Thank you. Executive Council offices, beginning on page 135 with information items on page 136. Questions? There are no questions, please turn to page 135.

Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Executive Council offices, operations expenditure summary, 2023-2024 Main Estimates, $4,176,000, does committee -- oh, Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. You're just speeding through all this stuff so I commend you for that. But I think this is the section of the EIA budget, if I've got it correctly, where negotiations funding is found. And I'm just wondering what is happening with negotiations. You know, in the last Assembly, the Premier -- when he was a candidate for Premier, he promised to have all the negotiations completed at the end of four years -- oh, I'm in the wrong section. There's one more. I'll wait, Madam Chair.

All right. So please turn to page 135, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Executive Council offices, operations expenditure summary, 2023-2024 Main Estimates, $4,176,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs, beginning on page 138 with information items on pages 139 and 140. Member for Frame Lake.

Wow, thanks, Madam Chair. I think I'm on the right one now. So I mentioned, in the last Assembly there was a promise to get all the negotiations done by the end of the four-year life of the Assembly. And the only thing that happened was an agreement-in-principle on self-government for Norman Wells Metis. And so where are we at with negotiations? Look, I fully recognize that COVID was not helpful in terms of meeting and working together and so on. And I'm not asking the Premier to divulge I hope anything that's confidential, but I think there was a mandate commitment to get two agreements. Are we anywhere near that? You know, we got less -- what, six months, eight months left; are we going to get two agreements? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Actually, yes, so I'm going to try to do this politically correct because negotiations are confidential so you can't really share the process where they are. However, what I can say is that I'm just going to be bringing an information item to Cabinet within the next day or two, and then I'll be providing a confidential briefing, if AOC wants, to the Members to actually tell them where they are. What I will say, Madam Chair, is we're really close and we're a lot farther along than I thought we'd be. And if things aren't done in this government, it'll be really early in the next government. But that's all I'm going to say at this point without going further into that. But I am willing to brief committee at any time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Member for Frame Lake.

I can hardly wait. Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, look forward to some good news on that front and getting more information.

So I guess the next topic is where are we at with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples? You know, it was a mandate commitment to do some work on this and just can the Minister kind of describe where we're at, recognizing that there's also a special committee that tabled an interim report on this topic. So thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I feel like I've already briefed that Member on this item. But for the public, absolutely we are -- again, another exciting piece of work that we're looking. And this work was done with the Council of Leaders table. It wasn't easy. You know, it took a lot of work and not everybody's on board; the majority are on board. This work will be bringing forward a legislative bill in this session. I think we already did the proposal -- give me the right term there, Martin. Legislative proposal he says, because we recognize the committee has to, for 120 days take it on the road. We're at the end of the Assembly. We only have a short amount of time. So we're going to work as close as we can with committee. That is another commitment. I don't know if we've usually done that but I think it's important we work together to get this across the line if it's going to happen. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. So there's a big difference between a legislative proposal and a bill. Are we actually going to get a bill? Because the legislative proposals usually pretty high level shared with Regular MLAs so there can be some, you know, reaction, initial input. But are we going to get a bill? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for asking for the clarification; that's what I was hoping to get. We are going to have a draft bill before this session is finished. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, thanks, Madam Chair. Well, that could be good news; we'll see. But I want to encourage the Premier, the department, I think there's going to need to be a lot of public education, communications work around this. I know that MLAs have been looking at this, how other jurisdictions have attempted to deal with this from some academics and so on, some, you know, Indigenous government leaders. That's all great stuff but I think there's a real big need for some public education and well-crafted education -- sorry, communications materials. Is that something that the department is working on right now as well? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely there is going to need to be a lot of communication and a lot of explaining to the public. I'm actually quite proud of the work that this Legislative Assembly has done on this work. Other jurisdictions have done it, the federal government's done it, and BC has done it, but my understanding I know the federal government didn't consult with us. These things weren't done -- the amount of consultation that we've actually done in the Northwest Territories. So the biggest thing that -- the proudest thing I am for this work is that it was co-drafted with Indigenous governments. It wasn't for Indigenous governments; it is by Indigenous governments. So yes, Madam Chair, we have a lot of education to do and I'd really appreciate actually -- because I know the Member has experience -- if he wants to meet with me at any time after to talk about what he thinks we should do in communications I'd be more than willing to hear that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, I'm going to take the Premier up on that offer. Thanks.

All right. So are there any further questions under Indigenous and Intergovernmental Affairs? Seeing none, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs, operations expenditure summary, 2023-2024 Main Estimates, $7,515,000. Does committee agree?