Joe Handley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs has had a look at the offer. We still have to do more analysis of it, but, at the first look at it, it appears to be an offer that is very similar in nature to the other settlements that have been achieved in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, there will be a meeting with all of the parties on June 19th. At that time, they will jointly take a look at the offer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, yes, the GNWT will be there on June 19th and on further negotiating sessions. With regard to our position on the various issues, Mr. Speaker, I would like to leave that to the negotiators. I don’t have enough detail to be able to enter that debate in the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, yes, the GNWT will be there on June 19th and on further negotiating sessions. With regard to our position on the various issues, Mr. Speaker, I would like to leave that to the negotiators. I don’t have enough detail to be able to enter that debate in the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide Members of this Legislative Assembly with an update on the Western Premiers’ Conference that I attended this week in Gimli, Manitoba. Western Premiers discussed a wide range of issues of interest to the Northwest Territories, including the green economy and energy, transportation, pandemic preparedness and strengthening the federation.

In a follow-up to when we invited regional aboriginal leaders to meet with western Premiers as part of the 2004 Western Premiers’ Conference held in Inuvik, Premiers again met with the leaders of the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide Members of this Legislative Assembly with an update on the Western Premiers’ Conference that I attended this week in Gimli, Manitoba. Western Premiers discussed a wide range of issues of interest to the Northwest Territories, including the green economy and energy, transportation, pandemic preparedness and strengthening the federation.

In a follow-up to when we invited regional aboriginal leaders to meet with western Premiers as part of the 2004 Western Premiers’ Conference held in Inuvik, Premiers again met with the leaders of the...

Mr. Speaker, the regional superintendents of the Executive will report directly to the deputy minister of the Executive or the secretary to Cabinet. That person reports to me. The executive directors will give us regular reports on the activities in the region and that will include any description of any difficulties they’re running into. They will certainly have the authority to call together all of the regional superintendents or any one superintendent if they feel there is an issue and report on that. Mr. Speaker, if there are difficulties or problems or crisis happening, then it will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard someone say when you get the billion dollars.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, we would need to have justification for a superintendent, and staff, and office space, and so one to move departments. In some cases there isn’t the workload right now. You know, if we’re successful in getting infrastructure money for a highway through the Sahtu, then it may at that time be justified, but right now I don’t think there’s the workload. The same applies I believe with Justice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update to Members on the National Summit on Post-Secondary Education and Skills I attended in Ottawa on February 24, 2006.

Mr. Speaker, in August 2005, the Council of the Federation recognized that governments, educational institutions and the private sector must work together to develop and implement a plan for higher education and skills training for Canadians. Premiers McGuinty and Charest were tasked with convening a summit of stakeholders to examine key issues and challenges in post-secondary education and skills to help...

Mr. Speaker, the Executive superintendents in the regions will not be dictators or some kind of autonomous rulers in there. They’re going to have to live by the guidelines, the directions, the legislation and the Minister’s direction the same as all employees. So they won’t be able to overrule the whole system. No, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Where the programs have been transferred to the Sahtu region, then they will have the same autonomy as any other region. An example is with the Housing Corporation; transfers have not been completed in other departments. Transportation, for example. We would have to make that at some point in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.