Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have some general comments about questions or some statements on the Minister's opening remarks. Let me start off with his conclusion. In his conclusion, the Minister states that the Tlicho agreement has set a new standard for land and self-government claims across the country. I firmly believe it's good for the Tlicho and good for the Northwest Territories. I think it's very difficult to disagree with that and, in fact, I agree this will be good for the entire Northwest Territories. But I have some very real, substantial and significant concerns about the process we've just undertaken or I should say neglected to undertake when it comes to public consultation.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Tlicho did years of consultation on this bill, but after their consultation, that's where this starts to break down in my mind. I don't believe our government has done its necessary obligation in educating people in the Northwest Territories as to what this bill means. It is significant. It will alter the political landscape of the Northwest Territories. For the better? Yes, I believe that, but that is still no reason to neglect our responsibility and duty to ensure that questions and concerns from all corners of the Northwest Territories are addressed and met. This is not the kind of thing that we could have, in my mind, a referendum on in the Northwest Territories and go to the general public and ask them if this is something they could support. I don't think it's fair to do something like that when we are dealing with minority rights, and the rest of the Tlicho certainly would be a minority when we consider their numbers compared to the rest of the population. It's not fair to put something like that to a referendum, but I believe the government had an obligation to go and speak with and hear from all the people of the Northwest Territories about this agreement and this settlement legislation.

Furthermore, my preference as a committee Member would have been we engage in a public process. I have heard the Minister's arguments, our government's arguments, that this is simple, there really is nothing to this, it's been signed by three parties, you aren't going to change it anyway. I disagree that it's simple. I think it's significant and I think it's constitutional work and it's important for everybody in the NWT to have an involvement. This is something, Mr. Chairman, that I believe we should be celebrating, except that now there is a bit of a cloud hanging over this. I have had constituents say to me if it's so good for all of us, why are we trying to jam this through the legislature? I have tried to talk about the concerns that have been expressed about this government's dissolution and the fact that there will be new faces coming in that may not be as supportive as the faces in this room. I don't think you can say that with any certainty, Mr. Chairman. I know the federal election is hanging out there, but all the indications we've had from our government is we would like to send a political signal to Ottawa to support this legislation. I believe that as well, but we know there isn't money flowing for implementation for this specific bill. That will be a negotiation between the Tlicho and the federal government. It is not on the basis of this bill.

We know the federal government has to pass legislation before ours can take effect as well, and I don't believe there would be undue delays if we had chosen to do due diligence and the public consultation that I feel was necessary throughout the coming fall and into January. I think we would have had plenty of time to pass our legislation before the federal government did what it needed to do. So when the Minister in his remarks says that concerns have been expressed by some MLAs, that passing legislation to give effect to the Tlicho agreement will change the entire system of governance in the Northwest Territories, he's not speaking for me. My concern is not that this will change the entire system of governance in the NWT. I accept that. I welcome that and I think we will all embrace that. My concern is with the process here, Mr. Chairman, and the fact that I was not able, because the way things turned out, to go out and consult with my constituents adequately and the people of the Northwest Territories.

I know we are pressed for time and I suppose, out of self-interest, I would have accepted just having public meetings in Yellowknife, which would have been unfair, I acknowledge that. It would have been unfair to the rest of the Northwest Territories, an inadequate and a half measure, but it would have allowed me to go back to my constituency and say at least they had a chance to speak to this bill. Whether or not anything could have changed or would have changed, Mr. Speaker, I think that's beside the point. I felt an obligation as a committee Member to do what we normally do and take this out to the public.

Even if you look at the summary book that was produced, when there's a discussion about what this means, there's a recognition in this book, and I am going to quote this: "Ratification by the GNWT and Canada takes much longer than the few months that ratification would take originally. Getting the settlement legislation written takes a lot of work by the Tlicho negotiating team to make sure nothing in the agreement is changed or lost. After laws are ready, they still have to be voted upon by the Parliament of Canada and the legislature of the GNWT. This, too, takes time and lobbying. It will take up to a year, Mr. Chairman, for the GNWT and Canada to finish their parts of the ratification." It doesn't say anything about three weeks or two weeks. They acknowledged that this would take time, so that the entire Northwest Territories could be apprised of what was going on and could be included and involved. I feel we short-circuited that and we shouldn't have. This really should have been a celebration for the entire Northwest Territories to embrace and welcome this agreement and I think most of us will, but there will be a concern about process hanging over this, Mr. Chairman, and that's regrettable. Thank you.