Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Continuing on, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m certainly interested in the questions and exchange with Mr. Bromley. A lot of questions have to be thought out. Certainly, when we negotiated and settled the Sahtu Dene/Metis Comprehensive Land Claim, chapter 27 spoke to the Surface Rights Board. Because that legislation hasn’t happened until today and a few months ago we had a Surface Rights Board, we had an arbitration panel that was before us. The arbitration panel, under chapter 6 of our land claim, was like the Maytag repair person, very quiet. The agreement was already negotiated and settled, put together, and we had an arbitration panel but it was never called upon or needed. I met with them every year at our annual Sahtu General Assembly and they were very quiet. So we know we have a value in working things out.

The Sahtu, again under chapter 27, we have the Surface Rights Board. As Mr. Bromley stated clearly, it gets quite complex and confusing. You have settled land claims and land claims being negotiated, so you have different access to lands and different interpretations to lands. In our land claims it’s set out very clearly on the roles and responsibilities of the Surface Rights Board and what we negotiated in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and received assent to this document.

The point I want to make, for clarification, is this act will take in the agreement that we settled here and just to clarify that all members of the board must live in the Northwest Territories. Is that correct?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I’ll just give them a second to get to the page. We’ll go to Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our government policy or rule of thumb is that in every instance we will appoint members from the Northwest Territories. I’ll ask, through you, Mr. Chair, Ms. McLaughlin to point out the exact clause and confirm that.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Ms. McLaughlin.

Thank you, Ms. McLaughlin. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Just for clarification, I hope that she means the regions within the Northwest Territories. Is that my understanding?

Thank you for the clarification. I’ll close the book on that now

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. General comments. Is committee prepared to do a clause by clause. Sorry. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Perhaps it could be a very simplistic question, but perhaps I’ll pose it to the Premier; if not, maybe the staff that are with him. I know the whole intention of this whole exercise is to, of course, bear the responsibility of the GNWT with more responsibilities on the public lands and resources and we’re at that point.

My question is: What role would the Department of Aboriginal Affairs have in terms of the Surface Rights Board Act? Plus, this is rather significant in terms of setting the course for perhaps more decision-making here in the North, but it stems from mirror legislation that goes back to the federal government.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The federal government, or AANDC, still has responsibility with regard to some specific lands, so through you, I’ll ask Mr. Fulford to go into more detail, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Mr. Fulford.

Thank you, Mr. Fulford. Mr. Nadli.

A final question. It’s very clear that we still have a few outstanding regions that don’t have a land claim or a settled land claim per se. I wanted to know, if any, what role would they have in terms of the Surface Rights Board? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are provisions in the bill so that as land claims are settled they’ll be added on to the Surface Rights Board. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you. If I could ask the Premier just to perhaps further elaborate with a formal meeting to acknowledge indeed they have a settled land claim and they’ll be welcomed to the board.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. We’ll actually go to Mr. Fulford for that.