Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated earlier on, the Canadian Coast Guard plan to cancel an icebreaker to service the western Arctic. Their plan is to use the icebreaker from the east, and that is the plan based on their budget reductions, as I understand. This was announced without any consultation to our people who are going to be effected, the municipalities the honourable Member mentioned, as well as the carriers, NTCL, the government. We are very concerned about that as well. We realize their plans are new and we really have not analyzed what kind of effect it is going to have on the ice breaking services in the north. What I could say is that we are fully aware of the situation, and that we are trying everything that we can to try to change the decision of the Canadian Coast Guard.

As I indicated earlier, the Canadian Coast Guard established a board, called the Arctic Marine Advisory Board, and this is to consult the stakeholders which includes everyone that I mentioned, the NTCL, the municipalities, the government, everybody will be consulted on this matter. What we are doing, the coast guard has expressed an interest in discussing some innovative solutions to ensure that reliable marine activities exist in these communities. There is a meeting coming up again in February in Iqaluit, and we will press this issue some more at that time. Thank you.