Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This process fully respects land claim obligations, treaties. What is being talked about is public lands.
It’s clear in the AIP what our commitment is, what the commitment of the federal government is, is to respecting land claims, settlements that are already there, treaties, and should land claims be settled subsequent to the signing and the conclusion of the AIP and whatever lands are chosen, we’ll of course be fully within the provisions, but we’ll meet the provisions and obligations of the federal government. What we are talking about is the management of public lands.
Mr. Chairman, as we sat here today concerned about the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and what’s being done to us because we’re not
making decisions, this process is going to give us the authority so you don’t always have to worry about what Ottawa is going to do in the North next when it comes to those types of processes. That’s what is key here.
There’s also money in here, I’d point out, to continue to have regional leaders’ meetings. The Premier is committed to a process that he’s honouring outside of this particular negotiation process so that we can continue to gather all the leaders at the table. Thank you.