Thank you, Mr. Evaloarjuk. Good afternoon. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, Members. I would like to talk about being a hunter, about hunting and how to treat animals. I would like people to know in the early 60s I lived in an outpost camp and I am happy that I am an Inuk to this day. I am trying to say that when we lived in an outpost camp and if there was no game, we could not survive. My father and mother used to tell us that we have to respect the game and take good care of the game whether it is caribou, or seal, or any kind of animal. If I killed an animal, I would be very happy and I would make sure that the animal is killed before I start skinning this animal. Before I came to Yellowknife, I would go out hunting on the weekends for my family and relatives. When I went hunting and caught an animal, we would say a prayer to give thanks. Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell the people that we have to respect animals that we kill. We have seen footage on animals being slaughtered. I would like people to know that this is not our practice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Mahsi, Mr. Barnabas. Members' statements. Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) I will be speaking in Inuktitut as well. Yesterday, on the national television news, I was shocked to see the slaughter of seals, and how they slaughtered the seals for the skins. Let me go back to the history of my ancestors. They had to hunt to survive and use the skins for clothing. They never skinned a live seal, even if they were really hungry. From our ancestors and elders we have been taught when we injure an animal, we have to do our best to kill the animal so that it does not suffer because they respected what the seal could give them and because the seal was their main diet. Today, the seal is still an important part of our diet. Mr. Speaker, I do not know of any hunter who would skin a live seal. Our main purpose to hunt seals now is for the food. We do not only hunt for the skins. Mr. Speaker, there are very few jobs in my constituency. Some hunters could hunt just for skins, but they do not do this. They know how many seals their families can eat and even though they could make more money from the skins, they just kill enough for their families. Often they give to the elders of the communities and people with dog teams. If they do kill too many seals to eat, they ... (Translation ends)

The Member for the High Arctic is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Barnabas, you have unanimous consent.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members for giving me consent. In the spring and summer, when they kill too many seals they cache the meat to use later when seals are hard to find. Mr. Speaker, I want people to know that we do not kill seals just for their skins. The animals we hunt have been a very important part of our lives and we respect them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.(Translation ends)

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. Again, to correct before I recognized Mr. Barnabas, I also thanked him. I wanted to thank Mr. Enuaraq and recognize Mr. Barnabas. Members' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was very disturbed by what I saw on the National News last night. There was film footage of men torturing seals before they died. Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed for two reasons. The first being that no animal should be mistreated like this. The second is that in my culture the seal is very important. Our elders would be horrified if they saw a hunter mistreat a seal or any animal, for that matter. Mr. Speaker, my father spoke to me this morning about this news item. He was also upset at what he saw. My father is a well known and respected seal hunter. His skills are very well known in the Keewatin Region. He has many years of experience in teaching hunting skills on the land and in the school. Just as he learned from his grandfather, Agotemmariq, about hunting and the respect that they should show the animals they kill, he has taken this knowledge and shared it with the youth. It is taboo in our traditional laws to torture or abuse any living thing from an insect to a polar bear or whale. Elders tell these stories to the younger generations so that they will grow up

-- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I rise to tell this House how my region has looked to the future of economic development. Back in 1980, Charlie Charlo's dream for having our people trained and employed started to become a reality with the construction of the Nishi Khon Complex. This building is owned by the Rae-Edzo Dene Band Development Corporation which is the first ever in the history of the N.W.T. to become a publicly owned aboriginal company.

At about the same time the Nishi Khon Forest Service was established, which has over the years trained and employed many residents of the North Slave region and is owned by the residents of the region, this company started out to be just the seasonal forest fire response team on contract with our government. It has over the years expanded to include N. K. Freeway, the highway maintenance company; PCL/NK, our regional construction company; and NK/Canadian, the helicopter company to provide forest fire response, as well as a number of other businesses that operate within the region and provide training and employment for our people.

The Rae-Edzo Dene Band Development Corporation has expanded from its original beginnings by acquiring partial ownership in Bellanca Developments in Yellowknife, Polar Vision in various communities throughout the north, and by building and leasing space to the government and a variety of other tenants in Rae-Edzo.

Through the years the band councils have established a variety of businesses with each community. All communities within my region now have development corporations that negotiate construction contracts with this government for housing and capital projects that affect each community and employ and train all local people.

The Rae Dogrib Band has purchased a motel in Rae and operates it using all locally trained staff. They also own a large percentage of Northern Distributors Shell bulk oil plant here in Yellowknife, with the hopes of utilizing local trained truck drivers to provide fuel hauls on the winter roads and highways. The Band also has a construction company that takes care of all housing requirements within Rae-Edzo.

Snare Lake, being the smallest community, is not being left behind. Over the last few years they have expanded operations to include a hotel facility in the community. Mr. Speaker, may I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please?

The Member for North Slave is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Rabesca, you have unanimous consent.

A hotel facility in the community, a 50 person construction camp, a general store, a construction and maintenance operation, and are dealing with other exciting projects.

Rae Lakes has also worked hard to provide employment and training to their residents. Over the years the Band Council has acquired a fishing lodge, a motel facility in the community, and has also negotiated for and built all housing and capital projects for the community.

Wha Ti is also providing employment and training for its residents. They operate a fishing lodge and motel, as well as negotiate all construction projects that take place within their community. All using local employment and services wherever possible.

Mr. Speaker, my region has come a long way from the early 1980s, and we feel we are headed in the right direction. We are trying to provide all our people with opportunities that will benefit them and their families for years to come. There is, of course, a long way to go to fully realize the potential of employment and business opportunities within my region, but we feel we do have a good head start. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Rabesca. Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an elected official we have an opportunity to see the good, the bad, and the sometimes ludicrous in public life. Every statement, question, or action becomes scrutinized, criticized, and sometimes, on those rare occasions, applauded. However, my fondest moments to date as an elected official have been when asked to speak at schools or to interact with constituents outside the rhetoric of political life.

This past November, I was invited to speak at Elizabeth Tumblin's class at Nakashuk Elementary School in Iqaluit. Today, when I opened my mail with the usual complaints, issues, and of course bills, it was to great delight that I received letters from Mrs. Tumblin's students in their own handwriting, thanking me for speaking to the class. The students also included their hand drawn pictures of me, and I might add that they give competition in their artistic ability with our own resident artist, Mr. Barnabas.

Mr. Speaker, needless to say that it made my day. The students were doing a project on government and Nunavut, and I was quite impressed with the quality of questions asked by the students. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students of Elizabeth Tumblin's' class for writing me and I look forward to visiting the other schools in Iqaluit when I return home in March. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

The Member for Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do I have any nays? You have some nays. Agreed? Thank you. You have unanimous consent. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Members' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, as others, I would also like to comment on the news story that was there last night on CBC TV, CNN, and other stations. Mr. Speaker, shown on this problem was footage of Newfoundland seal hunters displaying unacceptable behaviour on the treatment of seals that they were harvesting.

I was totally appalled by some of the scenes of cruelty, disrespect, and inhumane practices. I listened to the spokesperson for the sealers and I would agree with her that these were scenes of isolated, unique individuals that do not represent normal hunting practices of the Maritime sealers.

What worries me, Mr. Speaker, and what will be the real tragedy, is the effect that has on the sealskin market that we have slowly been nurturing, ever since Green Peace and others killed the market for seal products that my people, the Inuit, rely on for a living. The market was killed then due to similar pictures being flashed around the world of these same Maritime hunters killing seal pups.

Mr. Speaker, as others have said, it is Inuit tradition to treat all animals with respect, even those that we are harvesting.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would join others in saying shame to the animal rights activists that will exploit these pictures for fund-raising and fighting our seal harvesting around the world, and shame to the those Newfoundland hunters who practice this unacceptable behaviour. Thank you.

Thank you, Members' statements. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to stand today to recognize three young ladies from Rankin Inlet, who will be serving the House this week as Pages. The three young ladies are Kelly Clark, a grade 8 student, Jody Roach, attending grade 8, and Tracey Roach, who is presently in grade 7. Kelly is the daughter of Donald and Simone Clark, who are very active in the educational community in Rankin. Tracey and Jody are the daughters of Ron and Goretti Roach, who are equally active in the community of Rankin Inlet, and I am very pleased, today, to be able to sponsor their participation this week. I would ask all of you to join with me in welcoming them here to Yellowknife. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms Thompson.