I would like to thank the Member for those comments. It is our intent, as we go forward with the socioeconomic agreements to make sure that more and more they are legally binding. Our experience has been through different MOUs, MOAs, MOIs, that we may have had agreements that weren't legally binding. We recognize the merits of having these things be something we can hold industry to. We think certainly it's important. That's why when we sit down to negotiate these socioeconomic agreements, we do so in lockstep with our justice officials, and I know the Member is very familiar with his work formerly as the Justice Minister. I am sure this comprised a lot of his time, providing advice to this department on whether or not we did have watertight, legal-type agreements and documents in place. I guess I would say the first few that we've been doing may be not as legally binding as we would like, but I would like to tell the Member and assure committee that we have been learning as we go and we see the merits. We are actively trying not work to improve these because it's important that if we are going to make sure the benefits accrue to northerners, that we have something we can fall back on that holds water. It's certainly my intent to make sure that these documents do just that. I take the Member's point that we need to move beyond this mindset of setting up these sorts of quasi agreements that are really just notices of intent on behalf of industry to do certain things and actually get commitments, get targets and get things we can measure and get things we can hold both industry and ourselves to. It's important to have these very well documented so people in the NWT know where we stand and know where industry stands. Thank you.
Brendan Bell on Committee Motion 3-15(3): To Delete $120,000 From The Financial Management Board Secretariat Budgeting And Evaluation Re Foregone Interest, Defeated
In the Legislative Assembly on March 22nd, 2004. See this statement in context.
Committee Motion 3-15(3): To Delete $120,000 From The Financial Management Board Secretariat Budgeting And Evaluation Re Foregone Interest, Defeated
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 22nd, 2004
Page 167
See context to find out what was said next.