Joe Handley

Mr. Chairman, the money that I referred to in the opening remarks, the $313,000, is money that is flowed to us from the Government of Canada to fund three positions for implementing the Inuvialuit, Gwich’in and Sahtu land claim agreements. So that is federal money. But in terms of implementing the agreements, we also, as a government, spend a considerable amount of money implementing all of the articles in the agreements that are within our mandate. For example, in forestry or wildlife we contribute substantially through the various departments, not through this department. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is always room to streamline and if we can find areas to do it in, then we will do that. We certainly take seriously the committee's recommendation that we look at how we can integrate IGRASP and Aboriginal Affairs and for that reason, I have not appointed another deputy minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Rather, I have asked Mr. McLeod to assume both roles; not both salaries, but both roles.

We have been doing it that way and I intend, as soon as we have time to do this -- and I hope we can do that this summer -- to start doing some work on how we could...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On my left is Veronica Puskas, the manager of planning and analysis for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs; on my right is Bob McLeod, deputy minister of the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, if the Members look at the 2004-05 year they’ll notice that we had nothing in it in the main estimates for 2004-05, but in the revised mains we put in $30,000. What we do is, this sunsets each year and we ask departments to contribute towards the $30,000 from across the GNWT and we come up with that. So our intention in future years, of course, is to continue to contribute $30,000 to this very worthwhile cause. So this year you will see again a revised mains with the $30,000 in it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs' 2005-2006 Main Estimates for the committee's consideration.

The proposed operational budget for the ministry is $8.198 million. This is a $265,000, or 3.1 percent, net decrease from the 2004-2005 Main Estimates due to the following factors:

$297,000 in budget reductions, primarily in the areas of travel and contract services, as well as a reduction of one position;

a $30,000 net increase in term funding to resource devolution negotiations; and

a $2,000 increase from Public Works and Services to assist with...

Mr. Chairman, I certainly agree with the Member that we don’t want to centralize communications. I think that would cause immense failure in our communications as a government. We’re not thinking at all of going in that direction. But I think through technology there are ways for us to continually improve our communications. One, of course, is right to the basics of our communications people meeting regularly. On top of that, there may be things that we can do with better web sites and other ways of ensuring the communications is coordinated.

We are looking at ways of doing that but, as I said...

Mr. Speaker, my view or my vision of what this document will look like would be a document that would have pan-territorial chapters that would deal with things that go right across the North and then there would be chapters dealing with issues and priorities for the Northwest Territories. When we meet with the Circle of Northern Leaders, I want to present them with some draft action plans for them to start looking at and I hope at that time we would then have some feedback. I’m sure the Member will raise the issue about seniors at that time. We would take the comments from the Circle of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me are Bob McLeod, deputy minister for the Executive, on my left; and Carl Bird, director of corporate services for the Executive. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our elders are very important to us and to aboriginal cultures in particular. There is need, as we develop the strategy, to have some consultation as we talk about safe, healthy communities to ensure that there is a way for elders, whether it’s through band councils or through municipal councils or through their MLAs, to have some input into government and the things that we do as the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to present the 2005-2006 Main Estimates for the Department of Executive.

For 2005-06, the Department of Executive is requesting a budget of $8.946 million, which represents a .83 percent, or $76,000, increase from the restated 2004-2005 Main Estimates.

The Department of Executive has identified economizing measures in the amount of $314,000 from the restated 2004-2005 Main Estimates.

$42,000 for the Beaufort-Delta office. When the department was first asked to identify areas of reduction, the regional office in Inuvik was explored as potentially rendering savings. At that time...