Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am informed that I am the next speaker and I have four minutes. That is good. I do not have much to say and I talk fast, I am told.

On this highway toll, I think there is merit in the philosophy of what is trying to be accomplished. I think the Ministers have come forward today with good responses to some of the input that was heard in the public. I think what they are saying is there is room for movement on some of the things that might mitigate some of the impact on consumers, on people on fixed incomes, people on income support and other specific groups such as manufacturers. There are ways to address these things, but to do nothing is to see the construction and rehabilitation of our highway infrastructure put on hold. I do not think that is a position that shows much leadership.

I think we are facing new and different fiscal issues on a national level than we were and I think that there are pros and cons about this. I think when you do go out for community consultation, no one is going to stand up in any community in the Northwest Territories and say, "Yes, we would like a tax." But a tax is a principle, whether you are talking about municipal taxation in exchange for services, whether you are talking about this kind of taxation in exchange for improved infrastructure, which gives the travelling public and the carriers safer roads, roads that are easier on their equipment.

I think it is necessary for us as leaders to take a look at this. I am encouraged by the comments of the Ministers today on this, whether it is issues of administration, issues of impact. I think what they have done is shown a willingness to address some of these things. I know feedback from my community now on a constituency basis has been mixed. There are people who are in the road construction business who think it would be a great asset to the local economy if they could get some of these contracts and start working on some of these things.

I think that probably Hay River is the least impacted community of any community in the North. Probably, in an interesting way, it makes Hay River, more than ever, a viable place to live and to do business, given its proximity to other transportation options, including the highway.

So I want to see this discussion continue. I do not think there is resistance to the public input that has been received. I would hate to see us not take the opportunity to address this further. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.