Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Finance, the Honourable John Pollard, made a statement today about the health billings dispute. I am finding it very difficult to sit back and not say anything about it. Mr. Speaker, I am a treaty Indian and I am proud to be Dene. This dispute affects my immediate family and the majority of the people in my constituency that I represent in this Legislative Assembly. The people who are non-aboriginal or Metis people in my constituency understand that the majority of people in my constituency are treaty and running for this position, I indicated to people that one of the issues which has to be cleared up is the issue between treaty Indian people in the west and the federal government. This government does not take that very seriously because there are many chiefs and band councils in the west who are saying that there are programs and services which they are entitled to that are being handled in a public government forum, and they are not satisfied with that arrangement. This health billings dispute is a good example, Mr. Speaker, about that arrangement.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has made arrangements with the federal government to provide health services to treaty Indians and Inuit. In my particular case -- I am speaking only about treaty Indians -- treaty rights are in jeopardy. There is a danger and I am scared of this situation on behalf of the treaty Indians in the west. My rights are being negotiated between this government and the federal government, and the treaty Indians themselves who are going to be affected by the results of this dispute are not directly involved. They have to be involved.

---Applause

I know the federal government's position...