Mr. Speaker, there are a number of processes the Member has talked about, for example, the Protected Areas Strategy. There’s an eight-step process that’s been clearly identified that all parties are familiar with and work with to get through that process and come up with a final decision and position.
On the Nahanni, in fact, when you look at it, when we sit down and have the discussion, we’re about 90 percent in agreement with the groups. We support the fact that there needs to be a Protected Areas Strategy, there needs to be some parks set aside. Our concern is if it ends up totally in the hands of the federal government to manage for time immemorial, what does that mean, in fact, when we talk about self-government when it is the
federal government who will always have the authority in those areas? Then we have to look at, for example, Mr. Speaker, when all is said and done and the land transferred and authorities transferred over, that there needs to be the ability, whether it is programming on the GNWT’s part that remains within the GNWT and the affordability of running those programs or if it’s the programs that the Dehcho First Nations draw down and they need revenues to do that, we need to make sure that there’s a balanced approach so that lands remain available to either Dehcho First Nations or the public government-of-the-day to be able to run those programs that each group is responsible. That’s the balance that we all try to come with and come forward with, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.