Mr. Speaker, building momentum is not just about talk. It must be about action and results and so, at the May 5th meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum, the Honourable Joe Handley, Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, distributed a draft Non-Renewable Resource Strategy for the consideration of our partner governments.

Preparation of this document responds to the commitment made to federal Finance Minister Martin to put our preliminary thoughts on paper and begin a draft that identifies the investment dollars needed to prepare for the non-renewable resource development challenges already upon us.

The strategy remains in draft and represents the initial thinking of the Government of the Northwest Territories to this point. It is a work-in-progress that, out of respect for the relationship we are developing through the Intergovernmental Forum process, has been formally shared with our partner governments for their consideration and input.

The draft strategy was also provided to Members of this House for their input and was transmitted under cover letter to all federal Cabinet Ministers and their deputies. As well, the draft strategy was presented to federal officials representing 12 departments and agencies at a meeting in Ottawa on May 18, 2000. This presentation included an explanation of the need for and value of such a strategy at this time.

It should be noted that Mr. Pierre Alvarez, president, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Mr. Richard Nerysoo, co-chair of the Economic Strategy Panel, also gave presentations at that meeting in support of the strategy.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, it was our early review and discussions with respect to the work of the Economic Strategy Panel that provided one of the bases for the Non-Renewable Resource Strategy. As a result, our draft document, which focuses solely on one economic sector, fits nicely within the overall umbrella strategy being prepared by the panel. While we await the release of their report, titled Common Ground, it would appear that the work of the government to date in moving this initiative forward is consistent with the thrust of the Economic Strategy Panel's thinking.

In keeping with our commitment to open and transparent government, we have made early drafts of the Non-Renewable Resource Strategy available upon request to the media and to the public.

I should mention, Mr. Speaker, that while we recognize that a final strategy must be built on partnership, other events dictate that time is of the essence in moving this initiative forward. Development in the non-renewable resource sector is already booming in the NWT. Canadian diamonds are already being sold in international markets -- something that was hard to imagine just a few short years ago. In less than a year, three new pipelines have been completed in the Northwest Territories.

With every day that passes, we find new opportunities to benefit from this development. As a proactive government, we cannot afford to wait. Our provincial partners are not waiting. For example, British Columbia just announced an investment of $103 million to pave the Liard highway from Fort Nelson to the BC - NWT border.

Therefore, we are asking the federal government to respond quickly and decisively to the Non-Renewable Resource Strategy and invest with us in preparation for the major developments on our doorstep. At the end of the day, the success of the strategy will be measured by the extent to which it yields additional federal investment in the Northwest Territories and how quickly and decisively the federal government responds.