Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak about the Giant Mine situation today. Mr. Speaker, the Minister in his budget address mentioned that our economic growth is tied to the resource sector and how true that is. Certainly that is very true for us here in Yellowknife but throughout the Western Territory because Giant Mine affects a lot of areas. Our concern as a government today should be with the 270 workers that are at Giant Mine and the welfare of their families and our community. In the short term, the receiver may keep the mine in operation, but we need a long-term outlook for this situation, Mr. Speaker. We need to keep this mine operating.

Last week I did some contact work in a number of areas. I spoke with a number of business people who are keenly interested in this situation and then I spoke with Mark Danis, who is the president of the Canadian Auto Workers representing the mine workers at Giant Mine. They are both interested in the possibility of discussing a consortium to look at the long-term future of the mine and possibly becoming involved in that consortium in a way to perhaps keep the mine going. Mr. Danis said to me that he knows of an example in Kapuskasing where a sawmill was due to be closed down and it was owned by the pulp and paper industry and the workers were able to negotiate a takeover of that particular operation. That was ten years ago and it is still operating today on a very successful basis.

A consortium of Yellowknife business and labour members could be a solution to our problems here, Mr. Speaker, but they need government support. They need the support of the federal and the territorial governments and the municipal governments in all aspects. I am told that Giant Mine is marginally profitable and, no doubt, with the price of gold being at the lowest it has ever been, the future could look bright for this particular mine if only we could keep it going on the short term. There is a sense of urgency in all this matter, Mr. Speaker. Our government must be pro-active. They must be willing to try and bring in the federal government on this. Mr. Speaker, I see my time is up. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.