Agreed. Thank you. Revenues, recoveries and transfer payments on page 5-30.

Agreed. Thank you. Very agreeable. I'd like now to go back to page 5-7, department summary, total operations expense, $44.639 million. Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to make a motion. I move that this committee recommends that, beginning with the 2005-2008 draft business plans, the Department of Public Works and Services adopt a consistent practice of showing compensation and benefit costs that makes it clear which activities those costs are associated with.

The motion is in order. To the motion. We'll wait until the motion is circulated. I'll call to the motion again in a moment. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Department summary, Public Works and Services, total operations expense, $44 million. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for allowing me to question before you finish off the figures. Just with references to other expenses category for the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Other expenses, $23.909 million. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This includes all of the different sections of the budget that we went through, so this is a total roll up of those numbers. Travel and transportation, $472,000; materials and supplies, $1.191 million; purchased services, $648,000; utilities, $2.697 million; contract services, $17.65 million; fees and payments, $97,000; other expenses, $1.52 million; tangible assets, $36,000; computer hardware/software, $66,000; total, $23,909 million. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Department summary, Department of Public Works and Services, total operations expense, $44.639 million.

Agreed. Thank you. If you could please turn to your infrastructure acquisitions section to CAP-5. No, that's not true, CAP-11. Public Works and Services, asset management, total asset management, $407,000. Agreed?

Systems and communications, total systems and communication, $200,000.

Agreed. Thank you. Petroleum products, total petroleum products, $2.313 million.

Thank you. Total department, $2.92 million.

Agreed. Thank you. Does the committee agree that the consideration of the Department of Public Works and Services main estimates is concluded?

Agreed. Thank you. I'd like to thank Minister Roland and his officials, Mr. Rattray and Mr. Aumond, for their help in this department today. Thank you.

The next department we'll move on to now is the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and I would like to ask Mr. Handley if he has opening remarks for this department.

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to present the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs' 2004-2005 main estimates for the committee's consideration. The ministry proposes the 2004-2005 main estimates as follows:

compensation and benefits, $4.859 million; grants and contributions, $1.95 million; other expenses, $1.634 million; and amortization expenses, $20,000; for a total operational budget of $8.463 million.

This is a $48,000 or 0.6 percent net decrease from the 2003-2004 main estimates. This net decrease is due to the following factors: $128,000 in collective bargaining increases; and $176,000 in budget reduction, mainly in the areas of travel and contract services. The ministry does not collect any revenue and does not require capital funding.

Successful conclusion of lands, resources, self-government, devolution and resource revenue sharing agreements will change the system of government in the Northwest Territories. Programs and services that will be transferred are currently being provided by our government. Our investment in these negotiations is paying dividends.

A Tlicho final agreement was signed on August 25, 2003. A Gwich'in and Inuvialuit self-government agreement-in-principle was signed on April 16, 2003. A Deline self-government agreement-in-principle was signed on August 25, 2003. Self-government negotiations with the community of Tulita were initialled in September 2003. A devolution framework agreement initialled on June 26, 2003 was signed by the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Aboriginal Summit in January and on March 18th signed by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the Honourable Andrew Mitchell.

Lands, resources and self-government negotiations are continuing with the Deh Cho First Nations and Akaitcho First Nations. Negotiations of a lands and resources agreement-in-principle are also continuing with the Northwest Territories Metis Nation.

The ministry is also involved with several ongoing implementation activities. The ministry, Government of Canada and the Gwich'in Tribal Council successfully negotiated a new 10-year Gwich'in implementation plan. The ministry continues to work with Canada and the Sahtu Secretariat towards finalizing a new Sahtu implementation plan.

Working through the Gwich'in and Sahtu implementation committees, the ministry is working with the other parties to develop a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of government economic development programs as they relate to the economic measures objectives in the Gwich'in and Sahtu land claims agreements. The ministry is also working with Canada and the Inuvialuit to determine next steps related to the Inuvialuit economic measures public review.

The ministry and DIAND officials are developing a comprehensive list of outstanding actions required to implement the Salt River First Nations agreement. Government officials expect to meet with chief and council as soon as the list is completed.

The Ministry has 42 positions. In addition, the Ministry receives $308,000 from the Government of Canada to fund three positions to coordinate and manage GNWT implementation activities flowing from the Inuvialuit, Gwich'in and Sahtu land claims agreements.

This concludes my opening remarks. Thank you, Madam Chair.