Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present the 2009-2010 main estimates for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, DAAIR. The resources provided through this budget will enable the department to meet its core responsibilities. These are to represent the interests of all NWT residents at aboriginal rights tables and through our intergovernmental relations with aboriginal, provincial, federal and territorial governments.

The department is requesting $6.807 million in operating expenses for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. This represents an increase of 4.7 percent or $307,000 from 2008-2009, needed primarily because of a substantive increase in the number of negotiating tables.

In the coming months, an additional four tables are expected to be created by the federal government, bringing the total number of tables in the NWT to 15. This represents an increase of 50 percent from a year ago. Mr. Chairman, while I recognize the challenges associated with community as opposed to regionally based negotiations, Canada and the GNWT are obligated to enter into community-based self-government negotiations with both the Sahtu and the Gwich’in through provisions contained in their respective land claim agreements. Furthermore, First Nations in the NWT retain the right to trigger community-based land claim negotiations. Once Canada agrees to enter into these negotiations, the GNWT is compelled to participate in these new negotiating tables.

With this reality in mind, the GNWT needs to focus its efforts on shaping the negotiations to work towards an outcome that supports sustainable, workable and affordable systems of governance. We simply cannot and should not rely on Canada to represent our interests at negotiations. And just showing up at negotiations won’t be enough. We also need to be sure that our negotiators have mandates that are current. As I indicated previously, we will need to conduct a comprehensive mandate review which is grounded in a discussion about a vision for the NWT and the role of the GNWT.

Such a discussion will need to involve all Members of this Legislative Assembly and I look forward to initiating a series of briefings and discussions with you in the near future.

To ensure that DAAIR, on behalf of the GNWT, is well positioned to represent and promote the interests of all NWT residents at each aboriginal rights table, the department’s 2009-2010 main estimates include:

•

forced growth increases in the amount of

$146,000 to support the incremental costs of negotiating a community-based land, resources and self-government agreement with the Acho Dene Koe First Nation; and

•

strategic investments from the Managing This Land Initiative in the amount of $926,000 to continue work to finalize and implement land, resources and self-government agreements.

Mr. Chairman, as you know, the GNWT has a legal duty to consult with aboriginal governments and

organizations where a government action may infringe upon an affirmed or asserted aboriginal or treaty right. In its recent budget, I was pleased to hear the federal government commit to working closely with provinces and territories to ensure that our collective consultation obligations with aboriginal people are addressed as efficiently as possible.

Commencing in 2009-2010, DAAIR will assume the responsibility for implementing the GNWT consultation framework. As consultation is ultimately about building mutually respectful relationships between the GNWT and aboriginal governments and organizations, this responsibility fits well within the department’s mandate. DAAIR’s primary role will be to assist GNWT departments in developing appropriate consultation plans and conducting proper consultation. The department will also focus its efforts on developing and delivering consultation training modules for GNWT staff in all regions. To assist in meeting these objectives, the 2009-2010 main estimates include strategic investments from the Managing This Land Initiative in the amount of $64,000.

Mr. Chairman, I acknowledge the concerns expressed by Members on the number of aboriginal managers and employees in the department. The Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations along with all other departments are facing challenges in achieving workforce diversity representative of the population. Because the situation is complex and not well understood, we need to resist the temptation to resort to quick fixes, which may not have the desired results.

To better understand why the GNWT has had difficulty in increasing the representation of aboriginal people at all levels of our organization, the Department of Human Resources was commissioned to develop a Corporate Human Resource Strategy that will include a comprehensive affirmative action strategy. The completion of this overall strategy will provide a framework for the development of departmental human resource plans and initiatives, including the development of departmental succession and affirmative action plans. This work will be undertaken during the 2009-2010 fiscal year and will ensure a consistent and coordinated approach across government, providing equitable opportunities for all staff.

In the meantime, DAAIR has utilized innovative approaches in its recruitment efforts that have proven to be successful. In the past two years, five assistant negotiator positions have been staffed through a trainee program. This program provides one-year developmental opportunities to candidates

who do not possess the level of experience required to compete for these jobs and I am pleased to report that the program has been successful. Each individual who has gone through this program has successfully secured indeterminate employment within the department. Three of these employees are indigenous aboriginal persons and I am pleased to report that one has been promoted to a chief negotiator position. To build on our success, we are currently working on further refining this program and allowing more flexibility respecting entry requirements.

To assist employees in meeting their career development goals, DAAIR has supported four employees with education leave over the past two years, three of whom are indigenous aboriginal persons and one indigenous non-aboriginal person. I am pleased to advise that two of these employees have secured more senior level positions within the GNWT.

In the immediate short term, I can assure you the department will make every effort to hire aboriginal summer students and interns this year and continue to work closely with the Department of Human Resources on the development of the overall Corporate Human Resource Strategy.

That concludes my opening remarks. I am prepared to answer any questions committee members may have.