Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling the report of the Electricity Review Panel titled “Creating a Brighter Future: A Review of Electricity Rates, Regulation and Subsidy Programs in the Northwest Territories,” commonly referred to as the Electricity Review.

Mr. Speaker, nearly one year ago, on December 4, 2008, I released a public discussion paper on behalf of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee that established the context for the Electricity Review and posed a number of questions for public discussion. The first question posed was: What should be our vision for the future of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Mr. Joe Acorn, the chair of the Public Utilities Board. Also, a couple of constituents from Yellowknife South, Jane McMullen and Mark Warren. Also a long-time colleague and a person recently recognized by the Aboriginal Sport Circle for his contribution to sport and long-time former chief, Jonas Sangris. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled Government of the Northwest Territories Contracts over $5,000 Report for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2009. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled Government of the Northwest Territories 2008 Public Service Annual Report.

TABLED DOCUMENT 43-16(4):

SUMMARY OF MEMBERS’ ABSENCES FOR THE PERIOD MAY 27, 2009, TO OCTOBER 14, 2009

I think the definitions of traditional harvest can be interpreted quite broadly so that it’s not restricted to specifically hunting and fishing, for example. So on that basis, it can be used for a number of different purposes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a number of programs that are covered under the Growing Forward Initiative, and I could go through and list them all or...These include small scale foods, which has a budget of $700,000 over the period of the agreement; northern hydro foods, which has a budget of $380,000; commercial game harvest, $320,000; traditional harvest, $1.160 million; inter-settlement trade, $120,000; environment, $40,000; Bison Strategy, $200,000; national strategic initiatives, $334,000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As a government, we have a process for participating in the various land claims and self-government organizations, and we do have a process for identifying issues for our negotiators to raise. Certainly I’ll communicate the Member’s interests to the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d be quite prepared to research that, although I suspect there won’t be much space identified on a map. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We’ve already identified the municipality of Hay River, for example, the process by which they could access land for agricultural purposes and that they could tax it at a lower rate for the benefit of the farmers and that process is there.

With regard to the other land claims, the Dehcho Land Claim negotiation, the Metis Land Claim negotiation, the Akaitcho negotiations, all of those are under interim protection. So the aboriginal governments could be approached, they haven’t indicated that they would be open to those kind of negotiations. The other areas where they have settled land claims, I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was trying to think of the biggest word I could use to describe what a good idea it is to promote agriculture. So my colleague suggested I use supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. But the Department of ITI has been trying to promote and develop the agriculture sector for some time and we’ve done some work over the years and we do sector strategies in all areas and certainly agriculture is one of them. Thank you.