Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal government has recently given an indication that the environment, increasingly, is starting to take on very high priority. There is a federal commitment, as a partner in protocol, to carry out an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is a very significant commitment. We also know that the Minister responsible for the Environment, Mr. Anderson, in the last year, has come to the North specifically to look at sites like Giant Mine with a very strong interest in looking at how the federal government might be able to do a proper assessment of the extent of the environmental issue that revolves around areas like Giant Mine, and perhaps other abandoned mine sites with a view of assessing them and working towards addressing these specific sites.

We know that, as a government, we continue to take a view that development of mines, oil and gas, any type of resource development projects must assure the people of the North and this government that the environment and wildlife will be protected to the maximum extent possible. The processes that are initiated when projects like this are developed, assure us, and we always participate to the fullest extent possible. We did that with BHP. We did that with Diavik and we will continue to do that on a project-by-project basis. Thank you.