Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There was one on my desk, but I had to send it back for some corrections because I realize that, if it goes without corrections, it's brought to our attention very quickly. You should be receiving it very shortly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm pleased to say that we have made very good progress in this regard and had the opportunity to meet with all of the Aboriginal governments that still have unsettled land claims and had a number of meetings with the federal government, met a number of times with the grand chief of the Dehcho First Nations. There's another meeting scheduled for this week. I'll also be meeting with the federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. As your Member knows, there's three parties to the negotiations and it's more than just making an offer within a specific period of time. We can do that...

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to work with the federal government and Aboriginal governments to further their promotion and protection of Aboriginal and treaty rights. This includes collaborating and fostering government-to-government relationships with Aboriginal governments as well as negotiating and implementing Aboriginal resource and self-governments that respect, promote, and protect the rights and freedoms of Aboriginal peoples as highlighted in the priorities and ministerial mandates of the 18th Legislative Assembly. The successful conclusion of...

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories received notice from the federal government that the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs would be making an announcement during the United Nation's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City regarding its position on UNDRA. The Government of the Northwest Territories, like all other jurisdictions, was not made aware of what that announcement would be until the announcement was made by the Minister in New York. Understanding the implications of Canada's recent full endorsement of the United Nations...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. She didn't indicate in what context that it was read, but certainly what I said in Vancouver is that we will be updating or coming up with a new greenhouse gas strategy in the Northwest Territories where we will be consulting all of the people in the Northwest Territories in that regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I very much appreciate the Member keeping a very close tab on my record. Perhaps she can serve as my campaign manager the next time around. We have accomplished quite a great deal. I'm very glad that she was able to lay out what we have accomplished. I think the Member has to realize that it's not just one person that makes things happen in this Legislative Assembly. It's a consensus government and we all have to work together and for her to pin the tail on the donkey and say I'm the only one that can make it happen I think is being very naive. We all work together to...

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to welcome Members back to the Legislative Assembly for our spring sitting. Our first months as an Assembly were spent working together to define our priorities and agree on a mandate for the government. Our work was guided by a new process convention on priority setting that all Members agreed to. New features of that process included the first ever public debate on priorities, in which all Members were able to speak publicly about what they wanted to see the Government of the Northwest Territories focusing on, informed by discussions with constituents during the...

As I said I'm meeting with the grand chief this week. Later this week, I'll be meeting with the federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. Our negotiators are making sure all sides have a common understanding on the different positions. I expect in the very near future that we will be able to do so.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The agricultural strategy has been worked on for some time. I expect it'll be ready sometime this year. It's just going through the rounds of the different departments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

UNDRIP is an important document that recognizes, among other things, the right of Indigenous people to maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures, and traditions. In 2008, UNDRIP was endorsed through a motion of our Legislative Assembly. The Government of Canada’s recent adoption of UNDRIP in accordance with Canada's laws and Constitution is an encouraging and tangible demonstration of the federal government's renewed commitment to Canada's Aboriginal people. Currently Canada, through Section 35 of the Constitution, has a very robust framework for the protection of Aboriginal...