Further to questions from Mr. Lewis, Mr. Speaker, the Canadian polar commission was established with the full support of this government as a body to monitor activities of the Government of Canada and its agencies in scientific research in the north. It is a body with a mandate to report to Parliament on research priorities and research needs of the Canadian north. Mr. Lewis has referred to the conference held in Edmonton, replete with federal officials, which recommends that Canada should develop an economic strategy for the north.

My question is to the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, who has just surprised me by describing this conference as a success, would he not agree that the realm of economic strategy for the Northwest Territories is public policy within the responsibility of the Government of the Northwest Territories and very far removed from research and research priorities for federal agencies in the federal government in the north?