That’s really good news, $20,000. This is our own funding from the territorial government, no flow-through from the feds? This is out of the goodness of our hearts to fund the local Metis $20,000 to have them operate their office like the Status of Women or the Native Women’s Association? Is that the type of funding we’re looking at? Thank you.
That’s correct. That’s funding from the GNWT. We review it on a periodic basis. Thank you.
I hope the periodic basis is at last once a year. We appreciate it. I don’t even think the federal government is funding it and we’re doing it. That’s the unique challenge in the communities. Some of them do not yet have a land claim organization to fall back on, especially for the Metis people and the locals to come up to the same par as the Dene organizations, band councils. This is peanuts compared to their organizations. There is still an inequity and injustice from one Aboriginal group to another Aboriginal group. It’s clear. We see it in this government and the federal government. I’ve always stated that this is where the Metis and the Inuvialuit need a lot of help in our smaller communities. Certainly, there’s a long way to go.
I do appreciate the increase the government has given. Is this increase for this year? Over the 11 years I have been here, we’ve always had $13,000 for the Metis councils in each community. This is the first time I’m hearing $20,000. We should have had a letter written, a big celebration. Thank you.
The increase happened two years ago. Thank you.
The Minister talked about the funding being checked periodically. If this funding happened two years ago, we know that forced growth has happened. We deal with it in our budgets and the Premier talked in his opening about the Native Women’s Council and the Status of Women getting an increase. So, this was two years ago and we’re still at $20,000. As much as the Metis councils appreciate the funding, if you do the breakdown on core funding that we give to the Metis locals, maybe I could do an exercise as to what it really costs and what $20,000 a year for a native political organization that is recognized and entrenched in the Constitution, Section 35, to implement or have their Aboriginal rights recognized and affirmed. I hope the Minister goes to the federal government and says this is what we’re doing in the territorial government. We’re a small government. What gives here? What gives? This type of funding shouldn’t be allowed in this day and age for an Aboriginal group of this stature that is in the Constitution.
I’m just saying what’s on my mind and my frustration. I know the funding for other Aboriginal groups, they wouldn’t take this. This is to an organization that certainly could use more help in this area. I’m just rambling, so I’ll let it go.
I know the federal government does provide some funding in some cases to Metis locals. Certainly, I’ll apprise the federal interlocutor for Metis, Minister Valcourt, the next time I see him, which shall be soon.
I certainly hope the Minister sees him real soon and makes a point of this inequity, unjust, and that one of the pillars of Canada received some recognition and not to have this type of issue with us.
Anyhow, I just wanted to raise that for the Metis locals. We fund the Native Women’s Association double what the Metis locals are getting. Again, I wish the Premier and I wish the Minister good luck to talk to the federal Minister on this issue here.
I expect I’ll be seeing the federal Metis interlocutor on February 27th of this year.
Thank you, Premier McLeod. Committee, we’re on page 36, corporate management, grants, contributions and transfers, total grants and contributions, $1.205 million.
Agreed.
Page 37, corporate management, active positions. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 39, implementation, operations expenditure summary, $723,000.
Agreed.
Page 40, implementation, active positions. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 43, intergovernmental relations, operations expenditure summary, $1.990 million.
Agreed.
Page 44, intergovernmental relations, grants and contributions, grants, $350,000. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to ask a quick question to the Premier. It seems like a lot of these positions are, well, they are all out here in headquarters. I’d like to ask the Premier, when do they plan to decentralize some of these positions?
I think you’re a page ahead, Mr. Blake, but I’ll leave it to the Premier. Premier McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is not our intention to decentralize any of these positions. We’re a very small unit to begin with and we cover quite a number of files, including federal and national meetings, and so we don’t expect to decentralize any of them.
Thank you, Premier McLeod. Committee, we’re on page 44, intergovernmental relations, grants, contributions and transfers, grants, $350,000.
Agreed.
Page 44, intergovernmental relations, active positions. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 47, negotiations, operations expenditure summary, $2.609 million. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple of questions here. In terms of negotiations and the number of tables that we’re at and where we’re going in terms of progress or not, has there been an increase in the activity in and around negotiations and under this particular activity?
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Premier McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Actually, we’ve gone from 15 tables down to 14 tables with the successful conclusion of the Deline Self-Government and Land Claims Final Agreement.
Thanks to the Minister for that. Good to know. Does implementation enter into this section or is it in another section, and with devolution, has there been an increase in the activity for us in this department in and around implementation?
I think we already approved the implementation section. But devolution was a fairly seamless transition and it hasn’t resulted in any increased requirements for funding under implementation. Most of the implementation is for implementation of land claims or self-government.
Thanks to the Premier for that information. Just one last question. I’d like to ask about negotiations with both the federal government and Lutselk'e Dene Band in and around the Thaidene Nene National Park. Where do we stand as the GNWT? What is our role in these negotiations? Can I get some kind of a status report on where the negotiations are at? Are they at a standstill? Are they moving forward? Are they going backwards? We haven’t heard anything about it for quite some time.
It’s quite a complex arrangement. We have tried to make sure that the negotiations for land claims and self-government, although it’s coordinated, the lead on dealing with Thaidene Nene has been identified as the Department of ENR, working very closely with ITI, Lands, Aboriginal Affairs, Justice and other departments, whereby we expect to have a park complemented by Northern Tools, and there are some active discussions going on as we speak.
Just one last question. Can we get any kind of an indication of when we might get some kind of a resolution and some kind of an agreement on this proposed park?
The federal government has agreed to pause at their end to allow us to work with the Lutselk'e and we expect to have some results by the end of March or early April that would indicate whether we’re moving forward or not.
Thank you, Premier McLeod. Committee, we’re on page 47, negotiations, operations expenditure summary, $2.609 million.
Agreed.
Page 49, negotiations, active positions. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 50, lease commitments. Questions?
Agreed.
Work performed on behalf of others. Questions? Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Just a question here. I note from the ’14-15 Main Estimates to the ’15-16 Main Estimates the amounts are pretty similar but the revised estimates for ’14-15 went up some $200,000 or so. Could I get an explanation as to why the revised mains are so much higher and why we’ve gone back down to a lower number for the start of this budget? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Director Robertson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The nature of these four implementation agreements allow for carry-over of unspent money from year to year. What you’re seeing from the increase from the opening ’14-15 mains to the revised is the accounting entry to record the money that was unspent from the year prior, so we are allowing to carry it forward and it enables to spend it in the year of ‘14-15. The ‘15-16 is the money that will be allocated from the federal government. There will be a similar accounting entry that will take place after the year-end closes to make an adjustment for that carry-over. The good news is we don’t have to return it back to the Canada. We are allowed to carry that forward, but it’s money that we use for the overall coordination which goes towards salaries and our travel and hosting the various committee meetings that we are responsible for. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Director Robertson. Committee, we are on page 51. Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Chair, I just want to understand something from the section here, Sahtu land claim implementation. Under the terms, the territorial government will get funding from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, and Canada will provide a 2015 grant payment to the GNWT to assist the Sahtu implementation activities pursuant to the Sahtu Implementation Plan. Just help me out here. There is one government giving another government money, so then they can help with the implementation of the Sahtu Implementation Plan? Is that normal? Is that what the process is set up to? How many activities, I guess, with the Sahtu Implementation Plan are done or concluded or are ongoing? I’m trying to figure that out here. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Premier McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the Member answered his own question, but I will ask, through you, for Mr. Robertson to go in more detail.
