Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Chair, I want to ask the Minister in regard to the active positions. I see in here we have seven for the Sahtu, and I just want to ask about the type of active positions in the Sahtu. Is this like they have their own authority or jurisdictions? Do they have to report to the Inuvik region or the Minister of Finance? Are there some independent? Is there a superintendent? I want to see if these active positions are similar to other regions that have their own region.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few comments, as my colleague said, this masterpiece is a Picasso, because sometimes you can’t quite understand, you know? I’m trying to say it’s beautiful. That’s the blunt message, I think, that the Minister of Finance was telling us through the budget address here. It’s a blunt message to the people of the Northwest Territories. Like it, love it, whatever, here are the facts, the cold, hard facts.

Revenue is down, so we’re not going to get a little more progress that we want to have in our communities. We cannot exceed the money that we want to spend by not having...

Is there any sense of this good government going to see Ottawa and the Minister and saying, given that the Constitution has been settled, the Metis people are in the Constitution, is the federal government by any way going to help with our government? Because you do the math of the core funding of $20,000 for a political, constitutional organization, and this is what our government is doing, but the federal government is nowhere to be seen. Is our government doing anything to increase this core funding? This is shameful to give a political organization this type of money.

While we appreciate it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations questions. I listened with interest as the Minister talked about the Metis people organizations in the Northwest Territories. The Premier mentioned $20,000 to the Metis organizations.

Can the Premier inform the House as to how many Metis organizations have received this $20,000 and what is the $20,000 for, for these Metis organizations?

Mr. Speaker, some of the federal government’s responsibilities in jurisdictions do not include the Metis people, such as the University and College Entrance Program.

Is the Government of the Northwest Territories working with the federal government to ensure that the Metis are treated just as the Inuvialuit, Inuit or the First Nations people?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today celebrates the strength of the Metis people. Despite the presence of the colonial powers, the churches, governments and residential schools, the Sahtu Metis have stood strong and have stood for their rights. My questions today are for the Minister of Aboriginal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Can the Premier describe this government’s efforts to further strengthen Metis economic development and participation in major development projects?

Thank you, Madam Chair. If I can just get one question in, if the Minister would provide me some detail on. Hard copy would be fine. I wanted to ask about the gross profits from the sale of the liquor, on page 176. It’s a good business. I wanted to ask, from this number here, have they seen an increase again in the Sahtu region with the gross sale? That’s the only question I have.

That’s okay. I’ve got to think this over here and I’ve got to read the Hansard tomorrow and I’ll have to come back to this maybe through another forum.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome, Minister and staff. I’d like to offer my comments to the Finance department.

Mr. Chair, the comments I want to offer have to do with the points here that look at the resource revenue to Aboriginal governments. Just for clarification, maybe when the Minister responds, are these the Aboriginal governments that have signed on to devolution? I know some haven’t yet come to the point of signing on to devolution. I know the money here, 25 percent is targeted to the Aboriginal governments. So, just more of a clarification.

The $2 million that is established to remediate...

Certainly, Mr. Speaker. There are also the Aboriginal First Nations bands that are in negotiations, but certainly under the federal jurisdictions they certainly get more than $20,000 a year to operate their core funding. I’m trying to see where the equalization of the Metis people to have the same type of treatment by the federal government while our government is doing the best it can with the amount of money that we have.

Where is this Cabinet in regard to seeing what the federal Minister has to say about raising the level of equalization to the Metis people as in the Constitution? Is there a...