We work with departments on this where we do get information with potential estimates and we share that with groups involved and, again, there are different levels here. For example, where a land claim is established and a park is a part of that, we hope to have all the information on the table for the decision-makers to make a decision considering long-term benefits to that, whether it’s establishment of a park or establishment of mineral potential that’s there or oil and gas potential. We need to make sure we get that information to them and we would work with the Department of ITI, for example, and other departments that we can gather this information. What I’ll do is request the departments to pull something together to give some indicators and see if we can share that with Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Premier. Committee, we are on page 4-15...

...activity summary, Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, negotiations, operations expenditure summary, $2.748 million. Agreed?

Information item, page 4-16, negotiations, active positions. Questions?

Page 4-19, activity summary, implementation, operations expenditure summary, $643,000. Mr. Yakeleya.

Just in my own region with regard to implementation in the Sahtu Land Claims Agreement, are we... I am hearing we are slow on implementation. I have heard it’s a difficult implementation, from not only us but the federal government. Agreements have been in place for 15 years and we are finally starting to see some implementation here. Are we on par in terms of implementation specific chapters of the Sahtu Land Claims Agreement?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the implementation process is one where once an agreement is signed, then each party then establishes or puts their folks on the implementation committee. From the information I have, there are three meetings a year set out and those are usually established in the agreement initially; how often they would meet and so on. So there are three meetings per year and outstanding issues are addressed through that if there are issues that come forward. They could be specifically identified, for example, if the area of responsibility lies within the federal government. Then it is for them to implement or come up with a plan for implementation on that and again an agreement with the party bringing it back to their principals. From the information I have for the GNWT side, we have no outstanding issues on our implementation file that have been brought to the table, and that process is established in how they can get the issues to the table. What I have been informed in the Sahtu, there is no outstanding issues of implementation from the GNWT side.

The issue I have with the implementation is with the... I guess you look at it in terms of once you settle your negotiations and start implementing, the lay of the land really changes in terms of how our government is going to be in terms of our working relationship. It’s going to change quite considerably. Have we had some discussions in the House regarding the implementation, the potential benefits or potential things we need to be aware of in terms of implementing our self-government agreements?

Plus, this department is at a number of tables here negotiating self-government agreements. That’s a huge impact. God forbid if you settled all of it yesterday. The things like what kind of government we’re going to have. So I just wanted to raise that point. I am not sure if there’s a question there, Mr. Chair, but our future certainly could change significantly of how we operate as a territorial government and how our working relationship is going to be with the aboriginal governments, especially with the number of self-government agreements that are happening across the table here.

Mr. Minister indicated what it costs for one...(inaudible)... That’s a huge number there. That’s a huge chunk out of our budget. I don’t know even as MLAs if we’ll have jobs here. Anyhow, I’m getting more philosophical. I want to ask the Premier in terms of his discussions and strategy work with his departmental staff.

I think the Member has hit on a matter that is important, very important, as we look forward. If every agreement was to be signed and implemented, what would the Government of the Northwest Territories be? Would

it be a relationship, for example, and this is much too simple of a way of doing it, but if it was a relationship like the federal government to the GNWT right now where there are a number of agreements in place that you have to meet the minimums on for delivery of a program or service and you get a transfer payment, delivery on the day-to-day basis will be by that regional government depending on the authority they actually draw down. That becomes the big issue, is to ensure that as we do this, we ensure that we can implement what we’ve agreed to in these agreements and the funding would be there. That is something that is very important for us as we go forward. What will we be? We will need to have that discussion. In a sense, that is why the intergovernmental relations piece is part of this department because we talk about negotiation and then there’s implementation and if that implementation is fulfilled, then it becomes a government-to-government relationship and how we interact with each other and how we sign agreements together for delivery or programs and services. Will there be a reduced role for the Legislative Assembly and a Member from each riding? Well, that’s yet to be determined, but that’s important that we look at that, and that is one of the reasons why I believe the starting of the work we have within the Northern Leaders’ Forum around political development, we need to have that debate amongst the people and leaders in the Northwest Territories. That’s what that process is meant to do, is have that discussion, put it out there for a good, healthy discussion about what the future may hold for us. Thank you.

The last question will be to the Minister regarding his department working with the federal government, Sahtu and Gwich’in on the land access information for companies and people coming into our region. Sometimes they are not aware of the agreement or not interested in looking at how we access our land and they should know. I think there is someone working in this department on land access pamphlets. I will ask the Premier if he can give me an update.

I think that falls in a number of categories. The area we would be involved with is probably in support of the end product of a devolution agreement. Who has those authorities? When do they make them? What kind of consultation do they do in making a decision? There would be areas where there are joint initiatives that we have some authority of and we would go to the appropriate department; for example, Environment and Natural Resources and some of those areas that they would be involved with. There would be some areas that ITI would be involved with, for example. Those specific issues we would be able to address with departments. I think that goes towards the bigger picture overall

about devolution and how decisions are made and how that decision is shared at the end of the day. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, committee. We are on page 4-19, activity summary, implementation, operations expenditure summary, $643,000.

Page 4-20, information item, implementation, active positions. Questions?

Page 4-23, activity summary, intergovernmental relations, operations expenditure summary, $2.368 million. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask the Premier regarding the Northern Leaders’ Forum Fund, $304,000. I am trying to see where I read about it. However, I’ll ask the Premier about that fund.

Thank you. I see some details on the next page, 4-24, but, Premier Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Northern Leaders’ Forum Fund is the money we support the regional leadership in attending the Northern Leaders’ Meetings, as well as the work we are about to do under the political development area. So this is in helping them get to the table as well as establishing those community consultation meetings, and having a wrap-up to all of those meetings and, hopefully coming out with an agreed upon process for all governments in the Northwest Territories. It is an ambitious work that we have set out for ourselves in the next year, but I believe it is critically important.

Part of the discussion we had earlier was that we start to move on this side of it having a better understanding and a common vision of just what areas we’ll all be responsible for, whether it is on the aboriginal government side or the public government side or even, to a degree, the federal government side. Thank you.

Thank you, Premier Roland. Once again, committee, we are on page 4-23, activity summary, intergovernmental relations, operations expenditure summary, $2.368 million.