Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm happy that the federal Minister of Justice intended to give our Minister notice of the timetable for the community consultations of the firearms task force group. I would like to ask the Minister, notwithstanding the federal Minister's good intentions, what was the kind of notice that the Minister and his office actually got about the timetable for consultations in our NWT communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I note that several members of the firearms control task force of the Department of Justice of Canada are here today. We discussed their "consultations" in this House earlier. I would like to ask our Minister of Justice if he's had communications from his federal counterpart, the Honourable Allan Rock, about his commitments to consult with the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories on Bill C-68. Thank you.

If I may, Mr. Speaker -- and I regret that I'm not aware of their names -- I recognize Members of the federal gun control...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Stein Lal, QC, former deputy minister of Justice in the Northwest Territories, who is here, I understand, doing work for the federal Minister of Justice on the possible transfer of criminal prosecutions to the Northwest Territories.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I request unanimous consent, through your good offices, to go back to recognition of visitors in the gallery? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll try again. It's unprecedented that a Cabinet Minister would withhold consent. I'm going to try again, and Mr. Todd will pay.

--- Laughter

I would like to request unanimous consent to go back to recognition of visitors in the gallery. Thank you.

Speaker's Ruling

That's fine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do want to clarity that I think this is a commendable initiative. I guess what we would like to know is who the communities deal with it they need intervention from a Minister, if the negotiated discussions reach a point where they need political approval. I take it from the Premier's answer that it would be Mr. Ng who will be directly overseeing this process, and it will be Mr. Ng who communities will meet with in order to conclude the agreements that I'm sure will result from this new approach. Do I have that correct, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. I was quite pleased recently to learn of the new initiative announced by the Premier to take a new approach in allowing community transfer discussions to take place more on a regional basis in the Baffin through Municipal and Community Affairs and the regional director. I think this is going to work very well. I would like to ask the Premier it she could kindly clarify which Minister will be in charge of this new approach in the Baffin. Thank you.