Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you, honourable colleagues. Ordinary Members have heard clearly the call from some public quarters, that an inquiry should be established under the Public Inquiries Act.
It is the opinion of the Ordinary Members' Caucus that this is a suggestion that is more appropriately considered at a later point in time. It is critical that our law enforcement agencies proceed with their criminal investigation. If unanswered questions persist after the police, the mine safety inspectors, and the coroners dispatch their responsibilities, then clearly there may be a need to consider avenues for an inquiry under the most appropriate federal or territorial legislation.
The second issue, on which the Government Leader commented yesterday, is the matter of the labour management dispute at the Royal Oak Mine. The Ordinary Members' Caucus have noted her comments, and feel that it is imperative for the Government of Canada, through the federal Minister of Labour, to fulfill its obligations to the Northwest Territories, in respect to the settlement of the strike.
Like the Government Leader, ordinary Members feel strongly that we must make it clear that northerners want the Minister here immediately. To that end Mr. Speaker, I will give notice of a motion later this afternoon, on behalf of all my honourable colleagues in the Ordinary Members' Caucus, calling on the Prime Minister of Canada to direct his Minister of Labour to come to the Northwest Territories immediately, and to establish a framework for a speedy resolution of this dispute.
Because of the urgency of this matter, Mr. Speaker, I will be seeking the unanimous consent of this House to deal with this motion today. Mr. Speaker, honourable Members of this House will be aware that for several months, this government had made attempts to find some way to resolve this labour dispute.
To a large degree, efforts in this area have been frustrated by the fact that this is an area that is not within territorial jurisdiction. The efforts have been undertaken, however, have not yet been documented in a comprehensive fashion. For this reason, Mr. Speaker, I will be bringing forward two written questions, today, that will request the government to provide this House with a summary of the actions undertaken, to date, on this issue, as well as the details regarding the frequency of safety inspections undertaken since the outset of the strike. We will be asking the government to place a priority on the preparation of this documentation, so that they might be delivered to this House by Monday, September 28.
While ordinary Members, no doubt, wish to address other outstanding questions surrounding this terrible event, we also feel that we must consider the needs of those who are in mourning. Mr. Speaker, I think we are all aware that in many ways this sense of loss and bereavement extends far beyond the families and friends of the nine miners, and indeed it is felt by all residents of the territories. Out of respect for the heavy feelings which continue to burden many northerners, honourable Members on this side of the House would not wish to make this a time for an irrational and emotional political debate. That time will come, and the information we have requested from the government will, we hope, assist in those future discussions. We will be addressing accountability issues in the future. For today, however, ordinary Members have felt that it would not be appropriate to raise oral questions on the matter of the mine disaster, or related issues. Certain honourable Members may, however, wish to express their sentiments, and those of their constituents, upon the personal tragedy surrounding this event.
In closing, it should be noted that the work of the government must go on. There are very pressing issues before us with respect to housing, our fiscal outlook, and other matters of concern to the people of the Northwest Territories. We will raise oral questions on other issues, and we will participate in consideration of matters before committee of the whole, but Mr. Speaker, we will do it with a heavy heart. In closing, I would again wish to express our condolences to the families, and the friends, of the nine miners who have been lost from our midst. Our thoughts, our prayers, continue to be with you in this time of sorrow.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
