Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From time to time, it is the role of the Members of the Legislative Assembly to focus on issues of very broad concern. They may not be topical, but they are issues we should all pay attention to. Today, my colleagues and I will be focusing on the issue of water resources in our statements and questions.

When we look around the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, we see a land that is blessed with fresh water. Ponds, lakes and tremendous rivers, which are the transportation routes, provide sustenance and are the essence of life for our people.

To give us an idea of the magnitude of our resource, Mr. Speaker, Canada has roughly ten percent of the world's fresh water supply. The Northwest Territories has roughly ten percent of that share. When you combine Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes, Mr. Speaker, it is an area of approximately 11 times the size of Prince Edward Island.

Let me give you another perspective. Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes each have approximately 1200 cubic kilometres of water. That might be expressed, Mr. Speaker, as somewhat more than a highway of water from here to I think about Regina. One kilometre broad, and one kilometre deep. That is a lot of water, Mr. Speaker, and it has not yet gone under the bridge.

A major concern of mine, Mr. Speaker, is whether large-scale water exports must occur under the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement. By signing this agreement, some people would argue that Canada is powerless to stop water exports or diversion projects. Others note that this is not covered under NAFTA. To deal with this concern, the federal government recently introduced amendments to the International Boundaries Water Treaty Act to prohibit the bulk removal of Canadian boundary waters. This includes the Great Lakes.

Those waters will not cross the borders but, Mr. Speaker, where does that leave the water here in the Northwest Territories? Could a tanker pull up to the Mackenzie River in the Delta, fill it up with fresh water and roll out to ports around the world? Could the railway in Hay River fill tankers with pristine Great Slave Lake water and do the same thing?

Everyone in this room is well aware of the negative effects of damming the Peace River in British Columbia and the effects that has had on water levels in the South Slave, in the Great Slave Lake regions. Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to conclude my statement.