Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned earlier when I asked the Premier some questions about progress on land claims in the spring, there was some perhaps minor optimism that she would sign a document in the life of this government. I'm just hoping the Premier can update this House whether there will be any signatures in the life of our government. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Madam Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad the MLA's hopeful. I'm hopeful. We've got an extra month, but I'll see. If not in this government, early in the next government. We have a couple that are on the really close. One final selfgovernment agreement is out for section 35 consultation, the Norman Wells agreement. Pending the outcome of that consultation, it could move to the ratification process. I'm hopeful that that'll be probably the soonest one. One reconciliation progress agreement is out for section 35 consultation, the K'atlodeeche First Nation. Pending the outcome of that consultation, it could move to the final agreement negotiation stage. And two final transboundary land and resource agreements are on the verge of starting the ratification processes the Athabasca Denesuline and the Ghotelnene K’odtineh Dene. Pending the outcome of the ratification, these deals could be finalized. So we're hopeful, Mr. Speaker. But it's not really good to count on hope. If not by the end of this government, then my projection would be really early in the next government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, that's a slightly different list than I heard before, that we had Norman Wells selfgovernment. We had the two transboundary; I was aware of those. There was the KFN reconciliation agreement there and hopefully leading to a treaty land entitlement. I understand that is largely federal negotiations. But there was no mention of the Akaitcho AIP which last time I asked this question was out for consultation. Does the Premier have an update on whether the Akaitcho agreementinprinciple is still on track? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would say it's still on track. We had agreed on a draft agreementinprinciple in the fall of 2020. We thought it was going to go out to consultation. The Akaitcho has asked to hold off a while on that one. They want to do some internal review of that as well. So one step forward, one step backwards, that's the way of negotiations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't usually ask openended questions because you know, but it's the end of the Assembly, and I'm just wondering if the Premier has any sort of reflection or a lessons learned, or perhaps that is something the negotiators are doing, about, you know, how we could perhaps speed up some of our negotiations. We have over 17 tables and, you know, to get something signed in four years is, I think, a disappointment. Is there any sort of reflecting occurring either by the Premier or within the department to look how we could speed some of these tables up? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I love openended questions; I can just answer them wherever I want. The reality is is that, Mr. Speaker, if I was to reflect back, there is advice to the next government would be always be flexible, always be open minded, truly hear what people are saying, not just what they speak but what they mean by that. Negotiations take decades is something I've realized. So, you know, I'd like to take credit for all the work. I'd like to be envious a little bit of the next government being able to sign some of these really early on. But the reality is is they take decades; there's three parties that have to come to agreements.
I think the biggest thing that I reflect on in this government's work, though, Mr. Speaker, is that we listened. When I first got elected as Premier and took on the file, I talked to the Indigenous governments. They said there was two things that were really and the MLAs that were really obstacles. One was the core principles and objectives. Many of the Indigenous governments had problems with that, standards that the GNWT in fairness couldn't even meet ourselves. After many discussions with our own departments, we took that off. And so that will forward negotiations.
And the biggest thing, Members at the beginning asked me what is the negotiating mandate not realizing that it's not one mandate just to get some settled, it's negotiating mandates. Every area has a mandate. So I think I was challenged, correct me if I'm wrong, but by Members in the House to publicize them. So, again, I took it to the department and asked them and reflected on it and after many, many discussions, we published them. And, you know what, Mr. Speaker, we never heard a lot of flack from the Indigenous governments. I think that by publishing the core mandates of the negotiating process and taking off standards that no one else could expect to meet will be serve us well going forward in all future land claim and selfgovernment agreements. That's my reflection. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
