Mr. Speaker, in the only meeting that I have had with people who are in charge of the R.C.M.P. here in the Northwest Territories, I had suggested to them that there are certain communities that have had long outstanding requests to have R.C.M.P. officers put in these specific communities. I pointed to Wrigley as one example, and as well, there was a suggestion that certain communities such as: Grise Fiord; Paulatuk; and Sachs Harbour; among others, who would, as a result of cutbacks, be unable to enjoy the presence of an R.C.M.P. officer.

What I wanted, as a Minister, was some clear indication from the R.C.M.P. as to what is required in order to maintain these positions, when they were being threatened, as well as to replace officers in locations like Wrigley. That was agreed to, as you know. A week ago, the R.C.M.P. indicated that because of savings they have made through the year, they are able to put R.C.M.P. officers back in certain places like, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, and one or two other communities, but they are unable, as yet, to respond positively to requests such as Wrigley. As a result of my lunch meeting with the Gwich'in Council, Arctic Red River has served notice it has also been asking for many years that this type of service should be provided.

It seems to me that once we work out the type of additional funding that the R.C.M.P. may require to staff these positions, and it should be clear what the difficulties are, such as lack of housing, lack of office space, and in some cases, a lack of adequate housing, then the costs become quite substantial.

We are looking at ways in which we could make it more realistic, perhaps, try to present a realistic proposal to Cabinet and then, hopefully, to this Legislature to provide some comfort to communities like Wrigley and Arctic Red River amongst others.

It is my belief as a Minister, that every community, whether or not there is a level of crime reported, should all enjoy the presence of a police officer. This leads to peace within the community and a sense of security, especially for the elders, and the women and children of that community. The matter is simply to find the most expeditious way of proceeding. Thank you.