Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I ask the Minister responsible for self-government, Mr. Bob McLeod, on the preparation initiatives underway from the pre-implementation leading up to the Deline self-government in the next two and a half months. What undertaking is underway to assure this Assembly there's going to be a smooth transition? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member is aware, the Deline Final Self-Government Agreement will be coming into effect on September 1, 2016. That will become the first self-government agreement to be negotiated in the Northwest Territories on a community basis. In fact, earlier this week the Deline Got'ine Government held its first election and have elected Raymond Tutcho as its first chief. The GNWT is working collaboratively with Deline and with the Government of Canada to prepare for the September 1, 2016 effective date of the Deline Final Self-Government Agreement, the tri-party Deline self-government implementation working group is responsible for overseeing the completion of the tri-party work that will need to be completed prior to effective date. The GNWT has been assisting Deline and preparing for the effective date by providing income support in areas which it has expertise, such as elections, government operations, and land administration. MACA and Aboriginal Affairs have also formed a bilateral working group with the Deline self-government transition team. This bilateral work is intended to provide support and assistance to Deline in preparing for self-government and to keep one another apprised of progress on their respective pre-effective date activities. In addition, HR and Public Works and Services have been providing support in the area of human resource planning, policy reviewing, and information technology. The Departments of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations and Lands and the Deline self-government transition team have formed a bilateral lands implementation working group to ensure that all matters related to the transfer of Commissioner's lands to the Deline Got'ine Government are completed before the effective date. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Is this working group going to be looking after the remaining Sahtu communities for their self-government initiatives?
I would say that, overall, self-government negotiations in the Sahtu Settlement Area are going very well with several significant milestones having been reached at several tables recently.
If things are underway and going smoothly, can I get a copy of the negotiating schedule, Mr. Speaker?
In Tulita, the negotiators for the parties recently completed a draft self-government agreement-in-principle, which is currently undergoing internal review. I expect to have the honour of signing the Tulita self-government agreement-in-principle in the coming weeks. The Deline Got'ine of Colville Lake self-government negotiation process and schedule agreement was signed in 2014 and negotiations on agreement-in-principle are well underway. Fort Good Hope self-government agreement negotiations, they've reached an agreement on a process and schedule agreement and expect it to be signed very soon. We are ready to begin negotiations with Fort Good Hope and Canada as soon as possible, and Norman Wells negotiations are working towards completing a full draft of an AIP, and I'll make this information available to the Member.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question is that I look forward to working with the Minister to conclude the schedule so we can have target dates before us here to ensure that these dates are met, and any supports that we can provide from this Assembly to ensure that there's an open and transparent negotiating table in the process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I didn't hear a question; more of a comment. However, I'll allow the Honourable Premier if he wishes to answer.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to report that in Colville Lake, with the Deline Got'ine, we are in a pilot project for fast-tracking self-government negotiations, and I expect that we'll all benefit from that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
