Thank you, Mrs. Thompson. Good morning. Orders of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the Members that the Honourable John Todd will be absent from the House today to attend meetings in Rankin Inlet.

As well, Mr. Speaker, tonight I'll be travelling to Iqaluit for a number of important functions which will involve two world leaders.

On Saturday, Iqaluit Mayor Joe Kunuk and I will officially welcome German Chancellor Kohl to Iqaluit and Nunavut. The Chancellor, who will be joined by Prime Minister Chretien, expressed an interest in visiting the Canadian Arctic following the G-7 meetings this week in Halifax.

In addition to their presence in Iqaluit, the Chancellor and Prime Minister will visit Cape Dorset on Sunday, and Pangnirtung on Monday. Baffin Central MLA, Rebecca Mike, will be in Pangnirtung during their visit.

Mr. Speaker, both world leaders will have the opportunity to meet residents of all three communities; to spend some time on the land; and, according to the Prime Minister's office, to view Inuit art and meet some of Nunavut's world-famous artists.

Chancellor Kohl has expressed a particular interest in Inuit art. On Sunday evening, the Government of the Northwest Territories will be hosting a dinner for the Chancellor, Prime Minister and a number of guests from Iqaluit.

Mr. Speaker, Members should also be aware that I will take this opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss a number of territorial issues. I will travel back to Yellowknife on Monday and will be present in the House on Tuesday. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Dent.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Whitford.

The Member for Yellowknife South is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the usual Friday statement today, unfortunately, but I do want to make a few comments about the activities in the Nunatsiaq riding concerning Bill C-68. The Nunatsiaq Coalition Against Gun Control had a meeting last night, and I was asked to convey to Members of this Assembly the fact that members of the coalition are very impressed with the statements and the work that has been done by this Assembly on this issue. They're pleased that at least one level of government seems to be adequately representing the very strong concerns of constituents of my riding and others in the Nunatsiaq riding.

I would like to also announce that they're still working on the petition that I tabled the other day, collecting more names. There are well over 2,000 names that have now been collected, and it is still growing. The plan is to present this petition to the Senate committee and other persons to make them aware of the strength of feelings and the unanimity of feelings on this very important issue in the Nunatsiaq riding.

I would also like to say, Mr. Speaker, that I'm very grateful to have been given the honour of representing the Caucus, through the Caucus Subcommittee on Bill C-68. We have, as you know, some plans to continue our work in Ottawa next week with aboriginal organizations and Senators in a low-key way, but I think it's very important this work continue. So this will be my last day in the House, perhaps my last day this session, perhaps my last day in this House forever. But more about that when I make my reply to the Commissioner's Address, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you. The Member for Yellowknife Centre is seeking unanimous consent. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Lewis, conclude your statement.

Mr. Speaker, my honourable colleague from Yellowknife South, Mr. Dent, has talked about the necessity of a cohesive team approach. The Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson, has mentioned team politics. I agree with these statements, Mr. Speaker, and I think we should start working on it right now before the next Media Sharks charity hockey game. That maybe is the secret. If we can get this House to work as a team for the first time to beat the media, by working cohesively perhaps it could be the seeds of a new approach to politics in the Northwest Territories where we suddenly arrive at the formula to be successful. Who knows, Mr. Speaker? If we do it right, this may become an election issue and people can begin training right now so that in the next Assembly we can get a really good team to beat our traditional enemy at this well-known Canadian game. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Hear! Hear!

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As my colleague, Mr. Whitford, said in his Member's statement yesterday, this is Mining Week here in the Northwest Territories. Mining has played a very important part in the economy of the Northwest Territories for many years, and it has been a key part of Yellowknife. In my constituency, Giant Mine has provided employment and business opportunities for decades. It has been a very important part of the community.

My understanding is that last year, mining provided some 75 per cent of the goods produced in the Northwest Territories, and actually provided 25 per cent of the GDP of the Northwest Territories. So it's a very, very important component of our economy. As the federal cutbacks become more and more of a factor, I think we're going to have to look at the potential that we have. To me, mining is going to provide some of the greatest potential here in the Northwest Territories.

Members are aware that there has been concern by governments right across the country that the mining industry has been leaving Canada. For many reasons, the mining industry has not found Canada to be very supportive of mining, even though, in many ways, the Canadian economy and the very high quality of life that we've enjoyed in Canada has been an important part on mining. But the other governments in Canada are coming around. There are major endeavours now to support mining. In fact, the big find in Newfoundland in Voisey Bay with Diamond Fields Company, could turn around the economy of Newfoundland. It could go from being a very, very poor province with a tremendously high number of unemployed people, to being a self-sufficient province. I think that's a lesson for us, because if we, especially here in the west, don't take advantage of that mining opportunity, and as the federal government cuts back, we're going to have serious economic problems. So I look to the future with a lot of optimism because of the potential in mining.

This weekend, the Chamber of Mines has many events. The mine rescue competition will be at the Yellowknife arena over the next couple of days.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member for Yellowknife North is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a good opportunity for Members to become more familiar with mining and I hope that Members take advantage of this opportunity, get out and talk to the miners and see what they're doing here in the Northwest Territories. I think all of us should remember, although there are very legitimate concerns right now about the environment and very legitimate concerns about self-government, at the end of the day, the mineral wealth of the western Arctic is going to be what we need to sustain us. There is really no other way around that.

So, I think our challenge together is to find a way to ensure that responsible mining responds to the needs of the Northwest Territories -- especially for us over here in the western Arctic -- including environmental concerns. I think we have to get more aggressive and take control over our destiny. At the end of the day, the only way we're going to receive the full benefits of mining is if we control the agenda. Hopefully, the discussions taking place right now on the mining accord will come to some resolution and we, collectively, in the western Arctic can ensure that mining takes place in a responsible way, and can enjoy the full benefits of mining opportunities. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we've had an opportunity in this House on a number of occasions to discuss Bill C-68. I want to personally, Mr. Speaker, thank on behalf of my constituents, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Jeannie Marie-Jewell, Dennis Patterson, Jim Antoine, Fred Koe and, especially, John Ningark for having represented the interests of the people of the Northwest Territories and this Assembly in bringing forward our concerns as they relate to Bill C-68.

It is my impression that they have contributed significantly, from at least hearing the comments of Mr. Ningark who brought forward his personal experiences as an aboriginal person to the Canadian public about the relationship of aboriginal people and the use of firearms -- not for the purpose of abusing them but for the purpose of carrying on a life that has been historic.

So, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank again the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Jeannie Marie-Jewell and Dennis Patterson, for venturing into our capital city of Ottawa to express their concerns. I hope others will accept the challenge. I want to say to them, thank you for the work that you've done and thank you for the ongoing work that you will do during the next several weeks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.