Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too have concerns in regard to the land pricing policy of the Government of the Northwest Territories, especially with the major increases that have been noted, such as in the community of Aklavik, where the property values have been assessed at $13,000 per lot.

Mr. Speaker, this policy only came into effect in 1997 but there is no room in the policy to consider there was a land freeze as a result of land claims being settled in the Mackenzie Valley, where people were only in the position of leasing property through this long-term lease from the 1980s to the 1990s. The prices presently there are unacceptable to the residents of the Mackenzie Delta and Aklavik.

I think it is clear, Mr. Speaker, that we as a government have to do more to reflect the wishes of the residents of our communities and the homeowners in our communities to reflect the realistic costs of trying to live in our small, isolated communities. Mr. Speaker, this is one more burden on our residents with a cost that is unforeseen, uncalled for and one that had no public involvement in implementation.

Mr. Speaker, this government has been funding municipalities and settlements for a number of years through the MOPE and SOAP program, which identified resources to communities to allow for the building of roads, culvert costs, power poles and other associated costs within our small municipalities. Now, Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of clawing back dollars for those development costs and putting it on the shoulders of the residents of our communities.

Like my colleague from the Deh Cho, I too will have questions to the Minister on this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause