Madam Speaker, the First Nations that met are of the view -- some of them -- that we should not go ahead with this agreement until 50 per cent of the management board for the water basin is comprised of aboriginal people. They also believe there should be some signature involvement of First Nations, including the 32 First Nations that signed the agreement, before the agreement can be executed.

I'm of the view that this is a management document committing governments to work cooperatively, share information and to deal with concerns about water quality and monitor upstream activities. There is strong reason to go ahead with the signing since it has taken over 20 years to get respective governments, for example the governments of BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan, to agree to such a cooperative approach in the first place.

This is not a forum to resolve constitutional and treaty issues. There is simply a vested interest on everybody's part, including the First Nations, that we have all-party commitment to work together. That is what the document is about. The people who are the furthest downstream, the Inuvialuit, the Sahtu and the Gwich'in, are the ones who are in favour of going ahead with the document at this time. Thank you.