Mr. Speaker, I will speak to the matter of the committee but, more importantly, I think I am going to have to clarify the record here. People here are giving the impression that people did not consider the matter of people from the Eastern Arctic, and that is not exactly the case. It is really not a matter that is normally discussed in public but the fact is, and Mr. Pudluk will rise on this, there was only one other person from the Nunavut caucus that considered the position of being on this particular special committee. I just want to clarify this for the record. I do not want to name names but I think the person knows and indicated in this House who that person was. I want to clarify that for the record because I do not think that people like myself appreciate the arguments that are being made with the view that we are being dishonest, or that we are not considering people from the Eastern Arctic, because that is not the case. People know, from my own personal record, that I do not have any biases or arguments against representation from the Eastern Arctic; I never have, so I just want to correct that for the record so that people do not get the impression that I am sitting on the striking committee at the expense of people from the Nunavut area, because that is not true. I think I can speak for all Members of the striking committee on the basis that that is the way we consider placing Members on the special committee.
The other aspect of this particular committee is that special committees now have been reduced to five Members, with no alternates; that is the new rule. If you want to change the idea of special committees, then for God's sake introduce a motion to make the appropriate amendments, but do not accuse Members of the striking committee of trying to ignore the concerns of Nunavut. That is not the case, and I just want to make that point.