Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a recent column in Nunatsiaq News by my former executive assistant, Marina Devine, and in an editorial in News/North, March 13, 1995, entitled "What's the fuss", MLAs are accused of jumping on a band wagon, of creating hot air over gun control because it is an election year; we are accused of trying to scare community people silly, that they will be jailed for acting as they ordinarily do in loaning guns or storing them in other people's houses.

We are told calm down, the law hasn't yet been passed and that we will have our opportunity to modify the bill through the parliamentary committee or through the team of officials -- some of which, by the way, helped write this bill, I am told -- which are being sent around to aboriginal communities to try to make sure the new law doesn't interfere with treaty and aboriginal hunting rights.

I am upset with these comments and I would like to make a few points in response. I will only speak for myself. I am not running for office again, I am not electioneering on this issue, this is a very serious issue on which I feel very strongly.

---Applause

And, I think it's unfair to accuse MLAs who express strong views on an issue in the fourth year of their mandate of electioneering, whether they're running again or they're not. This issue not only affects aboriginal people but a lot of people who are my constituents who live an outdoor lifestyle.

Let's look at our situation, Mr. Speaker. First of all, the Liberal government has a huge majority. Government Members dominate the parliamentary committee which will review the bill and the Prime Minister, himself, has stated that he will support this measure. Unless we make noise now, and that's about all we can do here in the north, we have very little chance of our concerns being dealt with. We don't have a lot of leverage, especially since both of our MPs for the Northwest Territories are somewhat constrained by being Members of the government party.

Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to make a few other points on this matter. Thank you.