Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a couple of moments to approach the subject of commissions. Over the last number of years we have seen a proliferation of people interested in the Northwest Territories, the circumpolar regions and how we are going to interrelate with the countries who are in the circumpolar areas. Mr. Speaker, the polar commission is proceeding with its mandate. Last week there was a meeting of the Arctic council, and there is also the Inuit circumpolar conference.
Over the last number of years, Mr. Speaker, each one of these bodies have sought to secure information and background from the Northwest Territories, not only through the government, but through the aboriginal organizations operating in the north. They have sought to secure information and have suggested that they did not anticipate beginning the process all over again. We have provided the polar commission with the economic strategy of the Northwest Territories. There have been numerous meetings with government and government officials, and myself, over these issues. We have had input over a number of years on these issues.
We did express to the commission that it would be highly unlikely that any Members could participate in this meeting because the session was, in fact, taking place. However, we did provide them with background and I would like to assure the honourable Member that they did take the economic strategy as a base for moving forward on areas that are common to all Arctic communities, the economic basis of which we live, and the commission did not come by that strategy without our input.
There are a number of commissions, agencies and groups having numerous meetings and conferences. We have recommendations from every area. We have a close working relationship with Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. We attempt to work with that group as well as the regional Inuit organizations which in itself ends up in support of the Inuit circumpolar conference. The Government of the Northwest Territories has, financially and intellectually, put much effort into the Inuit circumpolar conference. Not to be forgotten, we tried to put the same feeder lines into the commission as it was being formed and last weekend. We also have input to the Arctic council as well.
We are doing our best to take part in the planning level so when these commissions, conferences and committees get together, the information which has been gathered by people, over a number of years, is utilized. Unfortunately, I do not know, other than Roland Bailey, who attended the meeting this week. We would have been there had the Legislative Assembly not been sitting. This Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories is the group of people who will be carrying out the recommendations, doing the job and trying to be accountable for the results of recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, I am concerned regarding the proliferation of people's interests groups in circumpolar planning, and I am concerned that these efforts would become fragmented. That is my concern. This is our concern. Who is actually going to be dealing with the actual stakeholders in our communities? I am concerned about this. I am concerned about these broad bodies who seem to operate on another level, rather than the place where the job has to be done.
However, I want to assure the honourable Member that whatever commission, whatever committee forms, we do our very best to make sure that we take the time to meet with these people and take the ideas, the economic strategy and what has been developed here and have them, at least, receive the information. Certainly, from what has come out of the commission, they do not say anything different than what has been said here already. I think the residents of the Northwest Territories can be assured that the basis of the recommendations came from the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.