Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know why there is there such disparity between the mining industry and the oil and gas industry in the Northwest Territories? Mr. Speaker, the oil and gas industry for the region I represent was a lucrative business for some thirty years until the downturn of the oil and gas industry. In the three years that we have been here, a lot of attention and resources have been spent in one particular sector. The diamond sector, and the amount of resources that have been spent in that sector in regards to developing programs and services, building infrastructure and trying to offset the costs for the gold mines around Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know why it is that there is such a disparity between the mining sector and the oil and gas sector when it comes to distributing resources and developing infrastructure in these industries?

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of regions in the Northwest Territories, besides the North Slave, that have potential. We have to strive for all the areas of the Northwest Territories to develop that potential. Especially when we are importing oil and gas from southern Canada to heat our homes. It is not a way to develop our economy.

Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of potential happening in the Northwest Territories, but we also have to show the oil and gas industry that we do support it and that we will put resources, people and infrastructure into that industry. In the region I represent, there is talk about the gas pipeline from Parsons Lake to Inuvik to run the generating facility there. There is also talk in the Deh Cho region of oil and gas development around Fort Liard. There is the Norman Wells pipeline, there is a lot of land that has been opened up for development, yet this government does not seem to show its support for that industry. It is time that this government ensured that it was equitable in the way it distributed wealth in all industries. Thank you.