Bob McLeod

I recall the Detah meeting with all seven Aboriginal government leaders and Caucus. I think everybody there felt it was a very productive meeting and there was general agreement that we would have a follow-up meeting. We have attempted to do so but we haven’t been able to get an indication of a critical mass of Aboriginal leaders in attendance.

As you indicated in your Member’s statement, we are now into the annual general meeting summer season, so we are quite prepared to meet, probably in the fall sometime.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’ll be very pleased to share the information that we receive, like we always do, with the other side. We are also paying very close attention to Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012 related to responsible economic development. I am led to understand that there are some people that have some concerns with what the federal government is proposing.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to report that we continue to make progress on devolution, one of this Assembly’s major priorities.

Recently we saw the leaders of the Sahtu step forward to re-engage directly in devolution negotiations with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Canada, the Inuvialuit and Northwest Territory Métis Nation by signing the Agreement-in-Principle.

As the MLA for Sahtu has noted, the best way to influence negotiations is to be at the table. The devolution process is only made stronger with the Sahtu back at the table.

We hope to welcome other Aboriginal governments...

As an extension of the comprehensive community-based agreement, the portion that would be negotiated for K’atlodeeche First Nation would be hived off of the larger Deh Cho process.

With regard to the Wildlife Act, the process that we have in place is there’s a seat at the table for the Dehcho First Nations and the K’atlodeeche First Nation, as I understand it, are part of that process. If they choose not to be part of that process, then there are a number of other avenues that are available to participate in the Wildlife Act process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Our government’s role is different, depending on what process is being negotiated. If the K’atlodeeche First Nation decides to go through the treaty land entitlement process or whether it chooses to go through the comprehensive community-based agreement process, those would be two different approaches. Through the treaty land entitlement process, the federal government is solely responsible for Indians on reserves. Thank you.

Thank you. The differences are that treaty land entitlements are built through the treaty process. So on that basis, it specifies what the Hay River Reserve or K’atlodeeche First Nation would be entitled to through that process. With regard to the comprehensive community-based process, it’s more of negotiating of a modern land claims treaty for that community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories is a party, along with Canada, to the negotiations with the K’atlodeeche First Nations. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Tom Beaulieu will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the Council of the Federation Health Care Innovation Work Group in Victoria, British Columbia. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I might add that as soon as I read the Member’s press release we did the letter to the Government of Canada. But we will approach the Environment Minister to get some more specific information as to how the amount of cuts and also how they’re affecting the operation of the federal park system in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like everybody else, and listening to the federal budget of 2012-13 where we learned that 19,689 jobs will be eliminated from the federal civil service, I have not been apprised of the specifics of where the cuts are or what departments and how we will be affected here in the Northwest Territories as of yet other than media reports that we hear occasionally.