Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that response, Mr. Chairman. I think, in keeping with Mr. Ballantyne's recommendation that we should look beyond our own borders within Canada, I think it's also important to look beyond our borders in the world, particularly the circumpolar world. I know that sometimes it seems like a luxury or tremendous expense to cultivate international relations but there usually is a payoff.
Even those who are questioning the costs of circumpolar relations have to look at the visits over the years to the Soviet north which have finally produced concrete economic benefits for NWT companies in the form of construction opportunities, particularly in the Sakha Republic. I think Mr. Todd has informed Members of this House that recent exploration in Greenland about transportation initiatives could also produce some very concrete opportunities, not just savings in the cost of imported goods, but also the possibilities of applying northern Canadian technology in building airports.
I guess I would like to thank the Minister for his answer, reinforce that, in my opinion, this is a worthwhile expenditure of effort and suggest that, even though we're without a circumpolar affairs officer within the department, consideration should be given to assigning one of the existing staff with that mandate. This is just a suggestion I would like to make.
The other good reason for circumpolar work, Mr. Chairman, is the environmental threat that is very real, particularly from the Soviet Union. Oil spills and radioactive material are good reasons to have connections with the Soviet Union and to watch what is going on. Mr. Chairman, that's a comment. I won't ask the Minister for a response, I'm satisfied that he is going to look into the issue and perhaps pay attention to my advice. Thank you.