Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The work that we could present would be work that has been done leading up to the proposal of devolution and resource revenue sharing. We haven’t done revised numbers since then, but that is the starting point for us and we could see if we want to go down that avenue. I would like to confirm that before we put what limited resources we have into updating numbers, is to make sure that we agree, as northern leaders, that, in fact, this path should be gone down and there would be support to bring one of these or both of these to a conclusion in our time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there is a cooling off period for DMs. I’ll have to check on the senior management file. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Northern Leaders’ Forum Fund is the money we support the regional leadership in attending the Northern Leaders’ Meetings, as well as the work we are about to do under the political development area. So this is in helping them get to the table as well as establishing those community consultation meetings, and having a wrap-up to all of those meetings and, hopefully coming out with an agreed upon process for all governments in the Northwest Territories. It is an ambitious work that we have set out for ourselves in the next year, but I believe it is critically...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess the determination of where it belongs would be one that would be an interesting debate because, for example, just using the NGO area of criteria when that debate came up in this Assembly, it was felt that it best be held in the Executive because of the weight of the level the Executive office could have on that in moving it forward because it covered a number of departments. The Women’s Advisory, as well, covers quite a number of areas that they would be involved with whether it is to do with health services or education and training pieces that they’ve been...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the funding is usually fully subscribed; in fact, oversubscribed. It is not a large amount. For example, with the Dene Nation, there is more than one assembly they’ve had and they’ve qualified a number of times for that. So we go up to what we can. If there is any possible funding we have in other areas of the department, sometimes we top it up. But that information will show, as it goes around to Members, the previous years’ allocations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be speculating, at this point, what I would say in this area of devolution and revenue sharing. Since it was an approach of this government with the aboriginal leadership in the past to combine those, that is the table that I think we would undertake the work to see if we should pursue one area, if it is devolution first for consideration, and I believe that is where we will be heading towards, at least a discussion on when we get together, let’s look at a way forward, how we re-engage the federal government on this file. On that basis to see if we would in...

Mr. Speaker, the work at the Olympics was one where it’s pan-territorial, so any initiative under that would have worked through the system of deputies that we had in place, and, again, involved the other territories. So I’ll get all the information on that.

By the way, just coming back from the NWT Day, it was a huge success, so our program delivered in Vancouver is getting the attention of the world as the Olympics goes on. Thank you.

I think the Member has hit on a matter that is important, very important, as we look forward. If every agreement was to be signed and implemented, what would the Government of the Northwest Territories be? Would it be a relationship, for example, and this is much too simple of a way of doing it, but if it was a relationship like the federal government to the GNWT right now where there are a number of agreements in place that you have to meet the minimums on for delivery of a program or service and you get a transfer payment, delivery on the day-to-day basis will be by that regional government...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I probably can give a much better answer after we have our March Northern Leaders’ Forum where this item will come up for discussion and we try to find a common process going forward, but I’ll get a note done for all Members to where it sits today. Thank you.

This budget itself doesn’t represent an increase for core funding. As it is, it’s a small amount, the Member is correct, when it comes to operations in any community in the Northwest Territories. Again, this is an example of how we do things different as the federal government doesn’t have any core funding for Metis, which they do for bands across this country.

I would be prepared, if Members of this Assembly want to take a serious look at this level for the next business planning cycle. If Members are interested in this area, I would be prepared to sit down with Members to see if we can...