Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to say a few words about the legal opinion which has been referred to in this House over the last few days. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I must say that I am glad that this document will be tabled in the House later today so that the public can have the opportunity to read and judge for themselves. I appreciate the Member for offering to do so.

As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, each member of the AOC was given a copy of this opinion. I had the opportunity to read the nine page opinion several times last night. Given all that has been said, and what information is out there in the public, and the seriousness of the allegations against the government and the individual in question, I feel that it is important for me to state for the record what I get out of reading it. I also feel that it is important that I let the public and my constituents of Range Lake know that there are differing opinions on this side of the House about this issue.

Based on my knowledge of the law, Mr. Speaker, and having discussed this issue with the Members and the legal advisor, I believe the opinion does not provide evidence that Cabinet has broken its own law. Nor does it suggest that there has been any legal conflict of interest arising out of the appointment in question. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I believe the evidence suggests a position to the contrary.

Mr. Speaker, we as Members enjoy a wide degree of freedom of speech in this House. The privilege and the immunity that comes with this privilege is necessary for us to do your job. It is very important that we take care of it. I believe any privilege as such comes with responsibility to use it wisely. We have the obligation to use it fairly and accurately, especially when it comes to the reputation of individuals who do not have the power or privilege to answer for themselves. Mr. Speaker, I am very saddened by what has gone on in this House over the last few days. I believe that we have, as a collective, been diminished by the experience and I want to state that for the record, for the benefit of my constituents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery, The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to recognize in the visitor's gallery Mr. Derek Endo, who is the director of personnel for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation in Hay River. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize a young lady in the gallery who is very dear to me who is visiting from Saskatchewan and going to school there this year. She is up here visiting her dad. My youngest daughter, Katrina Delorey.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Mr. Gordon Stewart, the chairman of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Bob Orness, member of the Union of Northern Workers. With that, we have covered all our bases and recognized everyone. Welcome to the gallery. Thank you for coming. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is in regard to a Member's statement and the importance of the fur industry to the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister exactly what his department is doing to ensure that we continue to promote, enhance and have the resources available for us to continue this important resource industry that we have in the North. So I would like to ask the Minister, what is he doing to ensure that we have programs available for the hunters and trappers, especially with the high cost of fuel and the high cost of the industry? With that, Mr. Speaker, what is his department doing to enhance the fur trapping industry?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday, there are a number of programs that Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development offer to assist trappers and others who harvest off the land. I will not go over the whole list again, but there are a number of things we try to help in - everything from community harvest to individuals who need assistance to get out on the land and to protect this part of their lifestyle.

The department spends over $2.5 million each year right now to support harvesters. Of that amount of money, roughly $1.8 million goes directly to the trappers. We have about a little over a thousand trappers now who are earning somewhere in the neighbourhood of between $800,000 and $900,000 this past year harvesting fur. We expect it is going to increase. As I said yesterday, we are looking at all of our programs. If there is any way we can improve on them, then we need to do that.

Mr. Speaker, there are rising costs this year, but the price of fur is also going up. One of the most important programs we have is the Fur Pricing Program, where we offer a guaranteed price for good quality fur and that program certainly will continue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister consider establishing a new program to offset the high cost of gasoline, especially for the trappers? That is probably one of the highest costs that they incur in trapping. So I would like to ask the Minister, would he consider looking at the possibility of establishing such a program in regard to a gas subsidy similar to what we have with the seniors' fuel subsidy, or any subsidies we have within the government so that the trappers can take advantage of those different subsidies? Right now, we do not have them. Will the Minister consider looking at the possibility of having a gas subsidy for the trappers?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of -- as it was known then -- Renewable Resources, at one time years ago used to have a fuel subsidy program for harvesters. That program was done away with and the money was put into the Harvesters Support Program. It was done that way at the request of harvesters. They did not want to have it all broken up and they could only apply if they needed assistance for fuel. They would have to go somewhere else for assistance with equipment. It was rolled into one program. It was done at their request.

To now create another program to pull fuel to one side and assist them in that way would take a lot of consultation with harvesters. If we had any of them coming forward, or many of them coming forward, then yes, we are open to consideration. However, right now, given the history on the program, I would need to be persuaded that it is a good idea to break it up again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just on that matter, I believe the program is presently being delivered in the Yukon to the Yukon trappers. They do have a fuel subsidy that is provided to Yukon trappers who are registered trappers in the Yukon. I would like to ask the Minister, will he seriously look at that program and see if it is possible that we could deliver a similar program since the work has already been done in the Yukon?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, we will take a look at the Yukon program and see if it has merit. I do want to point out that we have at least six programs in the Northwest Territories, six different programs. Our objective and the direction we have been receiving from this House has been to cut down on the number of programs and make it easier for harvesters to apply for assistance. So, as I said, rather than creating more programs, I would sooner take those six and roll them into one program and let the harvesters and their associations decide how they need assistance, in what amounts and to whom, and have less bureaucracy for them. So I will look at the Yukon program, but my tendency is to have fewer programs, more flexible to the trappers and less paperwork for them. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we do not have an economic development agreement with the federal government. When we did have the agreement, there were special arrangements made in regard to special Arctic grants and whatnot, which trappers were able to access.

So I would like to ask the Minister, has he made any attempt to meet with our federal counterparts in Ottawa to see if we can establish a special program under a similar economic development agreement that we can structure totally for the fur industry in the Northwest Territories? This is an industry that is unique to the Northwest Territories. I am wondering if the Minister will consider looking at the possibility of establishing an economic agreement with Ottawa to look at the possibility of receiving funds from Ottawa to assist our fur industry. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes. Discussions are ongoing with Ottawa on an economic development agreement. If we are successful, then definitely the fur industry -- and I include value-added products, manufacturing -- would be part of that economic development agreement. Thank you.