Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If there has been some recommendations and reviews done, and I'm sure if it's gone to the standing committee, but to my knowledge the standing committee is telling me there's nothing in the business plans. These business plans are five-year plans, Mr. Speaker, you know, and if you're reviewing and making recommendations on program changes and developments, maybe they should be included in the business plans for that year and the next five years to come. You know, the importance of these programs, I know over the last six months things are really quiet on the NWT front as far as people pounding on your door for income security because it's warm and they don't need the heat so bad, but in the wintertime it really gets heated up. People really get concerned. So I'm just wondering what proposed changes can the Minister provide to Members of this House and the general public that are going to be beneficial for people in the NWT over the next winter? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The program is constantly under review for ways in which it can be improved. In terms of adding money to the budget, at this point there hasn't been any plan to add money to the budget. We're looking for ways to change the program delivery so that we can use what we have in the program more efficiently. There may be some proposals for change and may be some requirement for adding money, but that's something that I would have to discuss after we come up with the program redesign, and that, Mr. Speaker, as I said, won't happen before sometime in November and December. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, these proposed changes and recommendations that this government has been working on over the past six

months seem to be really dragging on and I think in the last session people weren't looking for some major changes to the program, they're not too bad to say the least, but all Members were looking for is just some tweaking in the Income Security Program, the Seniors' Rent Subsidy Program, even the Rent Scale Program. All we were asking for is some small changes that make big difference for the people out in the smaller communities. So what's the big holdup here? Why does it take a year to tweak a program, you know? Like, we would like to see something on paper and be able to assure the general public that, yes, we are tweaking the program to better accommodate specific needs. Can the Minister give us something that we can provide the general public, the income security clients with and say hey, yes, it's going to get better for you. Is there anything like that, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the reasons that it takes so much time to change a program like this is that it is so important to so many people in the Northwest Territories. Because of that, we've spent a lot of time consulting with northerners and people were consulted in every region of the Northwest Territories. A lot of people asked for some significant changes, not just little tweaks, but significant changes. People have asked us to look at changing the program from a program of last resort to a program that looks at what does a person need in order to be more successful, to be more self-sufficient. In other words, how can we better case manage the program so that perhaps we deal with people as individuals instead of just a group of people. To make that kind of change does take time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the importance of the program, as do a lot of clients and people in the NWT, but I just want to specify I think why it's so difficult to change or even tweak these programs is because they're so old. The bureaucracy is so used to delivering these programs there is just no appetite for change. You know, a lot of people in the public service do good work, but a lot of them don't want to change. You know, they've been there so long and they're so used to some programs and the way it's delivered, that there is just refusal in the regions, at the headquarters' offices, even at the local level to initiate any change. I think that any change should come from the top down. If there are some tough decisions that have to be made, then the Minister should make those decisions and say that's what we are going to do. We are just going to do it today, not in a year, in three years or five years. Let's do it today.

Do you have a question, Mr. Villeneuve?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I didn't hear a question there. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this afternoon are for the Premier. As many of my colleagues have discussed already, it is in the area of negotiations for resource and finance arrangements here in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Harvie Andre is the latest federal emissary to the NWT from Ottawa to negotiate these deals. I want to express my hope that he will be able to advance this issue. Mr. Speaker, this Assembly, chiefs and mayors have for years now been very clearly on the record with the federal and provincial governments that this is our goal. Resources and wealth are flying out of the NWT at a rate of about three-quarters of a million dollars a day, Mr. Speaker.

I want to ask now about the critical area, which the Premier has already acknowledged has been a difficulty in the past, and that is the mandate of the federal negotiator. Mr. Speaker, does Mr. Andre have the full authority of the federal government to negotiate the finance deal with us and with aboriginal governments? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I have not seen a written mandate for Mr. Andre but, in my discussions with him, it is clear that he understands our point when we link both resource revenue sharing and devolution. Mr. Speaker, he understands that relationship. Mr. Speaker, there is no indication that he has the authority to overrule the federal Finance Minister who has the ultimate authority in the federal Cabinet on finance issues, but he can certainly carry very strong messages back to Minister Prentice and then onto Mr. Flaherty. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier, in a news interview in the past few days, said it's his hope that this is something that could be done within four months. I guess I am assuming here that we might be looking at certain potential election processes that might engage in that time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to probe this a little bit. Is this four months' time frame something that has been agreed to or discussed with Mr. Andre and, of course, with the aboriginal governments who are party to these negotiations as well, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The four months past I am referring to is an agreement-in-principle, not a complete devolution and resource revenue sharing as was reported. I am talking about an agreement-in-principle. Mr. Speaker, yes, it has been discussed with Mr. Andre. It has also been discussed with Minister Prentice.

Mr. Speaker, let me point out, as Members may recall, in July 2005 or June 2005, we had an agreement. The aboriginal negotiator was ready to recommend to his principals the acceptance of an agreement-in-principle on devolution. We had issue with regard to some of the fiscal side, so we weren't ready at that point.

Mr. Speaker, I also raised with Mr. Andre the need to resolve those six outstanding financial or fiscal issues as a first task. Mr. Speaker, I believe the aboriginal leaders who were onside in 2005 are still onside. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, this deal really is no longer an option for the people of the NWT. It is time for results. What more can we do? The Speaker...I'm sorry, the Premier and his team, many politicians and other northern leaders have very consistently and strongly been on the record that it is time for results, it is time for action. What more can we do, Mr. Speaker, to convince Mr. Andre and his boss, Mr. Prentice, and everybody's boss, Mr. Harper, and Mr. Flaherty, to convince them that this is no longer an option, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is no longer an option for us, as I said in my sessional statement. The situation we have is not sustainable. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Prentice and Mr. Harper have made pretty firm commitments to us on what they think is the element of a good deal. We have told them what we expect to be done. We are entering negotiations with them. I want to work towards an agreement-in-principle within the next few months.

Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, I expect that there is going to be a federal election coming up. We don't have a lot of levers here, but I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that this is the most important issue in my mind for people of the Northwest Territories. If we don't have progress on this by the time the next federal election happens, and it could be as early as spring, I don't know when it would be, then I think we have a major lever at that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.