Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I noted that the government has decided that they should impose greater burden on the very small lumber industry in the Northwest Territories by increasing stumpage fees. This, obviously, is a revenue initiative. At the same time the Housing Corporation has decided that they will use northern lumber.

I would like to ask the Minister of Renewable Resources, since the price of lumber has really gone down according to the Madison's Lumber Reporter, from $375 per thousand a year ago for two by four's, to $217 as of two weeks ago and there's been a steady decline in the price of lumber, why is it that the government has decided to impose this burden on the industry when prices have suddenly gone down to half of what they were a year ago?