Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the mandates or the mandate we operate under at Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations does speak directly to our role with aboriginal governments and what we will be like, what we will look like, the arrangements we have with the partnerships in the Northwest Territories. Each table that is discussed and further negotiated and sets further definition as to what will be managed and how it will be managed in the Northwest Territories.
The area of self-government agreements, the land claim agreements, and the impacts on this Assembly are very real. We’re seeing them already in the way we deliver programs and services, the way we set up agreements, our legislative work is impacted by those agreements. In fact, in this area I think one of the big areas we will have to deal with as Members of this Assembly is the mandate review. There are over 100 mandates that are operated and held within Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations and our vision, those mandates will be built off the vision that we foresee, to a certain degree, of where we would see the Government of the Northwest Territories. So I think the upcoming work we’re going to do with Members in the area of mandate reviews is going to be critical as we look forward to see what could be, at least to a certain degree that we can define now the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Further to that, I’ve held a number of discussions, and I know it was discussed at the Dene leadership but I don’t believe they got to a motion, was about constitutional work process for the Northwest Territories. I understand that they’ll probably have
to look at their next leadership meeting in the spring. But within the framework we have to operate, the mandate review will probably be the next big item that we can further define the work that needs to be done by the Government of the Northwest Territories and I look forward to working with Members on that.