Joe Handley

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, it is very important for Aboriginal Affairs to keep in touch closely with all the departments who have an interest in anything that is being negotiated. There are monthly negotiation reports that go out to each department. I think this is an item that's on the agenda regularly with deputy ministers. There is also a caucus or a meeting before each set of negotiations happens, so we do view it as important to maintain that contact with the program departments. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, the main piece of this is with the nurse educator mentor positions. In many cases we found that there were difficulties in finding the individuals to hold these responsibilities in the communities. In some cases we also had situations where we might have a nurse educator mentor, but not have a graduate placed in that particular community. So there were difficulties in utilizing this money effectively. Reducing the budget in this area does not impact on the ability of the Department of Health and Social Services to deliver the program. In fact, they are in agreement and are...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled, "Gwich'in and Inuvialuit Self-Government Agreement-in-Principle for the Beaufort-Delta Region." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this project is proposed as a joint venture between the Akaitcho, the Metis and the Power Corporation. The government will not take on responsibility or liability for the impact of it, but we expect that the joint venture partners, if the project goes ahead, would be required to take on those responsibilities that assume the liabilities for the impact of this. The government’s role in this project is to support it--I think it’s good for the region, I think it’s good for the Northwest Territories--and to ensure that it works to the benefit of most people. We believe it’s a good...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the proposal to expand the Taltson is being proposed as a joint venture between the Akaitcho people, the NWT Metis and the Power Corporation. The partners have just begun to do consultations with the communities in the impacted area. Part of the consultation, certainly part of the consideration, is to hear what concerns people may have because of the impact of this expansion. My information from them is that they fully intend to look at the issue of impact benefits. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to a written question asked by Mr. Allen on March 16, 2004, regarding a bill of intent to seek provincial status.

The Government of the Northwest Territories and it partners in the Aboriginal Summit are currently involved in devolution negotiations with the Government of Canada that are expected to lead to the transfer of jurisdiction over lands, water and resources to the Government of the Northwest Territories. While the negotiations are aimed at the transfer to the GNWT of jurisdictions similar to those exercised by the provinces, it is not the government’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The proponents of this very good project, in my view, for the region will certainly be taking that into consideration. The project, when it proceeds, will have to go through the environmental review process. As it does that, no doubt it will go to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, who have responsibility for looking at socioeconomic benefits. It’s through that mechanism and that process that the impact benefits and socioeconomic benefits would be looked at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, under section 12.1.4 there is a review process that is laid out, and one that I would expect we have been following. As agreed, Mr. Speaker, the government shall meet with the Sahtu Tribal Council not less than once every three years to review the effectiveness of programs relating to the objectives of the economic measures section in the land claim agreement. Those sections relate to both traditional economy as well as to broader economic self-sufficiency. We will continue to honour that obligation. If we don't, then certainly there is a dispute...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to report on progress made in advancing issues of importance to the Northwest Territories at federal/provincial/territorial meetings.

A First Ministers meeting was held on January 30th in Ottawa. I provided the Members of this House with a written summary of that meeting noting that there was general agreement by Premiers and the Prime Minister that the issue of sustainability of our national health system is a priority. The Prime Minister confirmed the $2 billion one-time funding commitment of the previous government to provinces and territories for health care. This...

Mr. Speaker, the negotiations that we have with the federal government are three-way negotiations between ourselves, the Aboriginal Summit and the federal government. The Aboriginal Summit, in late January, advised us that they wanted to hold off any further negotiations until April because they were selecting a new negotiator. So we have not had an opportunity to raise this with our northern partner, governor, that’s on this. As soon as negotiations resume, then I will be asking that we put this on the table for consideration. But it is not something that we can do unilaterally, we have...