Thank you, Madam Chair. Not to belabour the point any further, but will that not have some

type of corresponding effect in the O and M policy and planning budget? Obviously, if we have to approve that budget for that section, did it need the, potentially, $60,000 that we're just going to move on the line item? I'm just curious on the corresponding effect. We're now taking you could say $60,000, for argument's sake, out of it. So what type of net effect will that create? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's sitting in contracts, so there would be a net reduction to contracts, policy and planning O and M, and an increase in contributions. It really depended on how this was going to be treated, but I think now we are fairly certain that this will end up being a contribution. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Yakeleya.

Madam Chair, the issue on the national justice issues, grants to organizations working towards improving the Canadian justice system. Has there been a successful uptake on this funding here? I'm very curious to the type of funding that's available to improve the Canadian justice system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Thank you. I understand that these are very small contributions that we provide for conferences or other specific asks in this area. In terms of what the recent uptake has been in past years, some breakdown of that $9,000, I could probably provide that. I don't think I have that at my fingertips, but I could certainly provide that information if Members are interested.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Yakeleya.

I'm sorry. Madam Chair, I would like to know more about the Minister said he could make it available. Hopefully the request so this can be known in the smaller regions in terms of funding like this is available in terms of conferences. I'm going to make the assumption, I hope these types of conferences are scheduled, or designed, or work in partnership with other departments to have conferences like this in the Northwest Territories, that our contribution to the Canadian justice system. So I'll wait on that, Madam Chair.

The other one I wanted to ask is on the aboriginal court challenges. Has the Minister, or has his department, given any issue to looking at a court challenge by this government here to the UCEP program on the court challenge where the university/college entry program has a definition of aboriginal. When you go into the program itself the specifics get down to, I think, Inuit and First Nation people and not Metis in there. So I think this is a real good court challenge that this department could consider in terms of this, especially in my region where we have a land claim defined under our land claim of aboriginal. I guess I'm asking, would you consider this government taking this type of issue to the federal government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Bell.

Madam Chair, I hope I understood the question, but maybe I'll just provide a little bit of background. We have an Aboriginal Court Challenges Committee that has some funding; as you can see, $40,000. What happens is individuals or non-profit groups interested in further defining an aboriginal right, or protecting an aboriginal right, it would be broadly held by aboriginal people. They would make an application to this committee. The committee would make a recommendation to myself as to whether or not this is something that they thought would properly fit the criteria, and then I would make a decision on that funding. So we could go back into the past years and see what the monies were used for; what types of court challenges, but that is some level of detail that I don't have here today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I could do is provide the program criteria, because I think that would help Members understand the nature of the issues that come forward, and assure the Member that whether or not our government was involved or the complaint was against our government, that would have no bearing on whether or not I would approve the funds. I think we can think of examples with the federal government, where the federal government frequently funds organizations who end up, in turn, using the money to sue them or challenge certain rights. It happens with aboriginal organizations frequently. The same would apply here, and I can assure the Members if it was our government being complained of or challenged, that would have no bearing on whether or not I would approve the funding. It really comes down to the recommendation of the committee coming forward. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I look forward to the criteria. Could I also have the Minister provide names of the people who are on the committee that provide recommendations to the Minister? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

I'll make that commitment and we will get that information for the Member in terms of program criteria. It is available to the public on the web site. I'll certainly provide that to Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Yakeleya. Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Page 7-14, activity summary, services to government, grants and contributions, grants, total grants, $79,000.

Page 7-16 and 7-17, information item, services to government, active positions.

Page 7-18, 7-19, activity summary, law enforcement, operations expenditure summary, $29.900 million. Mr. Hawkins.