Floyd Roland

That is miscellaneous equipment; for example, copiers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, we don’t believe it will be enough and we will have to come forward in a supplementary appropriation manner to request additional funding once we know how many groups would like to go through the format as I was speaking to Mr. Menicoche. So we will expect we will have to come forward to this Assembly for additional funds. Thank you.

As I said, we will provide the list of Metis locals that are receiving funding and those that are in the process of renewing their societies’ obligations. We’ll get that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m here to present the 2011-2012 main estimates for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. The core business of the department is guided by the 16th Legislative Assembly’s goal of a strong and independent North built on partnerships.

The department’s main estimates propose total operating expenses of $7.619 million for the coming year which is a decrease of 6.9 percent, or $561,000, from the 2010-2011 main estimates.

This decrease is attributed to an $864,000 sunset of the resources allocated for the development of a common vision and...

Mr. Chairman, I think the Member, if he looks at Hansard tomorrow, will see I did not use the word full support. I talked about support of this Assembly. Now, yes, as is laid out clearly in policy, any Minister to sign an agreement with any government whether it is a provincial, federal, needs approval of Cabinet. We followed that process, but not without talking to Members of the Legislative Assembly. That wasn’t in this forum, but no one in this Assembly can say they were not informed of the process. Thank you.

I guess the first step would be a response, a formal response, a letter that was sent out inviting a dialogue and communications to happen around the agreement-in-principle. At that point we would discuss a format that would be looked at and then begin to work on a budget that could be used before going into communities and going over the agreement-in-principle. Thank you.

Well, Mr. Chairman, we have Aklavik; we have Fort Good Hope; we have Fort Norman -- as they call themselves in the documents -- Land Corporation; Fort Providence Metis Council; Fort Resolution; Fort Smith; Hay River; Hay River Aboriginal Metis; Metis Nation Local No. 52; Norman Wells Land Corp.; Yellowknife Metis Council; and then we have the Fort Liard Metis Local that’s working on getting back up to speed; Inuvik Metis Local and the Tsiigehtchic Metis. Then there’s the three that were last funded. They’re in the process now trying to get back up to speed, and that’s the Hay River and area...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The area of communications and protocol within Cabinet was one of coming up with a process of clearly establishing our links and communications internally with departments. Right now every department has their own communications portion or function. To pull that together to have a more consistent approach to that, as well as some direct communications themselves on that. We’re still doing the work, but I would say that if I recall the discussion on this, it was more to set up a better coordinated approach in our communications process between the Executive and...

I agree with the Member; we could be here not only all night, but we could be here all year debating one word or two words. That’s how some folks have made a living on negotiations, decades of discussions and no decisions to move forward. We have looked at that. In fact, by signing the agreement we are bound to the terms. For example, under claims obligations, the Tlicho Agreement, an example, 222.5.1, “the Government of the Northwest Territories shall involve the Tlicho Government in the development and implementation of any northern accord on oil and gas development in the Northwest...

Mr. Chairman, earlier today, a number of times there has been talk of a transition into the next government. Clearly, government coming in can review their definitions and standards they put in place to make changes. This is an area that has had some discussion through a number of the budgets and committee, as the Member has highlighted. I would say that that is definitely a possibility of another government having a look and changing the status from where we have come from and looking at this. The Stabilization Fund, one, and that is why the different pieces of it, the board training is...