Now can you turn back to page 2-11, Executive offices program summary, operations expenditures summary, $13.161 million.

Thank you. Does committee agree that that concludes the Department of...Mrs. Groenewegen.

I have a question.

Thank you. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under Minister's travel, in the previous government the Premier used to file a schedule of all ministerial travel, whether it was for home travel or ministerial travel, along with the date they travelled and the cost of the travel. It used to be tabled on a quarterly basis and I'd like to know if that's being done, why it isn't being done, if it's readily available. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think all that information is posted on the website on a quarterly basis. Sorry, we don't provide a paper copy anymore because it's on the website.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. We're on 2-11, Executive offices, program summary, operations expenditures summary, $13.161 million. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just had a quick question with regard to the Department of HR. In the budgeting it appears under the all-in-one package under the Department of Executive. I am just wondering, in next year's budget, is the Department of HR going to have its own tab? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am not sure. I would think if Members want it as a separate one, it could be included separately. Right now it's listed as part of the Executive, but everything is accounted for as it if were a separate department altogether. Mr. Chairman, we can take a look at that. I don't see why we couldn't do it as a separate department the same way we do MACA.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would appreciate it if the Premier could look into that. We just have to make the determination is it or is it not its own stand-alone department. Thank you.

Okay. Before we start, we will go to 2-11, Executive offices, program summary, operations expenditure summary, $13.161 million.

Premier Handley. Does committee agree that the consideration of the Department of Executive is complete?

Does committee agree that the Department of Executive offices is complete?

At this time, I would like to thank the Minister and his witnesses. Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses out. Thank you.

We are now going into Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. At this time, I would like to ask the Premier if he has any opening comments.

I am pleased to present the 2007-2008 Main Estimates for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations.

The department is requesting $7.450 million in operating expenses for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. This represents a 1.7 percent, or $122,000, increase from the 2006-2007 Main Estimates. This increase can be attributed to the following factors:

• • the department received forced growth funding in the amount of $222,000 for collective bargaining increases; and
• • incurred a $100,000 reduction to reflect the transfer of responsibility and associated resources for the Beaufort-Delta capacity building initiative to the Department of Executive.

Mr. Chairman, it has been over a year since the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations received its new mandate of streamlining and improving how we, as a government, work with aboriginal partner governments and organizations. The department has been engaged in several initiatives and has undergone restructuring measures aimed at making the organization more effective in successfully carrying out its new mandate. I am pleased to report that our efforts to date have been accomplished within existing resources.

We have been working hard, and will continue to do so, at establishing respectful government-to-government relations between the GNWT and regional aboriginal governments. In support of this commitment, the department has established an $830,000 intergovernmental initiatives fund to provide regional aboriginal governments with the resources they need to prepare for, and participate in, meetings with the GNWT, and, where necessary, Canada, to discuss matters of interest to the territory at large.

Mr. Chairman, the department remains committed to fulfilling its obligations regarding the finalization and implementation of aboriginal land, resource and self-government agreements. The challenge for the department is to ensure that the various negotiations result in agreements that share some degree of consistency with respect to the role that the territorial government will play in a future Northwest Territories.

Communications will play a key role during this transition period and I will ensure that the department makes every effort to keep various audiences informed about all its functions, including providing regular written updates to Members on both the progress of the various negotiation tables and the status of the implementation of settled land claims.

We share the opinion of Members that it is important to hold land, resource and self-government negotiating sessions where they matter most, which is in communities impacted by such negotiations. The department has achieved successes in this area and will continue its lobbying efforts with the other parties to hold as many negotiating sessions as possible in the North.

Mr. Chairman, I am now prepared to answer any questions committee members may have.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Now I would like to ask Mr. Lafferty for opening comments regarding Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. Mr. Lafferty.

Department Of Aboriginal Affairs And Intergovernmental Relations

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The committee met with the Premier on September 28, 2006, to review the draft business plan for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations.

Committee members noted that the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations is proposing to spend $7.450 million in operations expense for the fiscal year 2007-2008. This represents a small increase of $122,000, or 1.66 percent, from last year's main estimates entirely due to forced growth for wages and benefits.