Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I am seconding the motion by the MLA for Nahendeh because I feel that before moving to a final devolution agreement, the Dene have to have the opportunity to do a thorough review of what is fully in the AIP and have their input into the AIP. This commission will give them the opportunity. If the commission is put together, that gives them the opportunity to work through the commission to have a good opportunity to look at the AIP as it stands.

All the Dene governments should be benefitting from the Devolution Agreement and they should be part of the decision-making process. It’s important. They are one of the landowners. A lot of the land claim negotiations, some are settled and some are not, but meanwhile, before or during the time or

even after the settlement of the land claims, the Dene people need to have a full involvement in the final agreement. They are one of the landowners, like I said. There shouldn’t be an agreement in place. They shouldn’t be proceeding without the Dene governments. If the Dene governments are not comfortable coming to the table at this point or don’t wish to come to the table, then this would give them an opportunity, maybe, to have another avenue to have the Dene people come to the government. Because, as indicated a couple of times today, as we, as GNWT, at some point it felt like we were on the outside looking in. I think that’s how the Dene governments look at this.

It is my opinion that the original protocol agreement that the Dene people proposed did not pre-empt the Devolution Agreement but, rather, was put in place to protect the future interests of the Dene people.

With that, those are my comments on the motion. Thank you.