Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have two specific concerns in regard to this particular document. One centres around the costs, time and resources to this government to put forward this document and plan. The other centres around my concern as to whether we are advising these people or whether we are actually drawing up government systems for them.

Mr. Chairman, if I may expand on the second one at this point. I noticed that we were supposed to be third party to all this process of establishing a Nunavut government. With that understanding in place, we would just simply take part as to advising these people as to what would be a proper type of structure of government for a number of people down there and for the size of the area. However, I am getting concerned as to the amount of time and effort we are actually putting into this thing. If I may go back a little in time, I recall about this time last year we were presented with Footprints 2, which was second phase of Footprints in the Snow. We considered that particular document and we put forward a fair number of recommendations as to changes to that particular structure. I wonder if we are losing sight of the thought that these people, NIC and I presume the Interim Commissioner are in fact mandated to design this government for these people, and not us, not this government. I am beginning to think if we have not already, we are very close to the border where we are no longer advising these people, but we are actually telling them and doing for them what they should be doing themselves.

Mr. Chairman, in this plan that is being put forward, although there was some exceptions to the plan, by the Members, I believe it was said in more than one instance by more than one Member that in absence of any other plan, we are supporting this plan. I think that is a very important point and that NIC, the Interim Commissioner and whoever else is involved including the feds, should pay attention to that particular statement. Many of us here still believe that it is the responsibility of those people from Nunavut to design and structure their own government, and not this government.

I would further like to point out that in this plan for two territories. We suggested that since they would not have any system in place themselves by 1999, that they adopt this government's system for the time being. That includes the bureaucrats, policies and everything else of this government. I think it is a fundamental and accepted fact that if you want to control anyone, you simply give them a government you designed. My suggestion to these people is that we are giving them a bureaucratic system, they can hire from this government for a minimum of two years. We will be suggesting very strongly to them what type of government they are going to have in the future. If Nunavut people do not take this thing for what it is worth and still proceed with their own type of government, they might just as well continue to belong to this territory. Mr. Chairman, I am very convinced in my mind that, if we look back in history or history in any part of this world, whereby one people wished to take over another country or another small country, the simplest way to do it without actual war is to take over their government and infiltrate their government with their ideas and thoughts. The best way to do that is to supply them with all the bureaucrats. That is the simplest way to do it. I believe that is what is being suggested here.

I have no doubt in my mind that in the past history of this territory there were only two items needed to conquer this territory from the native people. That was the Bible and school books. That is all they needed to conquer and that is what they used. That is what the white man used to conquer this territory. To me, this looks like a simple process which is still continuing, whereby, we are having white men suggesting to the native people what kind of government they want rather than letting them do it themselves. I, for one, do not think we have any right to do that. I feel strongly that Nunavut people fought for many years for the right to design their own government, and we really have no business doing it. Although this document may be called a transition document which would address the design of the two new territories, I believe it is more properly branded as Footprints 3 because that is what it looks like to me.

I really believe this government is stepping out of line by suggesting to these people what kind of government they want. I, for one, do not support this idea that we are going to slowly infiltrate Nunavut by bringing them a whole prepared government. We are going to charge them for it, mind you cost plus, cost plus 10 percent, cost plus 20 percent or whatever we can get away with. I will not accept that. But I believe, Mr. Chairman, that is what Footprints 2 is saying. Those are my comments. Thank you.