Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make a statement about recent disturbing events which will impact the north slope caribou calving area. Currently, the United States government is trying to come up with a budget for the next five years. United States President Clinton has submitted a proposal to Congress, who are now in a process of deciding where the money will come from to fuel that budget.
This proposed budget includes a new revenue item where about $1.4 billion will come from the selling of oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the so-called 10-02 lands, the Porcupine Caribou herd's calving grounds.
Mr. Speaker, the Gwich'in of Alaska, Yukon and Northwest Territories are very dependent on the Porcupine Caribou for cultural and economic survival. We are now in a situation whereby, once again, we have people in the south who are not directly impacted by the decision they make, making a decision about an area that is crucial to the lifestyles of northern peoples. The Gwich'in have depended on this caribou herd for hundreds of years.
For the US government to realize the $1.4 billion in revenues, they must remove the current bans on development of these disputed areas. The Gwich'in are adamantly opposed to this. As far as I know, the Canadian federal government also established a position in 1987 which supports that the 10-02 lands be protected. Apparently, this was confirmed in 1993 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Andre Ouellett.
The United States President, Bill Clinton, also claims to protect the 10-02 lands and used this as part of his election campaign.