I’m still optimistic. For

example, I’m meeting with Dehcho First Nation leadership that were here in the House this afternoon. We expect to be meeting sometime tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Next on my list is Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a couple of general comments, but more likely leading up to some questions as well. But for the most part I think the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs might understand where I might be coming from today, because we had such a large group today. Just touching base with some of the leaders, there’s some renewed optimism that things could be salvaged, things could be made possible in terms of at least realizing a dream for some of us, the conclusion of land claims and self-government arrangements, especially with the regions that haven’t settled yet, including the Dehcho First Nations and Akaitcho.

But before I get there, I am kind of reminded of our responsibility for working with the GNWT, plus the working relationship with the federal government and just the long history of First Nations’ rights in the NWT. I think the leadership of the day, back in the ‘60s, the ‘50s, had a large part in defining Aboriginal rights through the treaty entitlement across Canada and it continues today. There have been legal precedents and, at the same time, jurisprudence on First Nations’ rights and especially harvesting rights. It’s very clear in terms of how it is defined through the federal courts plus the provincial and territorial courts.

My question is: What is this department doing in terms of trying to heed? I know we’ve come a long ways in working to establish a very good constructive working relationship with First Nations, yet with the increased responsibility of devolution, this government has to have a clear mandate in terms of regulating. Plus, in terms of its policy, in terms of the general laws of application, that despite perhaps one group’s clear defined rights within the federal Constitution of Canada there are still policies and regulations that need to be applied. I’m speaking in terms of harvesting rights, in terms of wildlife, whether it’s wildlife in terms of caribou, or else harvesting rights and whether it pertains to forestry and a person has to go in the bush and cut some wood to heat their homes or to put food on the table. Perhaps it would be beyond the scope of the Minister to comment but, I mean, I would like to understand how it is that we’re trying to make the best of possible situations and go forward and be constructive and try to at least maintain good, positive working relationships but, at the same time, ensuring that things are done in a constructive manner.

Basically, what I’m getting at is: Has this government taken on a policy shift in light of devolution, or are we still maintaining perhaps the status quo of trying to at least maintain a good working relationship with First Nations? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In my estimation, there’s been no policy shift. We continue to work at having good working relationships with Aboriginal governments. If anything, we’ve taken on additional responsibilities in a number of areas. I think also some of the recent court decisions with regards to Aboriginal treaty rights and harvesting certainly have clarified a lot of the case law in those areas. I think the best example I can use is the development of the legislation for the Wildlife Act, where we shared with all of the Aboriginal governments to make sure all of the provisions of their land claims and treaties were followed. I still feel the Northwest Territories shows the rest of Canada the way in all these areas when it comes to recognizing Aboriginal and treaty rights when it comes to harvesting and the right to hunt for food. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think this government has a long history of a very good written relationship with First Nations. Recent efforts to try to move forward are really commendable in terms of some of the leaps and bounds we have made thus far. My hope is there could be greater efforts to at least bring on board the remaining outstanding regions that have unsettled land claims. That’s the Tlicho and Dehcho First Nations.

I understand the Premier has committed to meeting with the Dehcho First Nations. He stated recent offers between DFN and the GNWT have been rejected. I’m inclined to ask why those offers were rejected, but I think from here on I am hoping that dialogue will continue and all efforts will be exhausted to try to bring all parties back to the table and a greater effort in trying to reach some creative solutions.

I know it’s challenging. We’ve been at the table before. It’s ensuring the leaders of the day have clear direction given to their staff and the staff follow up to ensure what the leaders envision as agreements are realized. I’m hoping the few days we have before us will be very construction. Just a comment, but the Premier might want to respond. Mahsi.

That’s our hope too. We have 280 days left in our mandate and certainly that would be something we are aspiring to, if we can reach some sort of agreement before the end of our term, the 17th Legislative Assembly. That’s what we

aspire to. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Next on my list I have Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a couple of comments. First of all, the contribution of dollars going into the Aspire Awards. I think it’s a very beneficial program and one way that this government supports non-government organizations that recognizes our Aboriginal Northerners that are doing great work in the North and even across the country. We have had some Northerners that were recognized under this program.

Also, I just want to acknowledge the ongoing support for the Women’s Advisory, which we just witnessed here last week with the Campaign School. I think that was something that this government is supporting these non-government organizations to do good work on behalf of government. I’ve mentioned in this House before about working with non-government organizations to do this.

That leads me into my only question in this area. We see one of the highlights proposed in these estimates is $25,000 in forced growth to increase the level of core funding provided to the Status of Women Council and the Native Women’s Association, and I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen one where it’s highlighted that we’re increasing core funding for a non-government organization. Is this a common practice with this government across all departments, that we work with non-government organizations, and if it is, how many times or how often do we go through the review process? How many years before we look at the forced growth to offset it?

I had questions earlier today about daycare facilities and 2007 was the last time we looked at revising that funding policy. Sure enough, in time, over the eight years, there has to be some forced growth. I just want to know how often this is reviewed and if it’s going to be a common practice within this government, because we do have a lot of great non-government organizations that do excellent work on behalf of government for the people of the Northwest Territories. Is this a common practice across government and is this something we can expect to see as we move forward with all departments?

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The government has what they call the Third-Party Accountability Framework where they review the funding, which is, generally, there are three categories of NGOs that they deal with. In this case, I’d say this is more of like a one-off situation because, from what I could see, the Status of Women Council and the Native Women’s Association of the Northwest Territories had never

received any increase for a long period of time. I’ll ask, through you, Mr. Chair, Mr. Robertson to give a little more detail as to how we were able to come up with $25,000 in this difficult financial period.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Director Robertson.

Thank you, Mr. Robertson. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just following up on that, who initiates the practice? Is it the department that goes to these organizations and seeks this information and whether or not we have to increase the salaries or the core funding to this group, or is it a request brought forth by the non-government organization to initiate the process and that review and make the necessary changes?

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Premier McLeod.

Thank you. The Third-Party Accountability Framework is a government policy framework, and generally it’s up to individual departments to apply it. In this way there is consistency across the government, and if there is an NGO, I guess they deal with individual departments.

Just more of kind of like an education awareness little dialogue here. It’s good to know, because we do, as Members, get approached by a lot of NGOs about core funding, about operations, about salaries, things of that nature. So in terms of how it’s being developed, I know looking at the avenues moving forward. Just more of a comment and I’m glad to see that this department has increased the forced growth for these two organizations, because as NGOs it is pretty tough to do business out there sometimes. I’m glad to see that this department has taken that initiative and worked with these two groups that are doing really good work.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. I’ll take that as a comment. Next on my list I have Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to first of all congratulate the department here for actively taking, as it says in the last bullet, a prominent role on the national front on some very important issues to people in the Northwest Territories and certainly to people in my riding, and that the Government of the Northwest Territories, through the Minister here, is taking on the national spotlight as to the issues that we have to deal with and we have been partners across Canada. I want to say congratulations. Even though we are considered a small government, we carry a big punch sometimes, and that’s good because that’s the uniqueness, as the Minister says. We’re a very unique style of government. When you look through the jurisdictions across Canada, with 40-some thousand people, 42,000 with a budget of $1.8 billion, it’s not very much when you look at it compared to BC’s or Ontario’s budgets. Their transportation budgets beat ours how many times over, and Alberta. Yet, we’re very unique. I want to say congratulations to the Minister and his staff on this important role that he is going to play with the working group and that we’re bringing that uniqueness, and that I want to say that guidance, to what needs to be happening.

The Premier was just talking to my colleague Mr. Moses, and the budget for the Status of Women and the Native Women’s Association is shocking to hear that it’s been three years without them having any type of increase. That’s not good. We need to support these two organizations that have to deal with the role that the Premier is going to be playing on the national front. I look at the budget and I know we can’t increase the budget. I think it should be more than what you guys had in there. It’s not my job though. Your department is very specific in terms of its very uniqueness. It’s a unique department because it deals with Aboriginal rights set by the Constitution of Canada. You’re negotiating new treaties or implementing new treaty clauses in the Northwest Territories. It’s very unique. And that’s all you’re asking for with the amount of work that you’re doing? This is the Aboriginal…(inaudible)… This is big time here. I’m shocked, because what you’re saying here, the bilateral agreements, the cooperation agreements, we have in Canada special rights for Aboriginal people based on history. You can do a history course if you want, but it’s in the Northwest Territories.

My question is in regard to the Intergovernmental Council, the forum, and the unique interests and challenges that we have with Aboriginal governments. These are written, living documents. We write our documents. This Intergovernmental Forum, is this something that the Premier foresees will be continued on in the new government in this forum here? For myself, what are the unique interests that we have and the challenges for

Aboriginal governments to come into force? I want to ask that question.

The other one is: Do we have the support from this department here to work with all the other departments on – it says on page 1 of 2, the second bullet – the appropriate leadership to support as available to all the departments in fulfilling the Government of the Northwest Territories’ objective to strengthen and maintain the relationship. Do we have it, if we were to support the Department of Transportation, ENR and suffer because of negotiations? Some are being negotiated and some of the negotiations are completed and working on implementation. I don’t know how many staff members you have for $9 million that’s in the budget here. But I’m thinking that it’s because you have a big department, and I’m supporting this department if you get it now. I’m supporting the department and I’m saying that it’s really important, really important.

You know what, Mr. Chair? From where the Aboriginal people have been in the past to where they are now, it’s incredible if you look at how far they have advanced their cause and their assertion to their rightful place in Canada and the uniqueness of being in with the Government of the Northwest Territories and in trying to fit in the mosaic of the Canadian Constitution. We had several court cases that ruled in favour of the Aboriginal people. I even asked some of the Ministers what does it mean because of these court cases. That’s what I’m saying.

I just wanted to let the Minister know that do we feel comfortable that, yes, the other departments are getting the support they need from this department here. Are we running thin or are we okay? Are we doing justice to our Aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories? I want to let the Minister know that the work that’s being done in our communities, I’ve been receiving updates on the quarterly reports from the negotiations that have been happening in the Sahtu in regards to what’s happening with our claim and our new treaty.

I just wanted to say in closing with the time that I have, that one leader in Tulita was a good reminder. That leader in Tulita that told me that we can’t always be fighting the territorial government. That’s what he told me. He said that we have to work with them. As the elders have said in the past, we have to work with the government. We could agree to disagree, but we still need to work. I wanted to say that’s what we have to keep telling our young.

With the Aboriginal Affairs, are you working closely with the education system or Aboriginal governments in bringing in living treaties now that are called land claims into our education system and is part of their core curriculum?

I want to leave it at that in giving the Minister and staff kudos, because you have a very important department. It’s with another nation of government and they’re building that nation of government. I think I will leave it at that.

As Mr. Moses said, I think that the Inspire Awards should be looked at also in the Northwest Territories. Not just on a national front but we should look at it territorially again as a discussion, because we would do it. Let’s look at something ahead that we can use to inspire our young people to do good things for everybody in the North here. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just some of the comments that were raised, the Intergovernmental Council we see as a very important forum for the Government of the Northwest Territories to work with Aboriginal governments that have signed on to devolution and that have their own land, so it allows us to collaborate and coordinate.

The land claims are part of our curriculum in the high schools. The Inspire Awards are very inspirational to see successful Aboriginal people in all walks of life. The Aboriginal relations and consultation division is something that used to be housed in Justice and has now been moved to Aboriginal Affairs. I think we’ve expanded it. We just completed staffing the unit and we think it will be very helpful for dealing with coordinating Aboriginal rights and treaty rights, working with all of the departments.

Through you, Mr. Chair, I would like to ask Mr. Goldney to go into a little more detail about that division. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Deputy Minister Goldney.