Thank you. I am happy that the Minister is addressing my concern. However, I would wish that he would address my question. My question was, does it cost more to bring fuel into Lutselk'e or one of those communities where people have to pay higher prices than it costs to bring into subsidized communities that cost a lot of money to supply? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Specifically at Lutselk'e, the residents at that community are paying premium on their fuel. They are subsidizing other communities.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well, I hope that I am not starting to sound like Mr. Krutko.

-- Laughter

No pun intended, Mr. Krutko. Just under a Cabinet review of the community of Lutselk'e, knowing they are paying premium for the fuel and they could pay a cheaper rate, does not agree with the Cabinet decision to continue to purchase fuel from the Government of the Northwest Territories through whatever organization, maybe the Power Corporation. What kind of leeway do they have to go after their own contract? To supply their own fuel?

I have always suspected, now it is for sure, that the community is a premium. It is not much to get fuel into Lutselk'e. You rail it or truck it to Hay River, pump it into a barge, you barge the fuel to the community and you pump it into the tanks. There you go. Why should that community pay a premium to subsidize other communities?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am glad the Minister brought up the stock. My understanding is the stock of fuel in Lutselk'e was purchased this spring and supplied this summer. Since then, the price of fuel is going up and accordingly, the price of fuel went up in Lutselk'e even though the stock was the same and was purchased for a lower price.

So from the Minister's answer, I take it that the department will be willing to negotiate with an interest group or the band corporation or the co-op in Lutselk'e, who has expressed an interest in negotiating with the department to take over the contract.

The question that I still have, based on the Minister's answers to Mr. Krutko's question, the Cabinet still has to review and still has to decide. If the Cabinet decides that the Power Corporation is going to be the choice for delivering fuel in the community, what avenue does the community have?

In a roundabout way, I think the Minister is committing to me or to the Assembly that the department is willing to negotiate with an interest group in the community to transfer the responsibility of delivering fuel services in the community of Lutselk'e. Is that correct, Mr. Chairman?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So the Minister is saying that if somebody could afford to bring in tanks and the other facilities, they may get into a complicated situation? At that point, they will decide if it is worth the government to stay in there and compete with our private industry or pull out entirely?

If that is the case, are they willing to spend all the money that they invested into the existing facilities rather than negotiate with an interest group in the community, whether they sell or just hand over the ownership of the facilities in the community? Is that what I am hearing, Mr. Chairman?