Mr. Chair, the majority of these royalties that we’re talking about comes from Dene territory, from the groups that are not party to this agreement, regardless if it’s the Tlicho, the Dehcho, the Sahtu, the Gwich’in, and I for one feel that you cannot take resources out of anybody’s treaty area without their consent. That is exactly what you’re doing here. I think it’s important to realize that we have to basically agree.
I was at the northern leaders’ meeting a couple of weeks ago and it was pretty clear from all of the Aboriginal leaders that spoke there, that if we cannot resolve the devolution process, why are we even talking about a northern vision if we can’t come to finding a way to work that issue out and find a way to go forward. The way we’re moving on this thing is spend $2.8 million, railroad the negotiations into overdrive, get an agreement in a year and, sorry, if you miss the bus, well, we’re taking your royalties anyway. For me, that is not a process that’s fair to the people in the Northwest Territories, especially for the Dene people up and down the Mackenzie Valley.