Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was in Ottawa earlier this week making a presentation to the Senate Committee that was reviewing the proposed park, the Tuktut Nogait National Park. I made a point to the federal government and the Senate, that the Inuvialuit have made tremendous contributions to providing protected areas within their settlement region already, and that we were currently drafting an overall Protected Area Strategy for the whole of the western part of the Northwest Territories at this time. I was concerned that unless the federal government showed some flexibility in regard to the concern that the Inuvialuit had about the proposed national park that it may affect the way in which we go about completing the Protected Area Strategy. At the end of the day, I think the Member knows that the Inuvialuit do not need a Protected Area Strategy. It is more for everyone else that would love the comfort of knowing what an overall strategy would be. Namely, the federal government and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
It is true that the Inuvialuit have already made substantially more than their contribution in comparison to everyone else in Canada. They have gone again as willing partners in the development of the Protected Area Strategy. When it comes to a point where the flexibility and the goodwill and the spirit that they went into the development of the strategy with, is not reflected by the federal government who make up a significant portion of the partnership and made up the strategy, it does cause concern. I will be speaking to the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation early next week to decide what should be done, if anything at all, in regard to these recent developments. Thank you.