General comments. Mr. Hawkins.

Before we go, I’d just like some direction. I know there were a bunch of questions or general comments made yesterday. I wonder if the Minister wants to respond to them now or wait for the other general comments.

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: tabled documents 4, 30, 38, 62, 66, 75, 103, 133, and 135; Bills 4, 14, 17, 20; Ministers’ statements 65 and 88. What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to reply to the budget address. Again, we are at the end of a government which, basically, we had high hopes coming in here, especially with the priorities we set in the 16th Assembly, to look at things such as reducing the cost of living. I’d like to thank the government and Members of the House for putting the initiative in regard to the power rates across the Territory and reducing the cost of living in that area.

I think, again, that’s one thing that we’ve done as a government, but I think that we still have to realize that we have a...

I’d like to ask the Minister if there were any other proposals put forward than the 5 percent cap. Did we consider a 15 percent cap or was the 5 percent cap something that the federal government wanted? I’d like to know from the Minister if we considered other options than the 5 percent cap of gross expenditures under the agreement-in-principle.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance. One of the concerns that have been raised in regard to the AIP and devolution agreement is the formula being used for other net fiscal benefit and the government having a limit on the cap of 5 percent of gross expenditures under the agreement. I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance if we have taken into consideration mega projects such as the pipeline down the Mackenzie Highway. I think we’re looking somewhere in excess of $900 million. I’d like to know if the government has done an assessment on how this formula is...

Does committee agree that the Minister can bring in witnesses? Mrs. Groenewegen.

Again, I have to remind the Premier that we do have a legal and constitutional obligation to the land claim governments where the government clearly stipulates that they shall involve the Aboriginal governments in the development and implementation of a northern accord or a devolution agreement. That is on constitutionally protected land claims agreements. But yet, by submitting a letter with six outstanding issues that they wanted to address, which basically states that they are putting forward suggestions on how we can improve the agreement, and also include them in those discussions. So...

Thank you. There are no more general comments. As we agreed, we will go into main estimates. At this time I would like to ask the Minister of Department of Health and Social Services if she would be providing opening comments. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to my statement, I made reference to a letter that was sent on April 19th to the Premier on six outstanding issues that the Gwich’in felt had to be addressed before they’d come back to the table. It clearly states that the Gwich’in were withdrawing, and also they were withdrawing the support for the signing of the agreement on May 19, 2007, because they felt it did not accommodate them in regard to the areas of concern.

Again, Mr. Speaker, it took almost seven months for the Premier to respond by way of a letter. Again, he commits to a lot in the letter, but it...