Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government, a number of years ago, established through Federal legislation a Polar Commission, and one of the jobs of this Commission was to do the necessary work and lobby to make sure that the Federal Government developed a very clear policy on polar and arctic research. Further, that

the Federal Government would take a systematic approach to declaring publicly what type of financial commitments it would make to a co-ordinated, well thought out approach to arctic and polar research in Canada. That is, to tell the rest of Canada to tell the rest of Canada what is their policy on arctic and polar research, which comprises about one third the physical body of Canada, and to tell the rest of Canada how much money they are going to spend. Of the billions of dollars that they spend on research every year in Canada, how much of it was going to be allocated specifically to the arctic, and further that the polar research was to go about trying to push the Federal Government to develop a co-ordinated mechanism so that of the twenty or so odd Departments and agencies that currently have money to spend on arctic and polar research, to be able to co-ordinate that with each other. Also to show the Canadian public and the people of the North how much each of them have in their little budgets and particularly now, when there are cutbacks, there is a danger that we may find out, before we find out how much they have, that it would be cut.

This has been the policy, the statement, the position that I have taken as a Minister in addressing the conference yesterday, by teleconference, that I support the role that the Polar Commission is playing, to push the Federal Government to develop a National policy, to work towards a long term national commitment to funding, in an organized way, in partnership with Northern and Aboriginal people. That is, to give Northern and Aboriginal people a sizeable portion of the annual financial commitment that they make towards research they do in the north and do it in a coordinated way with people of the north. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. There is a concern on the part of this government on the concern that we have to find ways to get the federal government to respond to this international problem of arctic contaminants. That it has a..it is international, that the federal government needs to move decisively with our support and encouragement to develop the federal policy on research in the arctic on actions that we take in Canada to reduce whatever contribution we make to arctic contamination. And to give out clear policies and direction for the federal government to advance to other circumpolar countries and to advance to the newly established arctic council so that we are represented and Canada does take the lead in taking action, responsible action to reduce our own contribution to the increase of arctic contaminants and to show example by giving specific suggestions, recommendations to our fellow circumpolar countries on how to deal with this problem, and now and rather than wait for a point when it becomes perhaps irreversible. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the criteria for receiving student assistance are basically that there is a total lifetime limit for how much in loans a student can accumulate and whether it be a grant or a loan, there is a requirement that the student have successfully completed, I believe, two- thirds of the courses in the previous year. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Like student financial assistance programs across Canada, there is not a requirement that a student follow only one path. I think there is a recognition that some students decide to change their career path part way through post-secondary education and our system is compatible with those across Canada which allow that to take place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, Tabled Document 94-13(3),

Speaking Notes for Mr. Kakfwi to the Canadian Polar Commission Conference on Contaminants, the Environment and Human Health in the Arctic.

This is currently going on in Iqaluit. Thank you.