(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On November 3, 4 and 5 the Inuit of Nunavut voted on the ratification of their land claim. They were not only voting to accept the claim but were confirming yet again their desire to create a new territory above the tree line to be called Nunavut.
On behalf of the Nunavut Caucus I would like to state that we will work with the members of T.F.N. and their successor organization, Nunavut-Tungavik, with the Members of this Assembly and with the federal government towards an orderly and fair establishment of this new territory.
In the Nunavut Political Accord, which was signed in Iqaluit on October 30 by the T.F.N., the federal and territorial governments set out the process to be followed by the parties in splitting the Northwest Territories into its two new components. The Nunavut Caucus pledges to work towards an equitable distribution of the resources between the two territories. However, we will not be satisfied until sufficient resources are made available to the new Nunavut government in order for it to have a chance to survive and prosper. We believe that there is much to be done and to this end we encourage the early creation of the Nunavut Implementation Commission, whose task it will be to set the framework of the new eastern territory.