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.