Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The $400,000 and $500,000 contributions, is it anticipated that these are going to be base funding, or core funding, which will go on until such time as the mandates are completed? Are we setting up, in effect, a line item here for about a million dollars a year to assist the Aboriginal Summit? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, yes, this will become part of the core funding for as long as the tasks are underway. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Mr. Braden.

Could I get a bit of a description here? The Intergovernmental Forum, as I understand it, started out with a job to come up with a framework for negotiating the devolution of resources and the sharing of control of resources among the federal, territorial and aboriginal governments. It has since expanded, I understand, and now includes some interest in the social agenda. There may be some other things there as well.

With these two different contributions here, one for $500,000 for devolution negotiations and the other for $400,000 for the Intergovernmental Forum, what is the difference there? It is my perception that the Intergovernmental Forum and devolution negotiations are indeed one and the same. Why are they differentiated? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Krutko.

I have a question regarding the cost. I support the dollars that are in here, but my concern is, what about those groups that are not involved in this process? You mentioned the South Slave Metis Alliance, the North Slave Metis Alliance. However, there is also the Mackenzie Valley Metis Federation, which presently does not receive core funding from this government.

I would like to ask, where are those groups that are out there that are not funded through this process? Are those groups going to have the opportunity to apply or put forth an application to your department to see if they can also receive funding to take place? The Northern Accord process has to include as many groups as possible, but I think what we do not want to see is we find out that they are negotiating with a handful of people but forgetting some groups who are sort of observers, sitting on the sidelines. At the end of the day, say one of them decides to file an injunction or a court action against the devolution or transfer of oil and gas revenues to the Government of the Northwest Territories. They have every legal leg to stand on.

I would like to ask the Minister, what happens to those groups that have not had the opportunity similar to that of the Dene Nation? Will the Mackenzie Valley Metis Federation have an opportunity to submit a similar proposal?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the Minister answer the question regarding whether or not the Mackenzie Valley Metis Federation can submit an application to your department to receive funding similar to the Dene Nation?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Krutko.

You said they can submit an application. I want to know if they will be getting core funding on a similar basis as the Dene Nation. You said the Dene Nation does not get core funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories. That is the same as the Metis Federation.

At one time, we had the Metis Nation of the Northwest Territories, which received core funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories to fund the locals and to basically be involved in the political devolution process in the Northwest Territories. Those people have not died and disappeared. Those people are still in our communities. I think sooner or later they are going to come out of their shell. I think they should come out sooner than later.

My view is that the Metis have a fundamental right in the Territories. Treaties were signed. People in the Northwest Territories, especially Metis people, signed and they received what they called script payments as part of the treaty payment process where they were entitled to land and other things along with it. My grandmother got script through that process. I would like to know.

It seems like there is a segment of our population that is not really represented in this whole process, yet they are a key political body to be reckoned with.

When you talk about the Sahtu Metis, they have lands. They have an area of jurisdiction. They have control over geographic areas. They have...

Excuse me, Mr. Krutko, we are getting a little bit beyond the scope of this bill here dealing with these funds. I would ask you to stick to the topic on this page. Thank you, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Chairman, I do not believe I am outside the scope. I believe I am talking about funding to a political organization. If you are funding organizations, as a government, you should be fair to all organizations, not just to pick and choose who you want to be at the table. I feel there has to be an allowance for those organizations such as the Deh Cho and those other groups to have an opportunity to opt into this process, rather than strictly saying, "Because you are not at the table you cannot take part."

I would like to know, similar to the $100,000 that was allocated to the Dene Nation, using the argument that they do not receive core funding from the government and they are receiving interim funding to partake in this process, will that funding be made available to the Mackenzie Valley Metis Federation?

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Dent.