Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about the economics of a lot of the smaller communities where a lot of people depend on their personal skills and the crafts they have been able to generate by sewing, making snowshoes, tanning moosehides, harvesting wildlife, fish and caribou meat to sell, not only locally, but also to other communities in other regions.

Mr. Speaker, I believe this is one sector of the economy where we have to start seriously looking at the opportunities it offers, not only to big business, but to the whole economy of the north.

Mr. Speaker, a number of people in these communities depend on this skill in which they sew slippers or jackets such as the one I wear in the House, and also in relation to the crafts, being able to make snowshoes, tents and other products that come from the north. We have to devolve this government to establishing a separate institution within economic development to work along with the aboriginal organizations and the aboriginal communities to look at the whole industry as a stand-alone industry, where it has to be able to look at the economic programs that we devolve to the community, such as income support, economic development programs, community wellness and build in the aboriginal component to realize that a lot of our aboriginal communities and aboriginal women depend on this sector to generate revenues to sustain themselves and to become independent.

One thing that we are lacking, Mr. Speaker, is the whole area of marketing. Later on, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Economic Development questions on this matter. I believe it is an initiative that does not only help one particular community or one particular riding, it helps all the people of the north. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.