Bob McLeod

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the page from Yellowknife South, Kailyn Unka, who attends St. Patrick School, and also all the pages who are here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is certainly not something that we have discussed or contemplated since, I believe, it was the 11th or 12th Assembly, I think, was the last time there was any constitutional development that was discussed at any great length.

We haven't raised that matter. With regards to the intergovernmental forum, the way it operates is the chair is supposed to rotate amongst the different governments that are part of the intergovernmental forum. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would be pleased to respond to recommendation from committee on that matter. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're dealing with the Department of Indigenous Affairs, and the four people who went over were all staff. We feel that we will get better service; we will get better advice, because with a very small unit there are days when people are sick or people are on vacation and have nobody to cover. With the corporate services section, we will have more service, better service, and there will always be somebody there to provide us with that service. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I said, if the committee wants us to change the operation of the Public Utilities Board, we would be prepared to look at it if the committee recommends it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. They provided general support. They are still available to provide that support as part of the shared services. The more detailed policy, we kept an analyst position in the department. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We are just following the procedures as laid out in the mandate of the Public Utilities Board, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The issue that was in the courts was with regards to trapping. The Member is referring to whether the North Slave Metis Alliance have a land claims table. That is the focus or the responsibility of the Government of Canada, and the Government of Canada determines whether there are grounds or enough information to determine whether they would have a separate land claims table or not. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

There is a separate division, called priorities and planning, which is later on in the document, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The North Slave Metis Alliance went to court against the Government of the Northwest Territories for a number of reasons, but the court ruled that the North Slave Metis Alliance had Aboriginal right to hunt and fish, and they indicated that there should be a strength of claim assessment done by the government. The previous federal government had done a strength of claim.

There was no land claims table for the North Slave Metis Alliance. We have completed a preliminary strength of claim assessment for the North Slave Metis Alliance. We will be sharing it with the North...