Merci, Monsieur le President. Earlier today, the Minister of the Executive and Indigenous Affairs made a statement about the tabling of a couple of new offers with regard to negotiations for the Northwest Territory Metis Nation and the Akaitcho Dene First Nation, and there has apparently been some sort of a letter sent to the Dehcho First Nations. Can the Minister describe for us what kind of involvement there was on the part of the Regular MLAs in the development of these positions and letters or offers? Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wrote a letter to the Chair of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning, requesting the opportunity to brief the committee.
Is it fair to say, then, that the Regular MLAs were not informed? We haven't seen these offers, the letter. We weren't informed or involved in the preparation of them before they were delivered to the appropriate Aboriginal governments earlier this week.
These negotiations, a lot of the time, are a confidential process. We requested an opportunity to brief a committee. The only days that the Akaitcho and NWT Metis Nation were available to meet to discuss a revised offer was on May 24th and 25th. To date, we have not received a response to our requests for a briefing of committee.
I would like to ask the Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, then: what role did the joint advisory committee, that is supposed to be Regular MLAs working with Cabinet members, play in the development of these offers and the letter that went to the Dehcho First Nations?
As part of our request, we asked for direction from the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning as to whether we should deal with the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning or the joint committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Mr. Speaker. Just to make it crystal clear, we were not informed of the offer. We have not seen it. We have not seen the offers to the Metis Nation or to the Dehcho First Nations, so I am just wondering: can the Minister commit to provide this information, these letters, to Regular MLAs on a confidential basis so we can actually find out what our government is negotiating? Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, as soon as we hear back as to when we can brief the committee. There has been no revised offer made to the Dehcho First Nations as of yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
