Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, that would really be outside my area of expertise, and it would be more into the part of the department that's responsible for implementing the self-government agreements, Mr. Bagnell. Just very briefly, when there is a self-government agreement, it's always accompanied by a financial agreement that supports the objectives of the new government, and so it's a process of negotiations.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, we have been working with the friendship centre movement as well, and it's important that they receive the same information.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We are looking at a range of costing possibilities and would be presenting to the government various options about how they might like to implement this. All those discussions have yet to happen. Certainly there would be some careful decisions about what should be put in the spending estimates as a result of this decision.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It really depends on whether a consensus were to emerge about how it could possibly be done. I think I mentioned in my opening statements that there would be various differing opinions about the impact of this, and I think we're a way off yet from reaching a point where it becomes important and on everybody's agenda.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. We've done five, and there are more planned.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We're in touch with regional aboriginal organizations; the First Nations Summit in British Columbia, as an example. Through our regional offices, we have been in contact with those organizations. Who they invite to the sessions is really their own decision.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, exactly, and aboriginal people in the cities would find it harder to get this information, as well.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's true. To your question, do we know what the membership codes are. We know some of them.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, we wouldn't have that; we just have the information that's in the registry.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. Just to explain a bit further, at the time that a membership code is adopted by a first nation, we would know how many people they have as registered Indians, and so we could look at the membership code and decide how many people are likely to become members—we couldn't be certain.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's right.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. Those kinds of meetings are continuing right now. After the engagement process is completed and we've done our synthesis of the comments we've received, we will be proceeding to obtain cabinet approval for the amendment that will be proposed in Parliament. So as part of that process we do need to work with other government departments that are affected to make sure that the costing of the decision is appropriate.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  On the question for me about other jurisdictions and other cases, what I think we would suggest is that we provide you with that information in writing as a follow-up. I haven't brought it with me today and I don't want to mislead you possibly.