Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I took over this portfolio last November, and knowing and understanding what happened at the diamond mines in regard to socio-economic agreements and impact benefit agreements, I was told by officials in RWED that were briefing me on all aspects of this job on the oil and gas side that...can we apply the same type of proposals to the oil and gas sector. I was told that in the Mining Act, there were no provisions for socio-economic agreements. Through the review of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review process, the aboriginal leaders, as well as our government, pushed to make sure that we have strong socio-economic agreements on the mining side. I asked if we could do it on the oil and gas side. Apparently, there is federal legislation on oil and gas, Canadian oil and gas legislation that allows for socio-economic agreements, not on the exploration part of it but during the development, once there is a significant find, once they do the drilling and oil and gas exploration, then there are provisions in the federal legislation for oil and gas for socio-economic agreements. Because this agreement is there, we did not pursue similar types of arrangements we had on the mining side, but there are perhaps ways of approaching it. I have asked the department to explore what the possibilities are during the exploration part of the oil and gas phase. To this point in time, we do not have any similar types of arrangements with oil and gas like we do on the diamond mining side. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. That was a very long question, Mr. Krutko. If you could maybe be a little more specific, but...Minister Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is my question to members in the department, why can we not do that? This was when I was getting briefed up. Up until now, I have instructed the department to look at what we could do in this area.

Mr. Speaker, there are some communities that make their own arrangements. For example, Fort Liard, when there was a big...(inaudible)...going on there with exploration and a significant find with oil and gas, they wanted to do it themselves. They did not want the GNWT to be involved. So we have communities in the North that do not want us involved. There are regions in the North that have told us that the GNWT is not their government. So we have to be cognizant of that, yet I have instructed the department to look at what we can do as a template if communities and regions want to work in this area. So we are doing some work in this regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development as the Government of the Northwest Territories, we do not have that jurisdiction. It is the federal jurisdiction to license the exploration as well as the development of oil and gas. It is difficult for us to get right in there with the oil companies and tell them that they have to have socio-economic agreements. Our staff are monitoring what is going on in the communities and in the regions, and if we are asked to help out and support them that is when we get involved at this point in time.

Again I have asked the department to look at what sort of template we could develop that would be applicable to the communities and the regions, and there is work going on at this point in time to see how we could help out better in the communities where there is oil and gas activity. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again once we have concluded devolution discussions with the federal government perhaps we would be in a better position to be directly involved with telling the oil and gas companies what sort of conditions they have to meet once they get their permits and licences, but at this point in time we do not have that authority. It is still the federal government's responsibility and we are involved. We are trying to influence what is going on. I agree that perhaps we could play a bigger role, but we need to work with the communities and the leadership in the different regions if they ask us to get involved. Up to this point in time there are a few communities that are asking for our support and help, and we certainly will do it.

In terms of asking for legal advice, I am going to have to ask the department and the Department of Justice about the question that the MLA has asked. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are negotiating with Buffalo to provide air tanker services in the Northwest Territories. They have been doing that for the last seven years. I have said in the House and the honourable Member also reiterated that the object of the exercise here is to try to get the good service that we require at a lower cost. Through the negotiation process we are trying to negotiate a lower price than has been there in the past, and that is what I base my answer on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are negotiating as we speak here, but just to reply to the question, Buffalo Airways has done an excellent job in developing a northern business. Ten years ago we had a huge debate in this House in trying to grapple with this and trying to help develop a northern company that could have the capacity and ability to provide air tanker services in the North, and I think we have succeeded through Buffalo Airways. They have developed a northern business. They own the business. They are operating it and they are maintaining northern aircraft with northern residents and northern businesses.

They are also providing training in the North with their value-added facilities. They have also offered to increase the benefits and reduce the annual charges for aircraft. Most importantly, there are at this point in time no northern businesses that own and operate air tankers in the Northwest Territories, and any new operator that would like to have a chance at it, if they are successful would have to either joint venture with a firm that has air tankers and probably would most likely have to come from the south.

Seven years ago when this government through a huge debate and discussion decided to develop a northern aircraft fire fighting business and bring the equipment and benefits north, I think we have succeeded in that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.