Dennis Patterson from Nunavut, where we have a settled major land claim.

Thank you. I really want to welcome you on National Indigenous Peoples Day. It’s so appropriate that we’re meeting today. I’ve been on this committee for 14 years now. I think I’m the senior member.

Yes, still kicking. We have this great history of studying and reporting on legislation to implement modern treaties. Our best moments are when we do this work. I want to assure you, we’ve always taken the position that after long years of negotiations and the clear ratification of your members, this has to be respected.

We have rare permission to sit while the Senate is in session today. I’m confident we’ll get this done before we rise for the summer with the goodwill of all parties in the Senate. We may rise as early as tomorrow, so it’s going to take some procedural gymnastics and a few abridging of the rules here and there to make sure we get it done, but I want to assure you that there’s a lot of goodwill your way.

I’d like to ask you one question. You talked about the great progress you’ve made in developing your economy. Your treaty has fiscal arrangement provisions. Section 25 says that the parties will work together to access efficient fiscal resources to meet the expenditure needs of this agreement as it evolves over time.

I’m wondering if you can give us an idea. Have those fiscal arrangements already been negotiated? How is that coming along? How will those arrangements help make sure that you have sufficient resources to implement this new agreement?

Bears are good, hey? Thank you.

Keep us posted. Thank you very much.