Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week, Canada's Parks, Wildlife, Forestry and Environmental Ministers made a formal commitment to complete the country's network of protected natural areas which include parks and wildlife sanctuaries by the year 2000. Conservation of habitat is essential for present and future generations of northern residents to continue harvesting fish, wildlife and forests. Our government will work with the federal government and land claim organizations, who are the other land owners in the north, to fulfil this commitment. We will also work with the land and resource users to assess the economic impact of the creation of any new parks.

At the tri-council meeting all Ministers agreed to support the Biodiversity Convention signed by the Prime Minister in Rio de Janeiro. Biodiversity means that we should try to maintain a wide variety of species, both plants and animals, by protecting the habitats which support them. The major action item will be to develop a strategy to implement the convention in Canada. This will be done by a federal/provincial/territorial working group. The Northwest Territories component will focus on designing and managing a protected area, promoting a wider application of traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation and integrating conservation and sustainable use into decision making. In this way we hope to ensure that economic development will proceed without harming our natural resources which are essential to traditional lifestyles. In addition, Mr. Speaker, I would like to add that this was the first time that I have seen aboriginal organizations present at a Ministers' meeting. This reflects the greater recognition of aboriginal participation in intergovernmental forums. Thank you.