establishment policy of the Executive been amended to include contemplation of such actions that they are now undertaking?

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The other departments in the government are treated as equals, so it goes to the Department of the Executive, because it is under the Office of the Premier and is headed by the secretary to Cabinet, the most senior deputy minister we have in the government. When it comes time to take the lead on important initiatives and to provide for overall coordination, then it is our responsibility to take the lead on it. This is what the deputy ministers expect. This is how we get things done. There is no other department that can take the lead and have the mandate to provide overall coordination that goes across other departments.

It is working. It is working well. We have no immediate need, I think, to make any changes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Premier did not answer my specific question about whether or not the establishment policy has been amended to specifically bring under the mandate of the Executive program activities. Typically in governments, it is the role of the Executive to coordinate. I will agree with the Premier on that. I am sure in other governments, the Executive works to bring departments together to make sure that initiatives are undertaken in a coordinated manner. However, it is unusual for the Executive to take on the role of delivering programs. With those three areas, we have the Executive now actually delivering programs.

I am just wondering, is it not time to either take a look at the philosophy of how our government is set up and either say the way it was set up -- which, in the establishment policy, clearly does not set out the Executive as being a program department -- is wrong and we are going to change that? We are going to change the establishment policy or we should take a look at moving these initiatives into the program departments.

I think it is clearly the responsibility of the Executive to ensure there is coordination and to work with departments, but I do not think it is their responsibility to actually deliver programs. That is what I have a bit of a problem with.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are not delivering programs, per se, at this time. What we are doing is taking the lead in trying to develop, for instance, under the social agenda, some sort of a Social Agenda Framework. In the Energy Secretariat, we have undertaken that to develop work towards a framework or a policy. Under the Maximizing Northern Employment, we are coordinating the overall government's work towards Maximizing Northern Employment objectives. Each of the departments are doing their specific responsibilities under that coordination.

It is working and it is working well. If the establishment policy needs revision, we will look at it and make the necessary revisions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is about the intergovernmental relations and strategies. One of the concerns you hear about is the way we deal with groups, organizations and institutions, that we do it fairly and not try to pit one side against the other, especially with politically sensitive issues, such as pipelines and other projects out there.

With the positions some of these groups take, we cannot comfort everyone, but I think we have to realize that we are there to represent everybody. We cannot play one party off against the other. I would just like to ask the Premier, what are we doing to improve our relationships with organizations, aboriginal organizations, in light of some of the positions some groups have taken on the issues that have come forward, by way of different pipeline initiatives, regional concepts or ideas?

I feel we cannot and should not put ourselves in a position where we are compromising the ability of government to basically represent all interests without fundamentally taking one stand and not allowing ourselves to keep our minds open to other options or alternatives that may be out there, that we do not support one initiative over and above another.

I would like to ask the Premier, what are we doing to improve our relationships with political organizations, either the aboriginal organizations or institutions outside of government that have different opinions and a whole different philosophy on how to deal with things?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the government has been working with the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs over the last two years to develop a dialogue with the different community leaders, aboriginal regional leaders, as well as the Aboriginal Summit in establishing the Intergovernmental Forum. We are showing our support as much as we can behind the different negotiating tables and forums up and down the Mackenzie Valley, as well as supporting the economic aspirations of the different communities and the aboriginal groups.

The relationship has been good. I feel that while there are always differences in perspectives, the overall relationships with the aboriginal groups have been an improvement in the last couple of years over the way it was previous to that. I think it is a compliment to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Cabinet and Members of the Legislature, that this is the current sentiment that prevails with the aboriginal leadership, generally speaking, up and down the Mackenzie Valley.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Mr. Krutko.