Public Accounts committee  There was a fund created at the time. I think it was $2.5 billion. That was the amount available to settle claims with first nations—

Public Accounts committee  Yes, there was time-limited funding to increase operations to get through what was considered to be a large backlog of files in assessment—I think there were about 540 of those at the time—and to negotiate more expeditiously.

Public Accounts committee  If I've understood the question, my group is in charge of the assessment of claims and the negotiation of claims. In the event that we don't accept a claim for negotiation, or we have been negotiating for more than three years, the first nation has the option to go to the tribunal.

Public Accounts committee  Again, it's a tough thing for me to express. I know that the chair of the tribunal himself has said that a number of times in his annual reports. Those are public documents. I know from time to time he's expressed that view, but my role at the tribunal is quite separate.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Where you have a land claim, the first nations or the groups themselves—including in the case of the Inuit—are responsible for their own views and for making sure their claims are respected. So the Government of Canada has a role right now that may change through devolution. Presumably, the Government of the Northwest Territories will be able to make its own decisions on how it sees the whole package of different kinds of initiatives going on.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If I understood your question, sir, in a large sense, the federal government is looking to the devolution agreement to transfer more control to local governments, consistent with the approach in the northern strategy that Paula talked about. I think we have a pattern for that. Canada has already done this with the Government of Yukon.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the question, sir. As Paula laid out, these are institutions of public government that are at arm's length from the federal government, so our role often falls to providing different kinds of support. We don't have the lead in developing land use plans, for example.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No. As Paula pointed out, it's now more of an issue between the territorial government and the various first nations governments in Yukon. We have a much smaller role.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Do you have a specific question, sir?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We have had a fair bit of scrutiny on the implementation issues from the Auditor General, and various parliamentary committees. Recently, the Auditor General came out with a report saying that we were making satisfactory progress in a number of areas, and I don't think I'm overstating it by saying some of the Inuvialuit follow-up is among the things on which we are making progress.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I could take a stab at it. It's another part of our department, but I don't want to give you the bureaucratic answer. The ATR is the additions to reserve process. It is really a process that applies--often in the specific claims in the treaty areas--because there was unfinished business in terms of making sure that the lands were transferred, but it's also a process by which you can add reserves that aren't laying specific claims.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you, Patrick. Thanks for the question. By way of context, land claim implementation has been fairly heavily scrutinized over the last decade or so, I would say. The Auditor General has made a number of reports. Those reports have been picked up by various parliamentary committees.