Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, speak in favour of Bill 15. It has been my privilege to have voted for all three bills that this Assembly agreed to pass, to enable this claim to happen.
As we have come through many years of negotiating and back and forth, and we have the legislation, of course now the work will begin. It might be the end of a process, but it is the beginning of the real work of putting this to work for the Tlicho people. As my colleague from North Slave said, restoring authorities and responsibilities that had always been with the Tlicho people.
I certainly consider that it was not something that was given back or gifted, they were always there. We are just going through a transition. Along with those responsibilities, of course, will come a new mandate and mantle of self-governance. These things are not easy and I wish the Tlicho people every good wish in making this work. It is now up to them to prove that after all these years they have something that will indeed make a difference in their lives today and in the future.
Mr. Chairman, in the committee's work and in going through my understanding and comprehension of this bill, it has become more and more evident that this new legislation and the new relationship between the Tlicho people and this Assembly changes somewhat. I have been working at trying to make sure that they understand the nature of those changes in terms of this Assembly's responsibility to pass budgets, for instance, to support and uphold the laws and the regulations and the policies that we have that will continue through our relationship.
So I wanted to just put a couple of questions in this area to the Minister, Mr. Chairman, and perhaps in the area of the relationship this Assembly now has or will soon have with the Tlicho people. What will have changed in the way this Assembly operates and in our accountabilities to the Tlicho people? Does anything change there and, if so, in what way? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.