Floyd Roland

I’ll get the information we do have on file. I can’t commit to doing the next piece until we actually know what direction we’re going to take as northern leaders. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Jackson Lafferty will be absent from the House today to attend the federal/provincial/territorial Labour Ministers meeting in Ottawa.

I also wish to advise Members that the Honourable Bob McLeod will be absent from the House today to attend events related to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

I’ll use the regional leaders’ table to pose that type of a question if they want to take part in something like that, but we have to recognize, for example, that these negotiations start at a point, for example, a treaty that’s in place that is defined by the federal government and in their instance, and then defined by the aboriginal group that is negotiating at a different level. At times, there is just not going to be an easy solution, because it is negotiating what that agreement actually is as a starting point and then where it’s being pursued to in improving to a modern-day treaty, as...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sixty-one percent or 11 positions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is NWT Day at the Vancouver Olympics and the beginning of Northern Weekend. It will also mark the culmination of our participation and investment as a government in these Winter Games.

Our goal was to build an awareness of our NWT identity, to encourage healthy choices among our people and to promote and advance the development of a diversified economy. We wanted Canada and the world to know that the Northwest Territories is a dynamic Territory with immense economic potential, diverse cultures, world-class art and fine crafts, unique tourism...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome Ms. Weslosky to the House. Ms. Weslosky is the executive producer of CNBC weblog DealFlow that has a viewership of 88 million people. She is in the capital working on a series which will focus on the aboriginal business partnerships. She is joined by Mr. David Connelly, president of Ile Royale Inc., a management consultancy firm in Yellowknife. Welcome.

One of the main reasons to get together with members of committees with ourselves is to clearly establish the process forward with information that can be shared. Those type of commitments, input into how we go forward in developing our responses and those areas where we’re, as well, not just solely responsible for area but where other governments are involved. We’ll have to establish that. I understand that we’ll have both a law clerk as well as a justice to help us navigate those waters.

As I’ve stated, with that briefing to committee, the information that we’ll be able to share on timelines, if that is one of the things we need to nail down is that process and information available to share at that time, I’m sure the Ministers will be prepared to do that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The question about the Taltson River hydroelectric facility, the project, as it is right now, has gone through its environmental work, the regulatory piece. In fact, they’re looking at the transmission line and adjustment there. The work around the partnership agreement as well as the power purchase agreements is ongoing. The work that is involved in this, as Members are aware, is taking quite some time to come up with the project as it is. We have entered in and are working on a partnership with, as Members are aware, Deze with the NWT Metis and the Akaitcho, as well...

We’ll be able to put a package together on the timelines and commitments that are required of everybody that stepped into this process and will be able to do that with committee.