Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by Mr. McLeod on Tuesday, March 5th, regarding the mandate of the NWT Economic Development Advisory Forum.
The NWT Economic Development Advisory Forum was established by the Intergovernmental Forum in January 2002. It is mandated to provide advice and recommendations to the Intergovernmental Forum on pan-territorial and regional economic development issues. The advisory forum will have an important role to play in providing advice on the setting of priority directions, informing policy development and influencing program design and implementation related to economic development in the NWT.
The objectives of the advisory forum are to:
- • increase the participation of aboriginal people in economic policies;
- • enhance the quality and effectiveness of economic programming in the NWT;
- • provide for NWT input and meaningful participation in the development of federal economic policies;
- • find more collaborative approaches in addressing economic development issues; and
- • ensure that the decisions made respect cultural diversity, land claims and sustainable development.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.