Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've undertaken a number of initiatives. One is we're looking at a new collaborative way of negotiating these long, outstanding land claims. We'd be prepared to discuss that. I believe we've offered a briefing to the standing committee to discuss that. The mandates, there were at least three mandates that we think were part of the log jam. One was the requirement for consistency, the other one was to use population numbers from the failed Dene-Metis comprehensive land claim, and also the “me too mandate,” if I could call it that. Those were the three principal mandates...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's correct.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left, Martin Goldney, deputy minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. To my right, I have Richard Robertson, director of corporate policy and fiscal arrangements. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Mining Incentive Program has been very well received in the Northwest Territories, especially with the downturn in the economy. In the two years that we ran the program, it's been oversubscribed. We had $400,000 available for the exploration side; that was oversubscribed. There was about $1.4 million requested and we only had $400,000, so it's obviously filling a very important void. On the prospector's side, it has been fully subscribed where prospectors in a number of regions have taken the training and have received funding through the prospector's program. I think it's going to benefit...

Through you, Mr. Chair, I will ask Lisa Turner to provide that information.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. 2011. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. They are communications positions, so they're all located in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2016-17 main estimates for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. Overall, the department's estimates propose a decrease of $586,000 or 6.3 per cent from the 2015-16 main estimates. These estimates continue to support the objects of limiting expenditure growth in order to sustain the long-term sustainability of the fiscal framework.

Highlights of the proposed estimates include:

$200,000 in initiatives funding to increase the capacity to support the Government of the Northwest Territories new approach to negotiations...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government of the Northwest Territories' mandate document highlights that benefits from non-renewable resource productions enables an investment in many of the priority areas of our Assembly. The primary means by which this government is addressing the Assembly's priorities in this area is the ongoing implementation of the Northwest Territories Mineral Development Strategy. Establishing a Mining Industry Advisory Board has played a very important role. They are helping us to get the word out to industry that the Northwest Territories is a good place to work and to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wouldn't want to take away the responsibility that lies rightfully with the Minister responsible for Women. I will work with her to develop something that we can bring back. Thank you, Mr. Chair.