Thank you again to the ministers for joining us, and thank you to their teams.
My first question is going to be for Minister Miller. It's probably not going to come as a surprise.
The Northwest Territories has 15 tables where discussions are being conducted on negotiations. Some of them are going very well, and some of them are still struggling.
For sure, we're still feeling the effects from the Conservative government's decision in 2014 to make cuts in the budget for band councils, tribal councils and the negotiating processes. It's something we're still struggling with in the communities.
I think I've raised many times with you, Minister Miller, that we need a better investment in the process, the whole self-government and land claims process. We also need new policies.
I'm very encouraged to see that your department has increased its investment in negotiations and in the implementation of land claims and self-government agreements and treaties by nearly half a billion dollars year over year.
I want to ask you to explain how this increase in funds will support addressing the priorities of the communities, especially those in the north.