Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the election process there were a lot of questions in terms of the timeliness and concerns regarding devolution. My question is to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. Can the Minister give us an update in terms of the progress of the devolution negotiations?

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we started out in this Caucus reaching out to Aboriginal governments to develop a better working relationship in order to find common ground on a number of issues including devolution, we are still engaged in that process and looking to have another follow-up meeting to Detah sometime early in the new year.

With regard to actual devolution negotiations, the Government of Canada just recently announced or appointed a new federal negotiator for devolution and we’re in the process of feeling him out. I think there are some official meetings that will be happening sometime soon; if not, early in the new year.

I just wanted to see if the Minister could provide perhaps just a vision in terms of where he sees this relationship building with First Nations going.

Right now in our discussions with the Aboriginal governments we’ve had a wide spectrum of points of view as to how we could proceed or try to find common ground on devolution. My expectation is that sometime soon, before we have a follow-up meeting to Detah, that we would be putting forward some government position as to how we can try to find a way forward.

I just wanted to ask maybe my final question to see if perhaps there will be some form of a forum. I understand there will be perhaps another forum such as Detah, which was fairly significant. Perhaps the Minister will look at convening another session of a forum that could have a venue of maybe a semblance of perhaps a protocol agreement of some sort with First Nations.

That is our intention. Most of the leaders have indicated that before we have a follow-up session, that we have something tangible that we can discuss. At least one of them has said they weren’t prepared to share their ideas; they prefer to wait and see what the government was proposing. So with regard to some sort of agreement, I guess we see it as something that we could do through Section 6. That offer has always been there where we could work out an arrangement through that section. We’d be quite prepared to pursue that angle as well.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Nadli. Okay. Thank you, colleagues. Item 9, written questions. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 8, oral questions, on the Order Paper.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think it’s any debate that there’s a holiday season coming up very shortly. I suspect I have a table officer that would back me up on that statement. My question is for the Premier. Noting that I wish all my

constituents in Weledeh a very merry Christmas and the same to all the residents of the Northwest Territories, what are the wishes of the Premier today?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish the constituents of Yellowknife South and all the people of the Northwest Territories and everybody here a very merry Christmas and happy and prosperous New Year.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that response. One of my favourite activities is to go out and get the Christmas tree with my wife, in snowshoes, and bring it back. I enjoy the smell in the house. I’m wondering what is one of the favourite activities that the Premier engages in over the holiday season.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. That has nothing to do with the Minister’s portfolios of what he has to do in the House. Do you have any other questions?

Thank you. I have no further questions.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories Interim Report for the Year Ended March 31, 2011.”

I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Northwest Territories Power Corporation Annual Report 2010-2011,” “Northwest Territories Hydro Corporation Annual Report 2010-2011,” and “Northwest Territories Power Corporation Strategic Plan 2012-2014.”

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Pursuant to Section 5 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I wish to table the Summary of Members’ Absences for the Period of October 27, 2011, to December 6, 2011.

---Interjection

Order!

---Laughter

I’d like to call the House back to order. Pursuant to Section 68 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I wish to table the 2010-2011 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.

Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with First Reading of Bill 1, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2012-2013. Thank you.

---Consent granted

BILL 1: